The Hanging Gardens

After another round of discussion with Roco, a cheerful Rhode followed Kelly to make preparations.

Now, only Roco and Ard remained in the room. Seeing that matters were mostly settled, Ard prepared to take his leave.

“Stay a moment, if you would.”

Roco suddenly stopped him. Ard turned, a questioning look on his face. “Is there something else?”

“Are you currently in service to a lord?”

Ard shook his head. “I am merely a wanderer at present.”

“You have likely guessed my family’s identity by now, and I can confirm your suspicions are correct. That being the case, would you be willing to enter into service?”

“Service to you?”

“No,” Roco said, shaking his head with a sincere expression. “I have no need for it. That is not to look down on you, my lord, but I am not lacking for men of your talents. My foolish younger brother, however, still needs someone to guide him so he can mature more quickly. I can see he is quite fond of you.”

Ard’s reply was swift and decisive. “I refuse.”

Roco was taken aback. “Why? I can guarantee you status and power.”

Ard shot him a sideways glance. “That’s not the only reason you’re saying this, is it? Yexi could see through it, so there’s no way you can’t.”

Roco shrugged. “I won’t deny that I am very interested in that… practitioner who hides her strength so well. But that does not mean I would treat you poorly, nor do I mean any disrespect.”

“Heh.” Ard gave a self-deprecating laugh. “If I were standing here with Yexi’s strength, how would you try to recruit me?”

“Lord Ard, some gaps are best left unsaid. It is a cruel truth, but there is a difference between people, and what’s more frightening is that this gap is not easily closed. What I can promise you is a reward that is absolutely worthy of the talents you have displayed.”

“What is respect? What is ‘worthy’?” Ard countered. “In the end, that is merely your assessment of me as I am now. If the one I was persuading was not some petty baron and his bandits, but a high minister who could sway the fate of the nation, how would you treat me then?”

“With the courtesy due to a statesman. But you are not that man, not now. In truth, I am offering you the stage to become him.”

“Thank you for the offer, my lord. The man I used to be would have likely accepted with giddy excitement. However,” Ard’s face broke into a confident smile, “the achievements one can make on your stage have a ceiling. And I want more.”

“An appetite that is never satisfied can lead a snake to swallow an elephant. Surely you understand that principle.”

“I do. I simply refuse to set a limit for myself.” Ard took a deep breath. “I will use everything I have to climb, even if the consequence is losing everything I currently possess.”

“Even if it means losing your life?”

“Even if it means losing my life. I am done with that mediocre existence, where I was nothing but a pawn to be slaughtered.”

“There are a thousand paths to success, yet you choose the most difficult one?”

Ard didn’t linger. He walked straight out of the room, leaving behind a single, quiet sentence. “The most difficult, yes. But the rewards will be beyond imagination.”

“Heh.” Roco’s deep eyes followed Ard’s departing figure. He smiled. “An interesting fellow.”

Ard strode in and strode out, leaving the guard who had accompanied him dumbfounded. It was well known that the last two men who had gone to see the young noble had come running out with their tails between their legs. How had Ard emerged so triumphantly?

When Ard walked over, the guard hurried to his side. “How did it go?”

“Sorted.” Ard glanced at the guard and grunted. “I’m returning to see the Baron.”

With that, Ard marched off toward the Baron’s manor, leaving the guard staring after him in stunned silence. He actually handled it? And it doesn’t look like he’s faking it, either.

Inside the Baron’s manor, Quentin was equally taken aback by Ard’s triumphant return. He had already written Ard off as a necessary sacrifice and was contemplating who to send as the next scapegoat. But here was the man himself, beaming, declaring the matter resolved. Seeing Ard’s cheerful demeanor, the Baron felt it would be rude not to show some appreciation.

He asked, a little hesitantly, “That little… prince… he’s really not going to pester me anymore?”

Ard replied with conviction, “The young lord gave me his word in front of everyone!”

“Hahaha, well done!” The Baron was so pleased he didn’t even ask how Ard had managed it. He slapped Ard on the shoulder with a heavy, fat hand. “When is that little… lord leaving? Is he setting off today? I’ll go see him off myself!”

Watching the Baron, as giddy as a child, Ard couldn’t help but wonder what on earth Rhode had done to torment him so thoroughly in just two days.

Ard mercilessly dashed his hopes. “The young lord said he plans to leave in six days.”

The Baron’s smile froze. The fat on his face seemed to sag. “S-six days? Why is he staying for another six days? Didn’t he say he wouldn’t bother me anymore?”

Ard explained, “He did indeed promise not to trouble you, my lord. I asked him about it. It seems it’s because in five days, the Hanging Gardens in your domain will be in full bloom. He wishes to witness that beautiful sight before he departs.”

The flesh on the Baron’s face twitched. The Hanging Gardens were no natural wonder. To put it bluntly, they were a money-burning artificial marvel conceived by the world-renowned designer, Jeff Ryan. An artificial floating island, sustained by high-grade magic crystals, planted with all manner of rare and exotic flowers. Every three months, there was a period when all the flowers would bloom at once, filling the air with a fragrance that was said to refresh the mind and spirit.

Only ten such man-made marvels had ever been built in the entire world, and one of them belonged to this Baron. Building something like this required an astronomical amount of capital. At the time, when Baron Paunch announced his intention to build a Hanging Garden, even the royal family was stunned. They had sent people to ask if he was joking.

But to everyone’s surprise, the man had actually paid the full cost of the Hanging Gardens, though it was said he had lost three whole rings of fat in the years that followed. However, it proved that while the fat man might be an idiot in other respects, he had a keen eye for long-term investments. Though the initial construction and maintenance costs had nearly bankrupted him, once he recovered, he turned the Hanging Gardens into a veritable gold mine, attracting tourists from all over the kingdom and even the world. Even with the exorbitant ticket prices, people flocked to see it. He had also built up a host of secondary businesses around the gardens, all high-end establishments, of course.

Every time the Hanging Gardens were open, Baron Paunch would rake in a massive amount of funds, which was how he had managed to regain his figure. If it weren’t for the fact that everyone knew how he had come by his initial capital, many would have praised him as a business genius.

And now, the Hanging Gardens, his primary source of income, had become a source of great distress. Rhode’s identity was something he could not afford to offend, not even with money. He couldn’t help but curse the timing of the garden’s bloom. If only it had been a few days earlier!

Should I temporarily close the Hanging Gardens? The thought flashed through Quentin’s mind, and he immediately slapped it away. Close it? Close my foot! The gardens were only open for a limited time each year. Every single day’s profit was astronomical. To close the Hanging Gardens for several days because of a little brat… the thought didn’t just make his heart bleed; it was a direct stab to his aorta. He would die of a heart attack.

Baron Quentin gritted his teeth. Six days it was. He would just have to lie low for six days.

“Hmph.” Quentin let out a long breath and said to Ard, “You’ve done well. Steward, take him to the treasury and let him pick out any one item as his reward. I’m going to have another meal to calm my nerves.”

Ard and the steward looked at Quentin’s spherical figure, their faces twitching. He’s already in this state, and he’s still stress-eating? Does he plan on rolling around from now on?

Ard followed the steward to one of the Baron’s treasuries. Though the offer sounded generous—letting him pick any one item—it was clear that the items in this particular vault were specifically set aside as rewards for subordinates. The truly priceless treasures would never be found here. And he could only pick one.

Ard wandered through the treasury and his eyes fell on a glowing green jewel resting in a treasure box. He picked it up and felt a warm, gentle power seep into his body, soothing the fatigue from his recent high-intensity training.

“Is this… a Jade of Life?” he asked.

The steward looked at him with a hint of surprise, then nodded. “You have a good eye. It is indeed a Jade of Life, and a high-grade one at that.”

Ard’s eyes lit up. The Jade of Life was an excellent training aid. Made from polished Lustre Stone, it had the ability to relieve fatigue, promote healing, and accelerate recovery. And it was incredibly easy to use; simply wearing it was enough for its effects to be constantly active. Depending on the purity of the Lustre Stone, Jades of Life were divided into low, medium, high, and supreme grades. The higher the grade, the more potent the effect. They were a must-have for any practitioner, as they could greatly speed up the pace of cultivation. However, the Jades of Life had a limited lifespan. Over time, their effects would weaken, and their grade would slowly decline. Unless one was from a wealthy family, a Jade of Life was usually only used during periods of intense training or exhaustion. The rest of the time, it was kept in a special preservation box to prolong its life.