Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 604 The King in Seclusion? The Old Eunuch Forced onto the Carriage!

The fat butler got up from the ground, his forehead still bearing bruises from kowtowing.

He looked in the direction Chen Fan had left, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, but more so fear.

What followed was a natural progression.

Chen Fan successfully received several small tasks at the government office, mainly focusing on alchemy and formations. Although the contribution points were not many, they were stable, and no one was deliberately blocking him anymore.

The fat butler's attitude made a complete 180-degree turn, from his previous sarcastic remarks to his cautious and businesslike manner, and he even proactively refilled his tea twice.

The other stewards practically wore the word "sycophant" on their faces, vying to find the task book for him, afraid of neglecting this newly promoted confidant of the eldest prince.

Chen Fan took in all of this, his expression remaining calm, but a sense of emotion welled up inside him.

When he was working as a eunuch in the Da Yuan Imperial Palace, this was the kind of face he was most familiar with.

They fawn over the powerful and bully the weak, turning their backs faster than flipping through a book.

The person who was giving you attitude yesterday is now practically begging to kneel down and polish your shoes.

It's not because you've changed as a person, but because the person behind you has changed.

Qin Zhan is right, cultivating immortality is no different from cultivating in the mortal world.

In this land where the strong are respected yet human relationships are deeply intertwined, a person may lack cultivation, but cannot lack a powerful backer.

No matter how high one's cultivation level is, in the face of power, one is nothing more than a slightly larger pawn.

Unless you are so strong that no one dares to use you as a pawn.

That night, Chen Fan received an invitation to a banquet from the eldest prince.

This banquet was held in the back garden of Zhao Yan's mansion. In the garden, there was a small pavilion built in the middle of the lake, surrounded by water on all sides. The moonlight shone on the lake, making it sparkle, and a few lotus flowers emitted a faint glow in the night.

A round table made of rosewood was placed in the pavilion, with exquisite wine and dishes on it. Han Cen and Ouyang Ye were already seated, and when they saw Chen Fan arrive, they both stood up and greeted him with clasped hands.

"Master Chen, you handled things beautifully today," Han Cen said with a smile, stroking his beard. "I saw the fat deacon kneeling on the ground, and it was quite satisfying to watch."

Ouyang Ye rarely showed a smile, and said in a hoarse voice, "I've seen the Fourth Prince's face and his bad temper for decades, but this is the first time I've seen him choked speechless in public. Chen Gongfeng, your composure is truly remarkable. You didn't even frown from beginning to end. The Fourth Prince has become a clown in front of you."

Chen Fan cupped his hands in greeting and sat down next to Zhao Yan.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

During their casual conversation, Chen Fan learned that Han Cen and Ouyang Ye had long been on the side of the eldest prince and had been secretly recruiting talented people in the Imperial Palace for Zhao Yan for many years.

Today's act of standing up for him may seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision by Han Cen, but in reality, it was a scheme that the First Prince had already laid out.

It is well known that the Fourth Prince has placed too many people in the Hall of Worship, while the First Prince has always lacked a capable retainer who can directly confront the Fourth Prince. Chen Fan's appearance just fills this gap.

Zhao Yan put down his wine cup, his smile slowly fading, his expression becoming more solemn than before: "Chen Gongfeng, now that you are under my command, there are some things I should let you know. Within three years, the King will attempt to break through to the Void Refinement stage. Breaking through to the Void Refinement stage is no small matter; once he begins his seclusion, it will last at least ten years, and possibly several decades. During this time, the affairs of state cannot be left unattended. According to the ancestral rules of Zhao, before the King goes into seclusion, he must select a prince to act as regent. The regent will most likely be the next King."

Regent?

Chen Fan's expression changed slightly.

After saying this, the eldest prince's gaze lingered on Chen Fan's face for a moment before continuing, "Now, besides myself and the fourth prince, the third and fifth princes from our fiefdoms are also contenders for the position of regent. The third prince, Zhao Jin, has been guarding the southern border for many years, commanding 300,000 border troops and having numerous generals under his command, making him the strongest. The fifth prince, Zhao Ying, is stationed in the East Sea, fighting against the boundless sea demons for many years, and enjoys extremely high prestige in the army. However, both of them are away from home for most of the year, and their connections in the court are not as deep as mine and the fourth prince's. In recent years, the fourth prince has relied on his father's favor to win over many ministers in the court, and nearly a third of the officials in the Hall of Worship are on his side. Especially after this selection, he has gained Song Tianren, the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage, under his command, and his arrogance has become even more rampant."

Han Cen picked up the conversation, his tone becoming more serious:

"Master Chen, Elder Ouyang and I have been loyal to the First Prince for many years. Although he holds the position of Crown Prince, he has repeatedly offended the Emperor by refusing to form cliques, and his situation has not been easy. Now, with the Fourth Prince pressing closer and the Emperor about to go into seclusion, the First Prince has little time left. Your outburst in the Hall of State Affairs today not only stood up for yourself, but also helped the First Prince gain some ground."

Chen Fan held his wine glass without saying a word.

He had long known that the significance of choosing a side went far beyond solving the problem of contribution points, but it was only now that he truly saw the whole picture of this chessboard.

The struggle between the eldest prince and the fourth prince was no longer a personal grudge, but a life-or-death game concerning the future throne of the Zhao Kingdom.

From the moment he stepped into the First Prince's residence, he was already bound to this war chariot.

But this is for the best.

The fourth prince sees him as a thorn in his side. If Zhao Yu were to gain power, he would have no place to stand in the Zhao Kingdom.

Although the eldest prince was using him, at least he was honest and at least gave him the respect he deserved.

In the Zhao capital, surrounded by wolves, it was already difficult to find a mutually honest alliance based on shared interests.

"Your Highness, rest assured." Chen Fan put down his wine cup, his tone calm but his words clear. "Now that I'm on Your Highness's side, I'll stand by you through thick and thin. As for the Fourth Prince, I'll protect you."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief flashed in Zhao Yan's eyes. He raised his wine glass, clinked it with Chen Fan's, and drank it all in one gulp.

Over the next few days, Chen Fan traveled back and forth between the Hall of Offerings and his residence, taking on small tasks such as alchemy and array formation.

On this day, as usual, he stepped into the office, and when his gaze swept over the jade tablet of the mission, he suddenly stopped.

A new, eye-catching task has been posted at the very top of the jade disc!

"Slay Li Jiuyuan, a demonic cultivator in the early stage of the Boundless Sea Nascent Soul realm, and take his head and natal demonic core as proof. Contribution points: 100,000."

100,000 contribution points.

Chen Fan stared at the line of text for a moment, his mind racing with calculations.

Judging from his calculations, he has accumulated less than 20,000 contribution points so far. If he continues to do these small tasks, it will take him at least several years to accumulate a million contribution points.

This task alone is equivalent to months of hard work; although dangerous, it is high-risk, high-reward.

Moreover, such tasks are not something you might encounter on a regular basis, and if you miss it, you don't know when you'll get another chance.

"We'll take this task," Chen Fan said calmly as he walked up to the fat butler.

The fat deacon paused for a moment, looked up at the task details on the jade wall, then looked down at Chen Fan. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. He simply took out the jade slip and registered for him.

Now he's learned his lesson and knows that the First Prince is behind this Chen Gongfeng, so he's not someone he can talk to.