I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 332 - 150: The 3rd Prince’s Gift

The two said no more and left the room, heading to a nearby street for breakfast.

...

The breakfast stall was crowded, with people coming and going in a constant stream.

Members of the Observatory were scattered among them.

The common folk seemed to have long grown accustomed to these Lord Officials in their robes. What was once avoidance had turned into acceptance; they could now brush past them without a second glance, as if they weren’t even there.

After all, some things might seem intimidating at first, but with enough exposure, you eventually get used to them.

The only ones who weren’t quite used to it were the members of the Observatory themselves.

Due to Shen Bai’s outstanding performance in Fenglin State, many members of the Observatory had seen his portrait.

Of course, this portrait was only circulated internally within the Observatory.

When these members of the Observatory saw Shen Bai eating here and recalled his recent actions, they all gave the stall a wide berth.

The internal exam was just around the corner, and no one wanted to risk getting on Shen Bai’s bad side.

After all, the most important thing right now was getting a good score on the internal exam.

Of course, the real reason they didn’t dare approach was the fear that Shen Bai, in one of his unpredictable moods, would decide to cause trouble for them.

Shen Bai, of course, had no intention of doing so. He was enjoying a rare moment of peace.

After ordering a few steamed buns and a bowl of plain congee, Shen Bai chatted with Ouyang Sword as they ate.

At first, Ouyang Sword seemed a little awkward. After all, Shen Bai had paid for everything, from the room they rented to the food they were eating.

It seemed this young Sword Dao genius disliked spending other people’s money.

Only after Shen Bai insisted several times did Ouyang Sword gradually relax.

As for the small amount of money, it was truly nothing to Shen Bai.

He had never been short on money, not even before he had his Golden Finger.

Back when he ran a pawnshop in Shengyun County, a single good transaction could set him up for three years.

Plus, his later salary from the Observatory was generous. Shen Bai had a surplus every month, so naturally, he wasn’t constrained in his spending.

Shen Bai sometimes found himself wondering. ’Those Heroes in the wuxia novels, they go around upholding justice every day, but where on earth does their money come from?’

’Do they rob the rich to help the poor?’

’They rob the rich... and then help themselves.’

Of course, it was just a passing thought. Shen Bai didn’t delve too deeply into the plot holes of those novels.

Shen Bai had thought he would be able to enjoy a peaceful meal today, that nothing eventful would happen.

But unexpectedly, just as he was about to pay, a man suddenly walked up, placed some silver coins on the table, and called out to the owner.

"Owner, I’ll pay for these two gentlemen’s meal."

Shen Bai paused, slightly startled. He looked up and saw the man’s face.

It was an acquaintance.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a scar on his face.

The scar ran from his left brow bone, down along the bridge of his nose, to the right corner of his mouth. It looked absolutely terrifying.

Shen Bai hadn’t said a word, but Ouyang Sword, beside him, was stunned.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Bai rubbed his chin as he suddenly recalled something.

"You both have the same surname. Are you relatives by any chance?" Shen Bai asked.

Ouyang Sword snapped back to reality, a wry smile on his face. "Big Brother," he said, "long time no see. Have you been well?"

The corner of the middle-aged man’s mouth twitched upward into a smile, but paired with the scar, it looked rather frightening. "I’ve been doing quite well, actually. I’m serving the Third Prince, and he treats his people well. I just never expected you, little brother, to have formed a connection with Lord Shen."

The man was none other than Ouyang Wu, a trusted aide of the Third Prince.

Shen Bai had crossed paths with him once before, back in Fenglin State.

At the time, Ouyang Wu had been under orders to seek out the Observatory’s geniuses in various cities who were participating in the internal exam. His goal was simply to familiarize himself with them and inform them that the Third Prince was one of the judges for the exam.

Shen Bai recalled this now. Encountering Ouyang Wu here wasn’t particularly strange.

After all, Ouyang Wu was one of the Third Prince’s trusted aides.

What Shen Bai truly hadn’t expected, however, was that Ouyang Wu and Ouyang Sword were brothers.

Shen Bai gave Ouyang Sword a questioning look but said nothing.

Ouyang Sword nodded. "It’s as you suspect, Brother Shen. This is my older brother. We both come from the Ouyang Family. The Ouyang Family is something of a power in our local region, quite well-known. I became a disciple under my master, while my brother passed the Third Prince’s selection. After several years of hard work, he finally became one of the Prince’s trusted aides."

A look of realization dawned on Shen Bai’s face. He rubbed his chin and mused, "So the Ouyang Family has already chosen its side."

The open and covert struggles between the three Princes were conducted with the Great Zhou Country’s Emperor’s permission, all for the sake of selecting the most outstanding among them.

As for what would happen after that, everyone knew perfectly well.

Now, by sending a member of its Direct Lineage to serve as the Third Prince’s trusted aide, the Ouyang Family had clearly picked its team.

Shen Bai could see this point very clearly.

Ouyang Sword said helplessly, "I’ve never really gotten involved in family matters. I’ve been obsessed with the path of Swordsmanship my whole life, so I really don’t know much about whether I’m implicated in all this or not."

Shen Bai waved his hand. "It was just a casual question, and you’ve answered it, Brother Ouyang. It makes no difference to me what connection you might have to a power struggle."

Over the course of their journey, Shen Bai felt he had gotten a good grasp of Ouyang Sword’s personality.

Even though Ouyang Sword seemed to spend every day immersed in grinding his Skill Level, he was still a careful observer of all matters, big and small, happening around him.