Today, the Prince Zhen Dong Mansion in Yan Capital City was adorned with lanterns and streamers. Although it was only early morning, outside the mansion, it was already bustling with carriages and horses. Wealthy merchants and nobles from the entire Chu Dynasty greeted each other warmly, bringing gifts and invitations as they entered the mansion.
Today was the coming-of-age ceremony for the third son of Prince Zhen Dong, Qin Yu.
The importance of coming-of-age ceremonies is almost equal to that of weddings in the Hidden Dragon Continent. Compared to these, birthdays are not given much emphasis. For instance, Qin Yu's tenth birthday was only modestly celebrated within the mansion, but the coming-of-age ceremony was grand, with invitations sent far and wide, even the Emperor of the Chu Dynasty might attend. Eight years ago, during the coming-of-age ceremony of Qin Yu's elder brother, Qin Feng, the Emperor Xiang Guang had personally given his blessings.
Early in the morning, the three brothers, Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, and Qin Yu, went to their father's room to pay their respects. Among the brothers, the eldest, Qin Feng, was the tallest at nearly one hundred ninety centimeters. He always carried an air of coldness, rarely smiling except in the presence of his brothers. Qin Zheng and Qin Yu were of more average height.
"Your sons pay their respects to you, Father," they said.
Upon seeing Qin De, the three brothers immediately knelt on one knee to greet him.
Qin De looked at his three sons with a sense of pride; all his sons were distinguished in their own rights. His eldest son, Qin Feng, had pursued the path of martial arts, not only becoming a general in the army but also having become an Innate Expert the previous year, earning a wide reputation. There were scarcely a hundred Innate Experts in the entire Chu Dynasty, and to become one at the age of twenty-three was an extraordinary achievement.
His second son, Qin Zheng, had a grasp of politics far exceeding that of Qin De himself, and now managed all major affairs of the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures.
As for his third son, Qin Yu...
Qin De's gaze shifted to Qin Yu, feeling an involuntary twinge of guilt.
"No matter how much one trains their outer strength, they can only reach the Postnatal Extreme at best, never becoming an Innate Expert. It's ultimately a minor path," Qin De sighed internally. In his view, his third son, Qin Yu, no matter how hardworking, was unlikely to achieve great heights.
"If he could reach the level of Yun Xing, though not Innate, his attack power would match that of an early-stage Innate Expert. Unfortunately, reaching that realm would need thirty years. As of now, Yu'er has only trained for eight years and needs twenty more."
Regrettably, Qin De was unaware that Qin Yu's muscle absorption of inner strength was progressing much faster than Zhao Yunxing had initially estimated.
"You may rise," Qin De said with a smile, then looking at Qin Yu, he continued, "Yu'er, today is your coming-of-age ceremony, a significant day in your life. After today, you will be a man, and you must face everything with your own efforts."
"Rest assured, Father," Qin Yu responded with a nod and a smile.
Face life on his own? Qin Yu had already been traveling alone with his Black Hawk three years ago, exploring almost every part of the Chu Dynasty at the hawk's speed. Having experienced many things, Qin Yu had already developed his own understanding of life.
"Good, there are already many guests outside, come with me to greet them," Qin De said, leading the way out, with Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, and Qin Yu following behind him.
That day, the mansion of Prince Zhen Dong was extremely lively, with princes, nobles, and wealthy tycoons all coming to offer their congratulations. Of course, these people showed utmost respect to Prince Zhen Dong. Among the other princes who wielded significant power at the same level as Prince Zhen Dong were two others, Prince Zhen Nan and King Zhenbei.
The Prince of Southern Domain Three Counties, Mu Lan, personally offered his congratulations, as did Shangguan Hong, the King of Northern Domain Two Prefectures. The Western Regions Four Prefectures were completely controlled by the Imperial Family Xiang, and this time Emperor Xiang Guang did not come in person but sent his younger brother, Xiang Shuo, to offer congratulations.
Countless tables were set for the banquet, and it was uncertain how many guests had arrived, but one thing Qin Yu knew was that the received gifts filled two entire rooms, which suggested the numerous guests. After all, it was none other than the Princely Heir of Prince Zhen Dong's coming-of-age ceremony.
After a day of commotion, the guests had departed by late night, leaving the Prince Mansion in tranquil silence.
The secret chamber.
This secret chamber was a place Qin Yu had never visited before. Now, well past midnight, only five people were inside: Qin De, Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, Qin Yu, and Xu Yuan. Among them, except for Qin Yu who looked completely puzzled, the others seemed to hold some awareness.
"Everyone please take a seat," Qin De said as he first walked towards the Taishi Chair and waved the others to do the same. Qin Yu and the other three took their seats around the long table, with Xu Yuan still holding a fan, giving Qin Yu a slight smile.
"Father, why have you summoned me here? What is the matter?" Qin Yu asked, still completely clueless.
Qin De nodded calmly and said, "Yu'er, haven't you always wondered what your father has been doing, what plans he has been making? Indeed, I have kept many things from you, but today, as you turn sixteen and come of age, I shall reveal some secrets to you."
Qin Yu's eyes lit up immediately.
He had long known his father had been making some plans and had his suspicions, but Qin De had never revealed them. Now, hearing what his father said, it seemed there were still many things he didn't know, and today his father had finally decided to reveal them.
"Yu'er, do you know if there was ever a dynasty in the history of Hidden Dragon Continent that unified the whole continent?" Qin De asked Qin Yu.
Qin Yu laughed and said, "Isn't that obvious? Long ago, the Hidden Dragon Continent was fragmented until a thousand years ago, when it was unprecedentedly unified by the Qin Dynasty. The great name of Emperor Ying Zheng of Qin is still well-known today, though it's unfortunate that the Qin Dynasty was short-lived. After unification, it disintegrated just a century later, and the Ying family of Qin was utterly eradicated."
Qin De nodded slightly and said, "The first secret I will tell you today is...our Qin Family is the direct descendant of Emperor Qin Shi Huang!"
Qin Yu felt as though his head had been struck by lightning, and he was dumbfounded for a moment.
After a long time, Qin Yu finally regained some composure, looking incredulously at his father, then at his elder brothers and Uncle Xu Yuan. Yet everyone was looking at Qin Yu, and he completely understood the meaning in their eyes.
"Wasn't the surname of the direct descendants of Emperor Qin 'Ying'?" Qin Yu felt it deeply, but still asked.
Qin De shook his head and sighed, "After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the whole world hunted down the Ying family. Could we still dare to use the surname Ying? Changing our surname to Qin was also to remind us to never forget our ancestor, Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Yu'er, you should know that the Cultivation Technique form our Qin Family was not originally called 'Ancestor Dragon Technique,' but 'Emperor Dragon Technique.' Remember, Yu'er, the blood flowing in the men of our Qin Family is the same blood as that of Emperor Qin Shi Huang." A sharp brilliance emitted from Qin De's eyes.