If Chu Feng were still the profligate Third Prince of his past, Liu Ping might very well have played him like a puppet on a string.
Now, it is perhaps Chu Feng who plays him.
The Alchemy Venerate, who had lived for thousands of years, vastly surpassed the teenaged Liu Ping in mentality, experience, or schemes and plots by countless folds.
Chu Feng had always wanted to know about the matters of the Sword King Mansion.
However, since Senior Brother and the rest kept it from him and never brought it up, he naturally had no way of finding out.
He could only glean some tidbits from the rumors and hearsays of others. He knew only that Prince Chu led his troops to resist the ferocious Three Tribes of Foreign Realm and ultimately fell in battle. Additionally, the Imperial Family seemed to hold some strong disdain for the people of the Sword King Mansion.
That was all Chu Feng knew.
...
Dragged by Liu Ping to the largest restaurant inside the Alchemy Academy, it was said to be run by the deputy dean's brother. Not only was it in the most conspicuous spot, but it also set up many tables outside.
These were for students with lower spending capacity to dine.
For rich students like Liu Ping, they would typically opt for the private rooms inside. The dishes were also ordered on the spot and stir-fried fresh.
At this moment, quite a few students were already seated outside at the tables, starting their meals.
They were eating communal dishes, where for half a cent of broken silver, one could have their fill. If one were to ask for a private room inside, the minimum expenditure would be at least half a tael of silver. The stark truth is, poor people simply could not afford it.
"Cook, fry up three to five of your specialty dishes and bring two jars of fine Daughter Red wine," Liu Ping ordered boisterously, flaunting his wealth.
"Alright! Young Prince, please take a seat inside, it will be ready shortly!" The fat cook, clad in dirty, greasy clothes, was the deputy dean's brother. Acting as both the owner and the chef, he earned quite a sum each year.
Rumor had it that he bought a storefront on the main street of the Royal Capital and just the rent he collected each month was enough to let him lead a comfortable life.
Liu Ping was a valued guest here, holding significant status.
As for Chu Feng, also a Young Prince, he was virtually invisible. Whether it was the cook stir-frying the dishes or the server carrying them, their gaze, filled with ingratiating favor, was always fixed on Liu Ping. Everyone selectively ignored Chu Feng.
For Chu Feng generally could only afford to eat the cheapest communal meals outside, never daring to enter the private rooms and order individual dishes.
Liu Ping, nearly every time he dined here, would definitely opt for a private room and order dishes.
In terms of status, Liu Ping was far above Chu Feng. Everyone knew that the Sword King Mansion had fallen, while Prince Liu Mansion was deeply favored by the Emperor and held in high esteem. In the Royal Capital, if not having authority that influenced the court, at least nobody dared provoke them.
"Chu Feng, let's sit inside and wait!" Liu Ping invited with an enthusiastic smile.
"Alright!" Chu Feng followed him into the private room.
It wasn't long after sitting down that Chu Feng caught a whiff of a faint fragrance. His expression changed subtly; if he remembered correctly, the former host of his body had smelled this fragrance before, which then triggered the Yang Fire within his body.
Eventually, succumbing to the fire poison, he perished, enabling Chu Feng to take over his body through reincarnation.
With Chu Feng's capabilities, he immediately discerned that the light scent was the extremely valuable ambergris.
This fragrance was commonly used as a stimulating and invigorating agent by the Imperial Family, and it could even be consumed directly to enhance virility.
Because the production of ambergris was extremely low, it was considered forbidden. Only the Imperial Family could use it, only the Imperial Family could possess it; any commoner who dared to hoard or use it risked being beaten or even beheaded for such a crime.
As a Prince, Liu Ping's possession of such a treasure clearly illustrated the Emperor's profound trust and favor toward Prince Liu Mansion.
That was why ambergris would be bestowed for Prince Liu Mansion's use.
"Chu Feng, you must really want to know about the past of the Sword King Mansion, right? I'll tell you about it today!" Liu Ping's hand under the table quietly removed the cork from a porcelain bottle.
Strands of fragrance were wafting out from it.
He was observing Chu Feng's reactions on the sly.
"It's so hot!" Chu Feng exclaimed, forcefully tugging at his collar. He secretly exerts strength, and his face naturally turned flush red.
This behavior, in Liu Ping's eyes, was the sign of an impending fire poison outbreak.
Yet as wine and dishes continued to be served, despite Chu Feng's incessant complaints about the heat, there wasn't any sign of fire poison acting up.
Liu Ping thought the scent of ambergris wasn't sufficiently strong and quietly fanned underneath the table with his hand.
All his subtle movements failed to escape Chu Feng's watchful eye. Chu Feng sneered inwardly, looking at Liu Ping as if watching a monkey perform.
If it were before he had tamed the Nine Yang Strange Fire, perhaps Liu Ping's scheming might have succeeded in harming him.
But now, even if Liu Ping were to exhaust himself fanning, Chu Feng would remain unaffected.
"F*ck, this Chu bastard, why isn't he affected at all today?"
"Didn't Chief Luo say that Chu Feng suffered from another fire poison outbreak yesterday? I've been releasing ambergris for so long; it should have ignited the Yang Fire in his body by now."
Liu Ping's expression was dark and uncertain, but he continued to speak of irrelevant matters.
Before coming, he promised to share the history of Sword King Mansion with Chu Feng. However, upon arriving, all he did was spout nonsense.
Seeing Liu Ping's unending antics, Chu Feng decided to push him further.
He pretended to accidentally knock his chopsticks to the ground.
As he bent down to pick them up, Liu Ping was scared out of his wits and hurriedly hid the porcelain bottle in his sleeve.
"Without poison, there's no real man; and with little measure, no gentleman. Since the mere smell isn't enough to kill the lad, let's try something fiercer." A vicious glint flashed across Liu Ping's face. As Chu Feng bent over to pick up the chopsticks and was still down, he swiftly took out a packet of powder, which was a well-known God Burning Powder.
He directly poured it into Chu Feng's cup.
This packet contained a lethal dose of the powder, the poison potent and quick to act.
Just a little bit ingested would lead to an unbearable situation.
After pouring the Medicine Powder into Chu Feng's cup, he quickly and subtly put it back in his sleeve, then swiftly picked up a jug of wine, broke the seal, and poured it into the cup.
"Chu Feng, this is Daughter Red worth one tael of silver per jug, aged for thirty years. Here, have a taste!" Liu Ping filled both cups with wine and, smiling, passed the drugged one to Chu Feng.
Chu Feng's act of picking up the chopsticks was an Eye-blocking Technique; he saw the entire process of Liu Ping drugging his cup clearly.
Now, to expect Chu Feng to drink it? How could that be possible?
Chu Feng had a thought and took out a piece of broken silver, flicked it with his finger, hitting precisely on the corner of Liu Ping's chair, then it fell at Liu Ping's feet.
Hearing the noise, Liu Ping instinctively looked down to investigate.
Upon discovering a piece of broken silver, he reached out to pick it up.
Little did he know, in that brief moment, Chu Feng had switched their cups.
"Brother Liu, you're really loaded. Wherever you sit, you're dropping silver!"
Chu Feng said with a laugh.
"Heh heh, although Prince Liu Mansion can't be considered the wealthiest in the Royal Capital, compared to your Sword King Mansion, we are indeed many times richer! At least we can afford a few good meals without any problem," Liu Ping said without any reserve, managing to belittle Sword King Mansion in the process.
Remembering the drugged wine, he quickly picked up his cup and said, "Cheers, let's drink up!"
Their cups clinked together crisply, and to get Chu Feng to drink the wine, Liu Ping took the lead and downed his cup in one go.
"I'll drink first as a gesture of respect! Chu Feng, your turn!" Liu Ping smacked his lips, feeling a bit numb on his tongue, but he gave it no further thought, assuming it was due to the spiciness of the alcohol.