The grenade had been sitting in Lu Chen's inventory ever since he received it from the novice gift pack. He had never once used it.
But now, he felt it was time to test its power.
Curious about its explosion radius, Lu Chen retrieved one of the grenades and prepared for a test detonation.
Unlike the compact grenades used on Earth, the ones in the novice pack were significantly larger—bulky, heavy, and clearly not designed for portability. But their sheer size hinted at their destructive potential.
When Lu Chen carefully approached the site of the explosion, the scene before him made him pause.
All the armor within a ten-meter radius had been shredded to bits, pierced clean through by jagged fragments. Even the cattle and sheep nearby had become riddled with gaping holes—their bodies grotesquely torn apart by the force of the blast.
The soldiers witnessing this from a distance broke into cold sweat. The carnage sent a chill down their spines.
Fortunately, they had kept their distance. Had they been closer, their fates would've mirrored that of the livestock—bloodied and torn, lives snuffed out in an instant.
Lu Chen turned to Chu Yuqin and Li Feng, his tone calm but deliberate. "General Li, Aunt Chu, what do you think of the weapon I just used?"
Li Feng, eyes still wide with awe, immediately responded, "If His Highness possesses such a divine weapon, unifying the world is only a matter of time!"
As soon as his words landed, the surrounding soldiers dropped to one knee with military precision.
"In honor of His Highness obtaining the divine artifact—we vow to follow him in unifying the world and striking fear into all who oppose him!"
Lu Chen was momentarily stunned.
What the hell?
Was this how easily flattery flowed in the army?
He waved his hand, exasperated. "Alright, enough. All of you, stand up."
Hearing the command, the soldiers rose quickly, straightening their backs.
Chu Yuqin then asked thoughtfully, "Chen'er, that thing… it can only be used once, right? Do you have any more?"
Lu Chen replied honestly, "Not many. Just a few dozen for now. But once the conditions are right, we can manufacture them ourselves."
Chu Yuqin's eyes lit up. If this weapon could be produced in large quantities, Lu Chen's path to power in the capital would become exponentially smoother.
With a flick of his wrist, Lu Chen pulled out another grenade from his sleeve like a street magician performing a trick. "General Li," he said, handing it over, "let me show you how to use it. If the assassins from Blood Moon Tower show up again, feel free to greet them with this."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Li Feng saluted respectfully.
Lu Chen then demonstrated the grenade's mechanism to Li Feng and several other higher rank soldiers. Naturally, this time he refrained from pulling the safety pin—there was no need for another demonstration of destruction.
After instructing them on its use, he added casually, "When the Northern King was rewarding the soldiers earlier, a thunderbolt struck the palace—scared him so badly he locked himself in his room for the whole afternoon."
The moment the words left his mouth, the soldiers caught on instantly. The deafening boom from earlier was unmistakable—everyone around the palace must've heard it.
If no explanation was given, suspicion would naturally arise and people will instead make their own theories and hypothesis which will be far from even the truth.
Now, with the cover story in place, Lu Chen quickly ordered the backyard to be cleaned and cleared of any evidence. Once that was done, he returned to the main courtyard.
Li Feng and the soldiers soon left the backyard. As they stepped outside, their family members rushed up, surrounding them with worried expressions.
"What happened just now?" someone asked.
With deadpan expressions, Li Feng and the others answered in unison, "A thunderbolt struck the backyard and scared His Highness."
---
Evening fell.
The news that the Northern Prince's Palace had been struck by lightning spread like wildfire through Yancheng. Rumors swirled among the people from every status.
Some speculated that the Northern Prince must have committed some unspeakable sin to warrant the heavens' wrath. Being struck by lightning, after all, wasn't something that just happened.
---
Meanwhile, at Baihua Tower—
Wang Qingci lounged lazily on a beauty couch in the upper attic, her skirt pulled halfway up her thighs, her posture relaxed and alluring.
At that moment, Chen Yu entered quietly.
"What is it, Granny Yu?" Wang Qingci asked, glancing over.
Chen Yu responded calmly, "Saintess, according to our informants, while the Northern Prince was rewarding his soldiers at noon, a sudden thunderclap struck the palace. It frightened him so much that he stayed in his room the entire afternoon."
Wang Qingci's lips curved into a faint smile. She slowly rose from the couch, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Oh? That's quite amusing. Was he injured?"
Naturally, she didn't believe Lu Chen had really been frightened by thunder. She suspected he was up to something—and that such talk was nothing more than a smokescreen to conceal his true activities.
Chen Yu shook her head. "We haven't been able to confirm."
Wang Qingci's voice turned playful, yet probing. "Then I'll go to the Northern Palace tonight and dig a little deeper."
Hearing this, Chen Yu's expression changed. "Saintess, you've been visiting the Northern Palace frequently lately. If you go again tonight, Madam Chu might notice. Until the Blood Moon Tower makes their move, I believe it would be safer to stay away."
Wang Qingci laughed lightly, brushing off the concern. "Relax. I never go near the inner courtyard. Chu Yuqin won't find out."
With that, she rose to her feet and began changing into her nighttime attire, preparing to sneak into the Northern Prince's residence once again.
---
Night deepened.
A shadowy figure slipped into the inner courtyard of the Northern Prince's Palace, silent and swift.
Chu Yuqin was still on high alert, patrolling the grounds personally. The explosion earlier had made her uneasy—she was concerned that spies or enemies might try to infiltrate the palace under the cover of night.
Just then, she spotted the figure moving boldly toward the main courtyard. Her instincts flared, and she prepared to intercept.
But before she could act, a familiar voice rang out—calm and teasing.
"This servant greets Madam Chu. Good evening."
Hearing the voice, Chu Yuqin's eyes narrowed. "Take off your veil."
Without hesitation, the woman removed it, revealing Wang Qingci's face.
After confirming her identity, Chu Yuqin let out a cold snort and walked away wordlessly.
Watching her back as she left, Wang Qingci smirked. "It seems Madam Chu truly despises me."
With a shrug, she turned and headed toward Lu Chen's room.
---
Inside the room, Wang Qingci had originally planned to question Lu Chen about what happened earlier that day.
But before a single word left her lips—she was pulled into his embrace, and her mouth was sealed by a deep kiss.
Speechless, Wang Qingci could only curse inwardly.
Although her feelings toward Lu Chen had shifted considerably over time, one thing was certain—the rumors of the Northern King being insatiably lustful were absolutely true.
To call him a lecher was putting it mildly. He was practically a beast in human skin.
But what she didn't know… was that Lu Chen had his own urgent reasons tonight.
He was only thirty experience points away from breaking through to the second level of Qi Refining. Becoming a ninth-rank warrior that few could reach normally was now within reach—he just needed a final push.
As his relationship with Wang Qingci intensified, the system notification finally arrived.
> [Host and Wang Qingci have deepened their relationship. Qi Refining Art experience +20. Emotional critical hit triggered: additional +40. Qi Refining Art has broken through to Level Two. Rejuvenation Hand experience +10. Congratulations! Host has reached the Ninth Rank.]
At long last, Lu Chen felt the familiar surge of power rush through his body.
Energy poured into every limb, making his movements lighter, more fluid. His body brimmed with vitality, and a sense of invincibility took root in his chest.
His vision sharpened, his thoughts grew clearer, and every sensation became hyper-real. The world around him seemed slower, more manageable.
He couldn't help but sigh in awe.
So this… is the strength of a Ninth-Rank warrior.
Back in the capital, he had resigned himself to a mediocre life—no talent, no ambition, no future. He had thought he'd simply drift along and die an average man.
Who would've thought that a system would change his fate?
In less than half a year, he had broken through to the Ninth Rank.
Wonderful. Truly wonderful.
Now, with real power flowing through his veins, he finally possessed the strength to protect himself.
And soon, he would begin shaping the future of the Beijun more openly.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
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