Gavin Norton smiled, knowing that Stanley Norton must be in a bad mood right now. He nodded at Colin Norton, who still looked bewildered and astonished, then leisurely left Birch Garden. This farce thus came to an end, but the impact it brought to the entire Ning Prince’s Residence was by no means so easily resolved.

……

……

The night was deep, with starlight twinkling in the sky. Occasionally, the stars shone through thick clouds, sprinkling their light and adding a faint brightness to the heavy darkness.

A light rain had just fallen, and the air throughout Nanhua City was thick with moisture.

Nanhua City was the center of the three southwestern provinces, because this was where the Ning Prince’s Residence was located.

After generations of development, the Ning Prince’s Residence occupied a vast area, already encompassing a third of Nanhua City.

“I heard that I have a son who’s finally shown some promise?!”

Inside the most authoritative building of the Ning Prince’s Residence, a middle-aged man dressed in a python-embroidered robe and wearing a purple-gold crown lounged lazily on a golden throne. His eyes, opening and closing, emitted a faint, strange purple light. “Uncle Eight, what do you think of that boy?!”

“If he can enter the academy, we can try letting him serve as an official at court!” Stanley Norton, dressed in a coarse blue robe, stood quietly beside the throne and said calmly, “He has good judgment, a keen grasp of the bigger picture, and is quite bold—he just lacks strength!”

“Lacking strength is fine, we can just assign him more guards!” The middle-aged man waved his hand. “So, Uncle Eight, you think this boy is worth cultivating!”

“That’s right!”

“Good, that’s good!” The middle-aged man nodded. “Evelyn!”

“Your servant is here!”

At the man’s call, a tall, thin young man entered from outside. “My lord, what are your orders?!”

“Go to Birch Garden and tell Seventh Lady that this matter was caused by her and her son. Although a scapegoat has already been found and I don’t wish to pursue it further, the rules of the residence cannot be broken so easily. Since they suffered grievances, there must be sufficient compensation!”

“Yes, my lord!” The youth called Evelyn bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

“Seventh Concubine comes from a merchant family. Compensating Gavin Norton and his mother won’t be a problem. Isn’t your punishment a bit too light?”

“Uncle Eight, this is just a small matter. We’re only discussing it here—surely you didn’t come here today just for this?!”

Stanley Norton said, “Of course not. I came for the matter of the Deer Cauldron!”

“The Deer Cauldron?! Haha, so the news has reached Uncle Eight’s ears as well!” When Stanley Norton mentioned the “Deer Cauldron,” Brian Norton showed an expression of “just as I thought.” “So, Uncle Eight, are you interested in this thing?!”

“A supreme-grade Dao artifact—who wouldn’t want it?!”

“Indeed, a supreme-grade Dao artifact appearing in Dian Province is truly a huge temptation!!”

“When Qin lost its deer, all under heaven chased after it!” Stanley Norton murmured, a faint flush appearing on his face. “If we could obtain the Deer Cauldron—!”

“If we obtained the Deer Cauldron, then the day of our Ning Prince’s Residence’s destruction would not be far off!”

“Yes, huh? What?!” Stanley Norton responded instinctively, then realized what was said. “My lord, you mean—!”

“A Dao artifact, a supreme-grade Dao artifact—looking across the entire Great Qi, even the royal family only possesses a single lower-grade Dao artifact to suppress their fortune. If our Ning Prince’s Residence were to obtain a supreme-grade Dao artifact, do you think, with our strength, we could withstand the forces from all over the realm?!”

Stanley Norton was speechless. The royal family of Great Qi possessed a lower-grade Dao artifact, and it was precisely because of this artifact that they could suppress their fortune and be recognized by all powers as the rulers of the land. As for the Ning Prince’s Residence, though a powerful noble house with a princely title, looking across Great Qi and the world, there were too many forces equal to or stronger than the Ning Prince’s Residence. How could they possibly allow the Ning Prince’s Residence to obtain a supreme-grade Dao artifact?!

“So, are we just going to ignore it?!”

“Worldly treasures belong to those with virtue. This thing is a disaster for our Ning Prince’s Residence. If it appeared elsewhere, I wouldn’t even glance at it. But now that it’s appeared in Dian Province, even if we don’t get involved, we’ll be dragged in!”

“If my lord truly doesn’t want to get involved, why not make our stance clear from the start?”

“It’s not that simple!” Brian Norton said helplessly. “That would be too conspicuous and would make others suspect we have ulterior motives!”

“Then…!”

“Have Bruce take half of the experts in the residence to participate in the struggle. If necessary, he can use some of the family’s Dao soldiers. Remember, the Five Poisons Secret Realm doesn’t just have the Deer Cauldron. Also, starting tomorrow, strengthen the defenses of all prefectures and counties in Dian, Qian, and Li provinces. Let them fight over the treasure if they want, but on my turf, everyone had better behave—don’t let any trouble break out!” Brian Norton narrowed his eyes and spoke leisurely.

“Isn’t it a bit early to start now? The Five Poisons Secret Realm won’t open for another three years!”

“Yes, there are still three years, but this time the situation is special!”