'This was clearly built for isolation.' Lin Mu could tell from the location of the mansion as well as the arrays of the place.
Unlike the others, his immortal sense had already analyzed and identified a lot of the arrays. There were strong defenses as well as isolation arrays set up here.
'There's also… Spatial Fluctuations?' Lin Mu narrowed his eyes.
His Spatial Perception activated, allowing him to see the faint traces hidden inside the mansion.
'A Teleportation formation huh…' Lin Mu realized this might just be a secret hideout.
He now started to feel curious about what the Crown Prince's intentions were.
'He has likely invited us due to the mission he gave us… but I can't help but feel there is more to it.' Lin Mu thought and watched Daoist Chu talk to the guards at the gate.
~Rumble~
The large gate opened up, allowing them free entry into the mansion grounds. Lin Mu and the others could finally see the scenery of the mansion that looked to be rather simple.
There were no gardens or plants there though. Instead the ground surrounding the mansion was paved with stone tiles and a lot of weapons seemed to be kept along the sides.
There were weapons of all kinds, kept on racks and stands with a few people sparring using them.
Lin Mu's companions noticed this too and found this to be more of a military barracks than a noble's mansion.
Daoist Chu guided them inside the mansion and brought them to the main hall. Along the way, Lin Mu could see the simple yet utilitarian design of the mansion that was made for function rather than luxury.
"Welcome Daoist Mu Lin." Crown Prince Feng Shun greeted them while sitting at the end of the hall.
He sat on an stone throne that wasn't decorate in anyway. And yet the throne exuded a dignity that made one feel a hint of respect.
Sitting beside Crown Prince Feng Shun were his companions, the monk Hushu, Crown princess Shang and Commander Dui.
"C-commander Dui!" Qian Wen saw the superior of his superior and hurriedly saluted him.
Being in the army, there was no way he wouldn't know the man who was just below the generals.
'Why's he even here? He isn't supposed to support any of the princes…' Qian Wen knew of the militarily protocols that prohibited this.
The man in the silver armor looked at Qian Wen, having been saluted by him. He furrowed his brows before recognizing him.
"You are under the Third Captain's command, aren't you?" Commander Dui asked.
"Yes!" Qian Wen replied.
"Hmm…" Commander Dui looked at Lin Mu and then at Crown Prince who gestured with his eyes. "At ease, as of this moment, I am not here." He quickly ordered.
"Yes sir!" While Qian Wen knew that the man was going against protocols, he couldn't exactly question him.
As such he could only follow the orders. Plus with Lin Mu there, he didn't feel as anxious as he would alone.
Lin Mu saw the short interaction between them and guessed that there was some bureaucracy at play.
"Why did you call us, Crown Prince?" Lin Mu asked him straightway, not wanting to waste time.
"Well since you've finished the mission, I reckoned it is best I give you the rewards." Crown Prince Feng Shun replied.
"Mmm? For Yao Changying." Lin Mu replied.
"Indeed… while you didn't kill her, she has sabotaged herself and her empire along with her father's sect." Crown Prince Feng Shun nodded his head before looking at the Crown Princess Shang.
This prompted her to stand up and smile.
"You did great. You pushed her just enough to make her reveal her true colors. It went even better than I would have expected." Crown princess Shang praised.
"You are fine with us being unable to kill her?" Lu Xu inquired while Ming Aolian and Luo Liqin watched.
They of course had a grudge against the woman and had wished that Lin Mu had managed to kill her too.
"Of course. Rather than killing her and ending it faster, now her entire legacy is at stake here. She has also offended the Temple of the Four Guardian beasts bringing great scrutiny to her character and her family.
It will serve as a befitting punishment for her actions." Crown princess Shang stated before walking towards Lin Mu.
"As such you all shall get the reward." She finally declared.
Hearing that smiles appeared on the faces of Ming Dandan and others. Though Lin Mu still had a neutral expression, as if not caring much.
"Do you not wish for reward?" Crown Prince asked.
"I'll delay asking for the reward. The others can go ahead first." Lin Mu replied.
"Very well." Crown Princess Shang didn't mind. "Tell me what you want, and I'll provide it to you. Even if it isn't with me, I can get it delivered to you in a few days." She stated.
Lin Mu's companions nodded and talked to her about what they wanted one by one.
Ming Aolian and Ming Dandan were the first ones to ask, and both requested for the same thing.
They asked for a specific type of a fruit that was used for nurturing beasts. This was easy for Crown Princess Shang to fulfill, as her empire was specialized in the Wood Element as well as growing various herbs and fruits.
The Ming sisters would get the fruits in a few day's time and moved on.
Luo Liqin asked for a few qi skills that were unique to the Shang Empire and Qian Wen did the same.
Lu Xu on the other hand, simply asked for as many Immortal Stones as he could get. He didn't have a need for a particular material or technique. Instead, he asked for land in the Capital City.
This was a bit unexpected but still within the Crown Princess's means. She simply asked the Crown Prince and the man immediately granted Lu Xu a land deed. This, added with their winnings from the betting pavilion was going to make Lu Xu a very rich man.
