Chapter 1086 - The Pigheaded King

“They are indeed close to Nina. But perhaps it’s also because they like to befriend us elemental elves. Just now, I saw that Nina’s older sisters were all dressing themselves up meticulously. If those people take a fancy to any of those princesses, the picked girl might be able to rise to the top in a single bound.”

“So it all owes to those resources they gave Nina that she made the breakthrough, doesn’t it? How lucky she was!”

“Do you think if someone in that group has developed feelings for Nina and wants to marry her? Otherwise, why have they made such a big fuss for her and even killed those people from the Tiger Talisman Royal Family?”

“…”

There were murmurs of all sorts of discussions and gossips. Many people were wandering about the imperial palace, wanting to catch a glimpse of the scene inside from a distance. A grand banquet was being set up inside the palace.

It was only right and proper to entertain such a powerful group with this kind of magnificent feast.

The entire imperial palace was glamorously lit.

All kinds of glowing treasures were hung everywhere, making the imperial palace look extremely luxurious.

At the entrance of the palace, the King of Elves, his queens, and the five core members of the royal family were standing there, preparing to welcome their guests.

When Zhang Han and his people were heading for the banquet, a servant already informed the King of the Elves that they were coming.

“Hahaha.”

At this time, the King of Elves behaved like a refined gentleman. With a warm smile on his face, he walked up to the coming group. He intended to talk to Yue Wuwei first. However, Yue Wuwei was in the middle of the group. It was the young man named Zhang Hanyang who was in the lead instead.

“Eh?

“Zhang Hanyang should be a junior of that mighty master, right?

“Doesn’t he understand the etiquette that says elders first?”

If an Elemental Elf Clan treated a senior like this, he or she would have long been reprimanded. In cases of gross violation of etiquette, the wrongdoer would have to be put in detention to do self-reflection.

Nevertheless, the other party was too powerful, so the King of Elves did not dare to show his disgruntlement in this respect.

He just smiled and extended his hand to Zhang Han, saying, “Welcome back, heroes and heroines. Zhang Hanyang, I’ve heard a lot about you. Now I see you in the flesh, I’m really impressed. You’re really an outstanding man! The best of the top ones!”

“Exactly. You’re both handsome and powerful. Men like you are very scarce,” the queens standing at his shoulder echoed with chortles.

However, their hospitable welcome did not bring in Zhang Han’s smile.

His expression was rather detached. And he acted as if he did not see the King of Elves’s outstretched hand.

“Buzz!”

The King of Elves seemed to hear his brain shudder.

He was slightly stunned.

“Why didn’t he show me due respect?” he thought in anger.

Although he was a little putout, he still had a smile on his face. Then, he conveniently swung his palm to the right, took a step to the side, and patted Mo Wen on the shoulder. “Thank you for your hard work.”

After that, he turned slightly left, glanced at Zhang Han, and rested his eyes on Yue Wuwei, who was at the rear.

Just when he was about to hail Yue Wuwei, Zhang Han said curtly, “Let’s go in now.”

“Huh?”

Mu Xue suddenly sniggered.

“Master wants us to go in now, which means he is going to pick a bone with the elves.”

Adding that Zhang Han had accented that Nina had been wronged, at this moment, Mu Xue, Chen Changqing, Zhou Fei, Zi Yan, Zhang Guangyou, Zhang Mu, and the others all understood that Zhang Han was going to defend Nina and settle the account.

“Welcome, everyone, please come in. The banquet is ready,” the King of Elves spoke with a smile.

He personally escorted the group into the palace.

The queens were walking at the far back, sulking. A couple of them could not restrain themselves and secretly rolled their eyes at Zhang Han.

“How rude he is!

“Furthermore, we’re holding the banquet mainly to entertain that senior. Zhang Hanyang is just tagging along. How dare he put on airs like this? I can’t stand him!”

Yet, despite their anger, they dared not to say those thoughts out loud.

Now, they all wanted to stand under Yue Wuwei’s wings so that they could have a backer to protect them.

But to their disappointment, Yue Wuwei seems a little bland and not very talkative.

Li Mu entered the palace along with the group. He looked left and right as if he had guessed something. But he didn’t say a word because he decided to be a bystander.

On the right side of the hall was where the banquet was taking place.

There were four long rattan tables. The chairs were like rattan swings. The fragrance of flowers had perfused the area. There was a lot of delicious food on the tables, half of which were green fruits and vegetables and the other half was meat.

“I’m so hungry.”

Looking at the dishes on the tables, Chen Chuan smacked his lips, and his mouth watered.

The dishes had worked up his appetite.

Mengmeng and Yue Xiaonao went to take seats.

After thinking for a moment, Mengmeng patted the position between her and Yue Xiaonao and said, “Nina, come and join us.”

“Huh?”

The King of Elves and the queens who came in last eyed the girls oddly.

“Your seniors are sitting here and haven’t spoken yet. How dare you, a junior, speak first?

“Do you know what etiquette is at all?

“Are you lot from somewhere barbaric?”

They were quite dissatisfied with what they saw.

It was no exaggeration to say that if they found out that Yue Wuwei and Zhang Han were from the two families and did not seem close, some of them would tactfully remind the group about “manners”.

“This meat is delicious. Sister Mengmeng, try it. I haven’t used my spoon yet. I’ll scoop a piece for you first.”

Chen Chuan, Mengmeng’s loyal follower, looked after Mengmeng every chance he got. He scooped up a piece of meat and put it on the small plate in front of Mengmeng.

“Swish!”

Sitting across from them were the King of Elves and his subordinates. At this moment, they felt even more uncomfortable.

In particular, the First Queen beside the King of Elves flicked Chen Chuan a meaningful smile.

“Is she trying to tell me I’m a little boy who doesn’t understand the rule or she found me cute?” Chen Chuan wondered.

Under these people’s gazes, Nina, who was standing on the side, went to Mengmeng’s side and sat down, forcing Chen Chuan to scoot further away. Seeing this, the little boy decided to leave others alone and started eating first.

But Mengmeng and Yue Xiaonao did not touch their spoons.

The atmosphere on the scene was rather heavy.

When everyone had taken a seat, the King of Elves smiled and said, “Today, we met for the first time. I am thrilled. You people have practically saved Nina’s life and filled her future with more potentials. Hereby, I would like to express my sincere thanks to you. Why not let me introduce you to my family? These are my wives and children. This woman is…”

“No need for the introduction.”

Zhang Han raised his right hand slightly, and a piece of rattan behind him snapped with a click.

The outer layer of the rattan peeled off, revealing the wood in the center, which was its most smooth part. The wood split up several times and eventually evolved into three pairs of chopsticks, which floated into the hands of Zhang Han, Zi Yan, and Mengmeng.

The King of Elves could no longer hold on to his courteous expression.

“What did he mean by doing this?

“To humiliate us to our faces?”

Li Mu and the others only smiled and remained silent.

The smiles on the faces of the royal women and Nina’s older sisters quickly stiffened and faded away.

The strange atmosphere brought them to the realization that the other party was not easy to communicate with.

“Oh, sorry for my negligence.”

The King of Elves said beamingly, “Different places have different cultures. We elves are more used to using spoons. We never used such wooden sticks before. Now I see these sticks, I think they’re also handy utensils.”

Zhang Han helped Mengmeng and Zi Yan to a kind of vegetable, which was emerald green and looked like needle mushrooms.

“Try this. It’s a special ingredient.”

“Well, yeah.” It was not until this moment that Mengmeng picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. The food tasted good. Then she put the chopsticks back on the plate.

Zi Yan did not touch her chopsticks. She knew that it was not time to eat yet.

“King of Elves.”

Zhang Han glanced at the King of Elves and said, “You’re right about one thing. We saved Nina and filled her future with more potentials.”

Hearing this, Nina pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly, her thoughts in a muddle.

“Yes. Therefore, I am very grateful,” the King of Elves said with a smile.

As long as Zhang Hanyang was willing to speak to him, he believed it wouldn’t be long before they could communicate normally.

During the whole time, the King of Elves had been watching Yue Wuwei from the corner of his eye.

He found that this senior, who was also the strongest person present, didn’t even begin to eat.

“Why does he have no awareness of being a senior?” he thought in bewilderment.

He was also wondering what role Zhang Hanyang had played in their group.

He probably could never figure it out.

Except for those from Earth, only Li Mu, Nina, and Mo Wen knew what was going on.

“Who is Zhang Hanyang? He is the leader of this group.”

“No.”

Zhang Han looked straight at the King of Elves and said calmly, “I saved Nina from your mistreatment.”

“Swoosh!”

The King of Elves could no longer keep a friendly face. His cordial smile gradually dispersed, and his complexion turned lukewarm.

Seeing that Yue Wuwei was also looking at him from the corner of his eye, he suppressed the surging displeasure inside him and asked, “What made you say that?”

At this moment, the expressions of several queens and Nina’s sisters also altered. They all turned to stare at Zhang Han. Some of them even frowned slightly.

Nina, however, had a conflicted expression on her face. She had bowed her head, unwilling to see the looks of her father and the other elves sitting opposite her.

“As far as I remember, the Coming of Age Ceremony is a tradition of the Elf Clan. Yet, choosing the so-called fiancé at the ceremony is not only not a tradition but a taboo,” Zhang Han said, “A few months ago, you spread the news that Nina would choose her fiancé at her Coming of Age Ceremony. It was also you who picked Hu Qi from the Tiger Talisman Royal Family to be Nina’s fiancé. Just by listening to the surrounding discussions, you should have known what kind of person Hu Qi was. Still, you threw your own daughter to the wolves. Thus, what’s wrong about saying we saved her from your mistreatment?”

Hearing those words, the face of the King of Elves turned completely cool.

In silence, he picked up a glass of wine, drank half of it, and elegantly put the glass back on the table.

At this moment, Nina looked up, her eyes bearing into her father’s.

Perhaps she still expected her father would say or do something to defend himself at this point.

Since Nina was his own flesh and blood, there were clearly shortcuts he could take to amend his tie with her.

However, he didn’t.

“Zhang Hanyang, since you’ve said so, I also have something to say.”

The King of Elves forced a smile and said, “Originally, my clan had three enemies. Regarding the fight over some areas, we were at a disadvantage. We couldn’t afford to offend any other forces. That would put the entire clan in danger. As the king of my clan, I should not only think about the interests of my own children. Now, you’re accusing me that I was the one who threw Nina to the wolves. Well, have you ever thought that if it weren’t for what you did on the Lost Continent, would the Tiger Talisman Royal Family target us Elemental Elves? The ultimate culprit isn’t me, but you.”

At this moment, the King of Elves sighed deeply and continued, “How could I not wish a better future for my children? But the Tiger Talisman Royal Family is too powerful. We couldn’t go against them, nor did we stand a chance. You lot might come and go as you please, but Nina was still on the Roland Star. We couldn’t escape. Then, how could we tackle the Tiger Talisman Royal Family? Nina was at the center of the whirlpool this time. I thought if I pushed her to the stage, maybe she could become the wife of a brilliant young man like Young Master Li Mu. Her marriage would solve the crisis the Tiger Talisman Royal Family had in store for us. This was the best solution. Yet, unfortunately, those more powerful people didn’t attend the ceremony. In the face of the mighty Hu Yuan and his many allies, I had no choice but to yield and let Nina be engaged to Hu Qi.”

“That’s a very good reason.”

Zhang Han clapped his hands.

The large hall of the imperial palace also sank into silence. Zhang Han and the King of Elves were the only ones talking, and everyone else was listening quietly.

The atmosphere seemed to be veering in another direction.

But now the conversation had come to go this far, the King of Elves did not intend to make any concessions to Zhang Hanyang.

“You may not be stronger than me. Why should I be so courteous to you?”

If it weren’t for the fact that Yue Wuwei was also here, he would have lost his temper long ago.

After brief applause, Zhang Han said coolly, “The Elemental Elf Clan is at least a second-tier force in the Sea Dragon Star Area. The Tiger Talisman Royal Family is one of the top-tier forces. But I think they also have enemies of their own, don’t they? If you were tough from the start, you could have joined the anti-Tiger-Talisman-Royal-Family alliance, couldn’t you?”

“I’m sorry, but we Elemental Elves have never joined any factions. We were not on anyone’s side thousands of years ago. Today, we’re not either. There are some rules that I will not break. We yearn for freedom and comfort, not for endless battles,” the King of Elves replied straightforwardly.

He was answering Zhang Han’s questions faster now, as if he wanted to make him understand this matter.

“So, in your view, your own daughter is not as important as traditional rules, am I right?” Zhang Han said in a more aloof tone.

“I have tens of children. I’d rather abandon one of them than breach tradition,” said the King of Elves indifferently.

“Rumble!”

The last trace of hope Nina had been clinging to was dashed. She seemed as if she’d been struck by lightning.

She looked at the King of Elves in a daze. Two seconds later, she lowered her head, her face pallid.

“Picking a fiancé at the Coming of Age Ceremony is a breach of tradition. Joining another force is also a breach of tradition. You really didn’t know which the better choice was?” Zhang Han frowned slightly.

“Ha, Zhang Hanyang, you really should stand in my shoes for a change,” the King of Elves said. “If you were the king of a clan, you might be more decisive and ruthless than me. If you were facing the same situation, you would probably give up one of your children as well.”

“Hee-hee.” Mu Xue couldn’t help but give a mocking laugh.

“Don’t compare me with you.” Zhang Han looked squarely into the King of Elves’ eyes and said, “You failed as a father. You chose this path. I have nothing to do with it.”

“Now you have nothing to do with this, why are you asking about these trivial matters?” the King of Elves said with a sigh.

“Because Nina feels wronged, which has affected my daughter’s mood. That’s why we are here,” Zhang Han said.

“Affected your daughter’s mood? Zhang Hanyang, you’re quite a joker.” The King of Elves was momentarily stunned and shook his head. These things were beyond him.

“King of Elves.”

Mengmeng pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said, “In fact, you should apologize to Nina. She needs to hear it.

“Apologize? What did I do wrong?” The King of Elves did not even glance at Mengmeng. His eyes were fixed on Zhang Han.

Having seen that Chen Chuan started eating before everyone else did, Mu Xue laughed derisively, and now Mengmeng spoke without asking for permission, the First Queen beside the King of Elves could not bear it anymore.

She look at Nina and criticized, “Nina, as a princess, when you’re with your friends, you should not only just play with them but also teach them about etiquette. Look, this senior has been sitting there without speaking or eating, but this child has already begun to eat. Also, when His Majesty and Zhang Hanyang were talking, some of the others directly interrupted them. Young Master Li is still at this table. He is probably laughing in secret at their behavior. I think we should talk about some delightful topics.”

“No-no-no, I’m not.”

Li Mu was staggered.

He cursed inwardly, “F*ck, are you looking for trouble?”

“I am not laughing at any of you. Well… eh, this lady, we’ve never met before. Please don’t speak for me.”

“Huh?”

The First Queen of the King of Elves’ expression changed slightly.

“As the saying goes, who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl.”

“You don’t even allow us to speak? Why are you elves so fussy about etiquette?” Yue Xiaonao said loudly.

“Kid, who are you?” one of the princesses immediately retorted.

“I’m his daughter!”

Yue Xiaonao pounded the table angrily with a bang.

“Swish!”

Silence fell in the hall.

Everyone saw that the person Yue Xiaonao was pointing at was none other than the senior!

“Humph, I say you are just used to being cowards,” Yue Xiaonao ridiculed.

“It seems that you are bound to bear some grievances.” Zhang Han looked at Nina and remarked.

“Bear grievances? Really?” The King of Elves shook his head and said, “As the daughter of the royal family, she has had a stable supply of many cultivation resources over the years. Our clansmen have been working hard for her benefit. Why couldn’t she repay them when they were in danger? Furthermore, all the sacrifice she had to make was to marry a man from a foreign clan. I don’t think this was a grievance.”

“Alas.”

The King of Elves heaved a sigh and said, “Zhang Hanyang, we see things from different points of view. It’s normal that you haven’t fully grasped the gravity of the issue. Maybe you’ll understand my decision when you become the king of a clan.”

“Daddy, stop talking to him. He is a real stick-in-the-mud.” Mengmeng turned to look at Zhang Han and suggested.

She didn’t want to listen to the King of Elves’ nonsense anymore.

“We just have different ideas and beliefs.” The First Queen chuckled and said to Mengmeng, “Kid, I just said that it’s rude for children to interrupt adults when they are talking. I think we, the royals, have proved our sincerity to befriend you by allowing you to bring your intelligent pet into the palace. Are you still not satisfied?”

“Granny,” Mengmeng’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the First Queen and said, “we didn’t want to come to the imperial palace in the first place. You insisted on inviting us here.”

Having been called “granny”, the First Queen’s face turn pale and then fiery. She was too cross to speak.

“King of Elves, you said that people’s ways of doing things differ because of their different customs. According to your customs, no one should cut in when you’re speaking. But why did she interrupt you?” Mengmeng asked again.

“Eh?”

Zhang Han suddenly found this funny.

The corners of Zi Yan’s mouth also curled up into a smile.

They both felt that their daughter had become more mature.

“She is my First Queen. Thus, she is also entitled to speak,” replied the King of Elves.

The King of Elves was a pigheaded and crafty debater who could always find excuses for himself. Zhang Han thought that Mengmeng might not be able to beat him in the argument.

However…

“Ah, turns out that she is your First Queen. Now I understand why she looks so old.” Mengmeng showed an enlightened look on her face.

“We are indeed very old, at least in terms of the number of our age. According to our age, you shouldn’t address us as ‘grandparent’ or ‘grandma’, for we should be standing higher in the hierarchy. Nonetheless, we cultivators don’t mind these things,” the King of Elves said with a smile.

“All right.” Mengmeng pouted, then added, “I had thought that the King of Elves would be cool and handsome. It turns out… your hypocritical face is really one of a kind.”

“Hypocritical?”

The King of Elves’ face stiffened a bit.

“Yes, you’re very hypocritical. Even a child like me can tell it. So, you should know how obvious it is,” Mengmeng said seriously. “King of Elves, you’re so bad at acting. If you had only one percent of my mummy’s acting skills, you wouldn’t be so embarrassed now.”

“How dare you!”

Being reprimanded by a little child, the lofty King of Elves couldn’t hold back his anger any longer.

“People who walk different paths cannot work together. Don’t mind this.”

Zhang Han spoke again, and his eyes flickered at Nina.

He just tried to lead the King of Elves to make some amends on his own initiative.

But the other party was resolute not to.

In this case, there was no need for further talk.

After all, one could never wake up a person who was feigning sleep.

In the case of the King of Elves, Zhang Han felt that the task was even more impossible to fulfill, because the King of Elves was equivalent to a person who had had brain death.