Powerful reinforcements from the Dragon Palace (Part two)
The East Sea Dragon King began to explain to Zhuge Xiang the relationship between the East Sea Dragon Palace and the Great Qin Imperial Family. Although Zhuge Xiang unwilling to get involved, he had to admit that the East Sea Dragon King's words had indeed piqued his curiosity, making him listen attentively.
"Ying Zheng had a Twin Brother named Ying Qianshan. He was initially thought to be nothing more than a Spoiled Young Master Zheng and seize the Ying Zheng..."
"Huh? Aren't you surprised by this news?" After recounting the Secret History of that year to Zhuge Xiang, the East Sea Dragon King was astonished to see that Zhuge Xiang remained calm. Such news would surely surprise anyone who heard it.
Since everything had been laid bare, the Dragon King stopped trying to intimidate Zhuge Xiang. Hearing the Dragon King's words, Zhuge Xiang knew he couldn't leave, so he gave up on trying and replied, "Actually, I already knew about this. I was fortunate enough to enter the Hundred Emperors Pagoda and meet Bai Qi. He told me about it."
"Oh? Bai Qi is still alive?" Upon hearing Zhuge Xiang's words, the Dragon King was surprised. Then, a smile appeared on his aged face as he nodded and said, "That's good news. I didn't expect Bai Qi to be alive. With his help, the chances of success are even greater."
"Help? What do you want to do?" Upon hearing the words of the East Sea Dragon King, Zhuge Xiang reflexively asked.
What exactly is his plan? Why would he need Bai Qi's help? But as soon as he asked the question, Zhuge Xiang immediately regretted it. He wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to ask? Now he'd practically boarded the pirate ship of the East Sea Dragon Palace!
As expected, upon hearing Zhuge Xiang's question, a smile flashed across the East Sea Dragon King's eyes, and he said, "Although Ying Zheng is dead, a trace of his bloodline has survived to this day. What our East Sea Dragon Palace needs to do is very simple: to Restore order and help Ying Zheng's bloodline regain the Imperial Throne. This is also the Heaven's will."
"Oh?" Upon hearing the Dragon King's words, Zhuge Xiang's eyes lit up.
On that day, Zhuge Xiang accepted a mission from Bai Qi to Restore order. The reward for this mission was not fixed; its quality depended on the time taken to complete it. However, failure would result in a staggering penalty of dropping 10 ranks.
Today, upon hearing the Dragon King's words, Zhuge Xiang felt a slight warmth in his heart. It seemed that the East Sea Dragon Palace would be a great help to him. With the help of the East Sea Dragon Palace, the chances of completing this mission would be much greater.
The penalty for failure is a full 10 levels lower, so what about success? What are the rewards? Zhuge Xiang was filled with anticipation; it seemed the time had come to complete this task.
"Well? Ying Qianshan has been stealing the Great Qin National Fortune for thousands of years. It's time for him to hand it over and return it to its rightful owner. This is the Heaven's will. Would you like to lend me a hand? If we succeed, we will not only gain the new emperor's attention and reward, but also receive Merit from Heavenly Dao." After telling Zhuge Xiang about the grudges and Secret History between the East Sea Dragon Palace and the Great Qin Imperial Family, the East Sea Dragon King asked, inviting Zhuge Xiang to join forces.
"Does the Dragon King have a suitable plan? Also, who is the bloodline left behind by Qin Shi Huang?" Zhuge Xiang asked, not in a hurry to agree to the East Sea Dragon King.
Zhuge Xiang naturally agreed to the task, but he also wanted to see if the East Sea Dragon Palace had any more ingenious plans.
"Whose bloodline is that of Ying Zheng? Can't you tell even now?" In response to Zhuge Xiang's question, the Zhuge Xiang East Sea Dragon King retorted, "I've already explained the grudges between the Dragon Palace and the Ying Clan, how can you still not see it?"
"Could it be her?" Upon hearing the Dragon King's words, Zhuge Xiang's face showed a hint of surprise, clearly thinking of someone, and he exclaimed in surprise.
"Indeed, it is the Ninth Princess of the Great Qin, Ying Wushuang," the Dragon King said, seemingly able to read Zhuge Xiang's mind, and nodded as he looked at Zhuge Xiang's expression.
"No wonder," Zhuge Xiang nodded to himself after receiving confirmation from the East Sea Dragon King. He should indeed have been able to see it.
The Dragon Palace and Ying Zheng's lineage had fought side by side, but Ying Qianshan's seizure of the Great Qin Imperial Throne and destiny naturally aroused the Dragon Palace's disgust. However, Ying Wushuang had a very good relationship with the East Sea Dragon Palace, and even the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals respected her. In this light, since she was a descendant of Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, all of this could be explained.
"As for the so-called plan, it's actually very simple: eliminate all obstacles and make Ying Wushuang the Empress of the Great Qin Empire. The Great Qin Empire has always decided the succession by force, and six months from now is the day the Great Qin Empire will establish its heir," the Dragon King said, his eyes gleaming.
Establishing an heir apparent! That is, establishing a crown prince. To this day, the Great Qin Empire has not established a true crown prince. However, generally speaking, the position of crown prince will most likely fall to the eldest son or daughter of the emperor. In the Great Qin Empire, the status of Princes and Princesses is determined by their strength, and the position of crown prince is the same.
According to the rules of the Great Qin Empire, an emperor must establish an heir within a hundred years of ascending the throne. A hundred years is more than enough time to select, or rather, to cultivate, a qualified heir.
The Great Qin Emperor's ascension to the throne was only six months away, which would mark the centenary of his reign. Therefore, according to custom, the Great Qin had to finalize the selection of the crown prince six months later. Thus, the Dragon King's intention was to make Ying Wushuang the crown prince.
"Relatively speaking, this is indeed much easier, but we don't know what method the emperor will use to select the crown prince six months from now. How can you prepare in advance?" Zhuge Xiang pondered for a moment. Although he agreed with this point, it would not be so easy to put it into practice.
" In the Great Qin Empire, martial spirit is very strong. No matter how the crown prince is established, the fundamental principle remains the same: strength is the most important factor. If one cannot convince others of their strength, then even if they possess other talents, it will be ineffective. Therefore, in the next six months, we only need to do everything we can to improve Ying Wushuang's strength as much as possible."
The Dragon King, having lived for countless years and witnessed the Great Qin Empire's rise to its current state, naturally possessed the means to predict the Great Qin Empire's purpose in establishing a crown prince.
"Alright, this year's task will be handled by the Dragon King. I believe that with the resources of the Dragon Clan, Ying Wushuang should be able to make rapid progress in half a year. In the near future, I will also take this opportunity to cause some trouble in the Great Qin Empire," Zhuge Xiang said with a nod, which can be considered as establishing an alliance with the Dragon King to fight together.
Why was the Dragon King looking for him? Zhuge Xiang didn't ask. Clearly, the Dragon King was interested in the power of the Asura Sect behind him, as well as his connection with the Yin Yang Demonic Palace. With the help of the Asura Sect and the Yin Yang Demonic Palace, it would be much easier for his East Sea Dragon Palace to operate in the Great Qin Empire.
"Alright! If there's anything else you need my Dragon Palace's help with, don't be shy." Since he needed Zhuge Xiang's help, the Dragon King naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony. As he spoke, he stretched out his palm and summoned a huge tsunami from the East Sea.
A howling wind and Great Tsunami tens of meters high—with the Dragon King's gesture, the East Sea seemed to come alive, roaring wildly as the sea surged and blotted out the sky. Zhuge Xiang was secretly astonished. No wonder the Dragon Clan of the East Sea Dragon King possessed the innate ability to control water; with a casual wave of his hand, he could wield such power?
Call!!!
However, just as Zhuge Xiang was marveling at the East Sea Dragon King's methods, suddenly, a ray of golden light pierced through the sky from where the sea and sky met. Wherever the golden light passed, the wind and waves calmed down, and even the Great Tsunami became still...
In an instant, the golden light landed in the hand of the East Sea Dragon King, and it turned out to be a golden staff. An incomparably powerful aura emanated from this golden staff. This weapon alone possessed an aura no less powerful than that of a strong Cultivator!
"This is a treasure of my East Sea Dragon Palace, called the Sea Calming Divine Needle. It weighs 13,500 catties and can change size at will. It is a Half-Immortal Artifact. With your physical strength, sharp weapons such as swords and sabers are not suitable for you. This kind of heavy weapon is the most suitable for you," the East Sea Dragon King said, handing the golden staff in his hand to Zhuge Xiang.
"The Sea Calming Divine Needle!?" Upon hearing the Dragon King's words, Zhuge Xiang stared intently at the golden staff, clearly very pleased with it.
The God Slaying Spear was already cracked, and for Zhuge Xiang, a mere low-level Lingbao was no longer enough to meet his combat needs. The allure of the Sea Calming Divine Needle to Zhuge Xiang was self-evident.
The God Slaying Spear is rated at 33 by the system, but in Zhuge Xiang's opinion, this weapon weighs only about 1,000 jin.
For an ordinary person, a weapon weighing a thousand catties is indeed very heavy, but for Zhuge Xiang, who possesses the Great Strength Bull Demon Technique, it is no different from a chopstick.
The Dragon King was right. Zhuge Xiang's greatest strength was his physical power, and he naturally wanted to make the most of it in battle. This 13,500-pound Sea Calming Divine Needle made Zhuge Xiang eager to try it out.
"Half-Immortal Artifact? Dragon King, you're really generous, hehe..." The God Slaying Spear was only Three-Star Lingbao; how could it compare to Half-Immortal Artifact? Reaching out, he took the Sea Calming Divine Needle- Stabilizing Needle from the Dragon King's hand. His hand felt heavy; the weight was indeed very heavy. However, it was just right for Zhuge Xiang. His hand, which had always felt empty, now felt strength for the first time, and for the first time, he felt as if he were holding a powerful weapon.
Lowering his head, Zhuge Xiang saw the information about the Sea Calming Divine Needle, a gift from the East Sea Dragon King... (To be continued...)