Ye Mingshi had the trust of Archaic Sun King. This in combination with his power earned him a pivotal role in the entire holy ground.

His polite showing towards Li Qiye was more than enough decorum. Keep in mind that even the late Grand Commander and Grand Chancellor wouldn’t dare to act haughty in front of him.

“No need for courtesy.” Li Qiye waved his hand and asked.

In this split second, the teacher saw the bronze ring and became startled; his mouth opened wide.

Nonetheless, he was experienced enough to regain his wits with haste.

“Your Highness, please leave for a moment.” Ye Mingshi cupped his fist towards the crown prince.

The crown prince didn’t know why but he was sensible enough to listen. He bowed to the two before speaking: “Take your time, Young Master and Teacher. I’ll take the miss along with me.”

Peng Yingxue didn’t need Li Qiye to tell her and quietly left.

Li Qiye and Ye Mingshi became the only two left in the garden. Ye Mingshi got on his knees and said: “Please forgive my lack of reception.”

“As I’ve said, no need for courtesy.” Li Qiye shook his head and sat down on the long chair.

Ye Mingshi got up and stood next to Li Qiye, stealing another glance at the ring: “How should I address you?”

He was aware of the ring’s significance but didn’t know how Li Qiye got it.

“Call me Young Master so that I won’t be accused of false advertisement.” Li Qiye naturally noticed and chuckled. [1]

“Of course not.” Ye Mingshi smiled wryly, hesitating to ask about the ring.

In theory, whenever the ring changed master, it should be a big deal with a grand ceremony. However, no one heard a thing about it. This seemed to be unprecedented due to the important nature of the ring.

“Looks like you’ve seen this ring before.” Li Qiye smiled.

Very few had this privilege, only the strongest members of the holy ground. They needed to be at a certain level before being exposed to it. Others would only think of it as an ordinary bronze ring, nothing more.

As for the former crowd, they would be able to recognize it right away. There was no chance of faking it either.

“I was lucky enough to meet the paragon in the past and greatly benefited from some pointers.” Ye Mingshi said with sincerity and respect.

“Talking about that fake monk? Or the fake daoist.” Li Qiye smiled.

Ye Mingshi couldn’t respond because he considered that man to be a teacher. Now, he found it puzzling that Li Qiye would speak of the man in this manner.

The passing of the ring meant that Li Qiye should have a teacher-disciple or a senior-junior relationship with him. This certainly didn’t seem to be the case.

Ye Mingshi knew that picking the next candidate for the ring was of utmost importance. There must be a reason why Li Qiye was chosen.

“The paragon is a straightforward and unrestrained man.” Ye Mingshi eventually said.

“That’s one way to put it, I suppose. Better than calling him a fake monk or fake daoist but in my opinion, being a butcher is more suitable for him.” Li Qiye chuckled.

Ye Mingshi coughed awkwardly, becoming more and more confused. A junior definitely wouldn’t talk about his senior in this manner.

“You’re thinking that I snatched this ring?” Li Qiye knew exactly what the guy was thinking.

“I do not dare, I’m sure there’s a reason why you have it, Young Master.” Ye Mingshi denied.

“There’s no reason.” Li Qiye shook his head: “If I wanted it badly enough to rob the monk, he would have given it to me with both hands. But, this broken ring is worthless and isn’t worth my effort. I just spent a few coins for it, that’s all.”

Ye Mingshi became frozen. This ring could drive the entire world crazy from wanting to be the next owner. Li Qiye’s expression looked serious enough. He really didn’t give a damn about the ring.

Ye Mingshi knew that Li Qiye was aware of the ring’s significance and value. This made the statement strike harder.

But most importantly, he claimed that he could have taken the ring effortlessly. This should be impossible.

The previous master or the so-called fake monk by Li Qiye was a frightening being with immense power.

Only one other person in all of the southern West King was qualified to be his opponent. Ye Mingshi was fortunate enough to be taught by him, albeit briefly. That’s why Ye Mingshi knew of his power and had nothing but respect for him.

“You’re joking, Young Master.” Ye Mingshi regained his wits and doubted the claim.

“I’m not.” Li Qiye smiled.

Numerous thoughts coursed inside Ye Mingshi’s head. He didn’t know how to respond. At this point, it seemed that Li Qiye really bought the ring for only a few coins.

How could this be? The priceless ring represented unlimited authority. Nonetheless, Ye Mingshi could tell that Li Qiye wasn’t lying.

It was difficult for him to believe even though the facts were laid out in front of him.

“I can’t possibly fathom the paragon and your intent, Young Master.” He eventually concluded with a forced smile.

He stopped thinking about this matter. First, the paragon didn’t follow the mold. This seemed to be the case for Li Qiye as well, hence their strange conduct. No point in trying to understand them without being at the same level and having the same knowledge.

Ultimately, the ring was still the ring regardless of how Li Qiye obtained it.

As for Li Qiye, he knew what the monk was up to. He chose to play along because it was convenient while being devoid of karmic ties and consequences.

“Young Master, since you’re at the capital, is there anything I can do for you?” Ye Mingshi asked. He speculated the reasons for Li Qiye’s visit to the imperial city. The masters of the ring usually had a special mission.

1. I don’t really get this line in this context so I translated it as it is. The idiom here is - hang a sheep's head while selling dog meat, or false advertisement