Jiang Chen smiled faintly but paid the guards no attention, looking at the Crown Prince with a relaxed expression. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, would you be interested in having a private chat?"
The Crown Prince saw that this man appeared rough, yet remained completely unmoved under the imposing aura of his Eastern Palace guards. Judging by that composure alone, this person was truly extraordinary.
After all, as the Crown Prince, the commander of his personal guard was a mid-stage Emperor Realm powerhouse. Among the guards themselves, several were early-stage Emperor Realm, and there were no few at the half-step Emperor Realm. The rest were all Heavenly Sage Realm without exception.
With such a lineup, an ordinary person would have likely wet themselves on the spot under this pressure.
Seeing the Crown Prince's hesitant expression, Jiang Chen smiled lightly. "The Cangyun Great Kingdom guards the northern border of the Liuli Royal City, serving as a key fortress under its dominion. As the Crown Prince of the Cangyun Great Kingdom, surely you don't lack even this much courage?"
Jiang Chen employed a goading tactic.
The Crown Prince's expression turned cold. "And who might you be? Being so insolent in my Eastern Palace. Whether I have courage or not, why would I need to prove it to an unidentified stranger like you? Besides, you show such disrespect upon meeting me—need I be courteous to you in return?"
Jiang Chen laughed heartily. "A great kingdom's Crown Prince—your status and position are indeed remarkable. However, that doesn't mean everyone who meets you must be unfailingly polite."
This declaration was brimming with dominance, and it sent a chill through everyone on the Crown Prince's side.
None of them were fools. They could vaguely sense that this young man likely had an extraordinary background.
The elderly man suddenly spoke. "Are you from the Liuli Royal City?"
"Your keen eye does you credit, Grand Tutor. Unfortunately, your tutelage of the Crown Prince still needs some refinement. A proper Crown Prince should possess a broader vision and greater bearing."
With Jiang Chen's current status, he was fully qualified to evaluate even a great kingdom's Crown Prince. In truth, even the rulers of great kingdoms were beneath his right to critique.
For he was the Young Master of Peacock Sacred Mountain—the future ruler of the entire Liuli Royal City.
All great kingdoms and great cities alike were his territory. Under all heaven, there was no land that was not the king's. Along all shores, there was no subject that was not the king's vassal.
In the future, Jiang Chen would be the King of Liuli Royal City.
And these great kingdom rulers, these city lords—all would bow as vassals before Jiang Chen.
The Crown Prince was young after all. Hearing these words, a trace of defiance appeared on his face. Fortunately, the elderly man kept signaling him with his eyes, preventing him from losing composure on the spot and ordering the guards to attack Jiang Chen.
"Truly a young man—unable to keep his cool." Jiang Chen watched the Crown Prince's flushed face and simmering anger, and found it somewhat amusing.
Judging by the Crown Prince's age, he was probably a few years younger than Jiang Chen.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen's nose twitched as he caught a faint, unusual scent.
"Hmm? It seems someone is refining a Fierce Tiger Pill?" Jiang Chen was extremely sensitive to pills. A slight twitch of his nose and he had identified the scent.
"However, the refining technique seems rather poor. A perfectly good Fierce Tiger Pill, completely butchered. Refining it this way is nothing short of wasting ingredients."
Jiang Chen chuckled and looked at the young Crown Prince. "Could it be that the Crown Prince of the Cangyun Great Kingdom is a pill enthusiast?"
As he said this, Jiang Chen felt the matter had actually become easier to handle.
The Crown Prince's face turned ugly again—this Fierce Tiger Pill was one of his nagging headaches. After all this time, he still hadn't been able to master it.
But the Grand Tutor's eyes lit up at these words. "You understand the Fierce Tiger Pill as well?"
Hearing this, the Crown Prince's gaze shifted too, his defiant eyes roaming over Jiang Chen as he began to appraise him more carefully.
"The Fierce Tiger Pill isn't exactly some remarkable pill—what's there to understand? It's just a second-rate formula I practiced with when I was ten." Jiang Chen said this with casual ease.
The moment these words left his mouth, the Crown Prince's entire body trembled, and he curled his lip. "Boasting doesn't cost you anything."
Jiang Chen didn't bother explaining. Instead, he continued in a calm tone. "The Fierce Tiger Pill can strengthen the body, stimulate potential, and allow a martial artist to double their strength in a short time. Because it's cheap to produce, it's commonly used to equip armies. However, its side effects are severe, and most top-grade Pill Kings consider it beneath them to refine such a second-rate pill."
A flicker of something new finally appeared within the Crown Prince's defiant expression. Clearly, Jiang Chen's words had encapsulated the Fierce Tiger Pill's situation perfectly.
"You truly understand pills!" The Grand Tutor was delighted. "Your Highness, this friend is a master of alchemy!"
The Crown Prince still seemed unconvinced, muttering. "Anyone can talk a big game. Who knows if he has real skill?"
Jiang Chen smiled. He hadn't expected that despite the Crown Prince's youthful rashness, he too knew how to employ a goading tactic. Unfortunately, such a tactic was far too crude against Jiang Chen.
"Your Highness, the Fierce Tiger Pill is too low-grade. Even if you used a goading tactic ten times over, I wouldn't deign to refine it. The Liuli Royal City has an Explosive Tiger Pill—it's also a berserker-type pill, but an upgraded version of the Fierce Tiger Pill. Not only is its berserker effect far superior to the Fierce Tiger Pill, but its side effects are also significantly reduced. Moreover, the Explosive Tiger Pill is a creation of the Guidan school, so its production costs can also be kept very low."
"Explosive Tiger Pill?" The Grand Tutor's eyes lit up. "I believe I've heard of this pill—it's supposedly sold at the Taiyuan Pavilion, established by the Young Master of Peacock Sacred Mountain?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "That's correct."
At this, the Grand Tutor suddenly turned to the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, this friend is surely a master of alchemy! A crown prince who eagerly seeks talent should never neglect a great man!"