The Eighth Prince Gifts a Stone

He closed the several annotated volumes in his hands.

Zhao Hongming still wanted more.

As expected of a martial arts grandmaster—every annotation struck straight at the crux, clearing away his confusion and letting him learn twice as much with half the effort.

If he had not been a prince, obtaining such annotations—especially annotations for an Immortal Martial Arts Technique—would have been harder than climbing to the heavens.

With a thought, Zhao Hongming summoned his personal attributes.

Name: Zhao Hongming

Cultivation Technique: Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique—Not Initiated (20/100)

Breakthrough Techniques Available: None

Today's Cultivation Time: 2 hours

Physique: Ordinary

Talent Enhancement: 1

Looking at the prompts before his eyes, he could not help but feel overjoyed.

Just two hours of effort had raised his progress by twenty percent.

Sure enough, the moment he put in the effort, results followed.

Heaven's Reward was honest and true.

At this pace, as long as he spent another eight hours, he could cultivate the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique, this Immortal Martial Arts Technique, to the level of First Rank Meridian Opening.

He already knew the first level of the technique by heart, and had thoroughly digested and absorbed its essential principles.

All that remained was to return and put in the hard work of cultivation.

Zhao Hongming walked out of the private room.

A Steward had been waiting outside. Upon seeing Zhao Hongming, he reminded him expressionlessly, "By the rules, Your Highness may not copy it down, nor may you reveal the details of the technique outside without permission. I hope Your Highness will abide by this. Should you forget anything or have doubts later, you may come here at any time to continue your study."

As the Steward of the Martial Repository Pavilion, he truly had an eccentric personality.

His tone was ice-cold, completely unlike the way others in the palace treated princes.

There was not the slightest trace of flattery or reverence.

Zhao Hongming was not so bored as to rely on his status to stir up trouble. He nodded and said, "If This Prince encounters anything he does not understand in the future, This Prince will come again."

"Take care, Fifth Prince. I will not see you out."

After saying that, the Steward of the third floor sat down directly on the floor and began studying an explanation of some unknown martial art.

Truly a Martial Fanatic.

Zhao Hongming smiled faintly and walked out of the Martial Repository Pavilion.

By then, night had fallen, and the sky seemed draped beneath a curtain of stars.

Zhao Hongming glanced up. Above him, seven ladle-shaped stars flickered without cease.

"Fifth Prince." Outside the Martial Repository Pavilion, his personal guard clasped his fists respectfully at his side.

A precious sword hung at his waist. He was built broad and powerful, giving others an immense sense of security.

His name was Chang Wubing. He was a martial man whom Zhao Hongming's mother had brought from her former homeland, responsible for his daily safety, and had lived with him for many years.

Since he had no foundation in the palace, he could only rely on Zhao Hongming. He was someone Zhao Hongming could trust completely, one of his own confidants.

Zhao Hongming withdrew his gaze. "Let us return."

"Yes."

The princes of Great Wei lived with their mothers in the East and West Six Palaces from birth through their early childhood.

Once they grew a little older, around five or six, they had to move to the residences on the eastern and western sides of the Imperial Garden. Those places were called the East Fifth Residence and West Fifth Residence.

However, Zhao Hongming's mother had died of illness when he was around four years old, so he moved into the East Fifth Residence at the age of four, earlier than the other princes.

By the time he returned to his own residence, Clear Breeze Pavilion—named by Zhao Hongming himself—it was already late.

Zhao Hongming did not choose to continue cultivating. Attended by his personal Little Eunuch, he went straight to bed.

As a prince, he had to rise around the Yin Hour the next day and head to the Imperial Academy for his studies.

If he slept too late, he would certainly be listless the following day.

Zhao Hongming was a highly disciplined person. He did not alter his routine just because he had begun learning martial arts.

He slept dreamlessly through the night.

In the blink of an eye, it was the Yin Hour.

Wang Bao, the Eunuch waiting outside, called in a shrill voice, "Fifth Prince, the time has come. It is time to go to the Imperial Study."

Hearing the call from outside, Zhao Hongming habitually opened his bleary eyes and muttered, "Come in and dress This Prince."

He narrowed his eyes and sat up from the bed, gathering his wits so he could wake up quickly.

The Imperial Family had many rules.

While Royal Scions enjoyed the resources provided by Great Wei, they were also subject to many restrictions.

Take sleeping in, for example. At the very least, before they Leave the Palace, they could forget about it.

If he had not responded just now, Wang Bao outside would have kept shouting until he got up.

It was endlessly irritating.

With Wang Bao attending him, Zhao Hongming finished dressing and walked out of the room, still half asleep.

Chang Wubing was already waiting outside in the courtyard, looking relaxed.

He had heard that martial men who had achieved success in cultivation possessed boundless vigor.

Even if they went several nights without sleep, they would not feel the least bit drowsy.

Zhao Hongming could not help feeling envious, and his expectations for the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique's breakthrough grew even stronger.

During Great Wei's Yin Hour, the sky was not yet bright.

An Eunuch specially carried a lantern to guide the way.

The imperial halls of Great Wei sprawled in tangled complexity, like a city unto themselves.

After walking for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Zhao Hongming arrived before the Imperial Study.

The Imperial Study was the academy. As its name implied, it was a place built within the Imperial Palace specifically to teach princes and imperial daughters knowledge. Renowned scholars and great Confucians generally came to teach there.

Before he even entered the Imperial Study, clear recitations could already be heard from within.

Someone had arrived ahead of him.

Zhao Hongming entered and chose a seat toward the back.

Wang Bao and Chang Wubing stopped conscientiously at the entrance. They rested in a room prepared specifically for servants nearby, waiting quietly for Zhao Hongming's morning lesson to end.

At present, aside from the Crown Prince, who had dedicated instructors, and the Second Prince and Third Prince, who had Left the Palace and established their own residences, all princes and imperial daughters who had yet to Leave the Palace were required to attend lectures and study at the academy every day.

The first to arrive at the Imperial Academy were the Fourth Prince, Zhao Hongli, and the Seventh Prince, Zhao Hongsheng.

One of their mothers came from a Martial Merit Family, while the other came from a prestigious major sect. Both had considerable influence in court.

It was said that the two harbored no small ambitions and were powerful challengers to Crown Prince Zhao Hongli.

They were also quietly competing with one another, so they were always either the first or second to arrive at the academy, never once absent from its classes.

They received abundant praise from the many instructors as well.

As time passed, the remaining princes and imperial daughters entered one after another.

"Fifth Brother!" Taking advantage of the fact that the instructor had not yet arrived, a prince of around ten eagerly came to Zhao Hongming's side and asked, "I heard Father Emperor allowed you to enter the Martial Repository Pavilion yesterday?"

This was the Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongguang. He had a rather timid personality, and being young with a mother of only ordinary influence, the other princes and imperial daughters rarely played with him.

Zhao Hongming, however, did not care. He merely treated him as an innocent little brat and usually looked after him a little more.

Over time, Zhao Hongguang grew even more attached to following him around.

"Mm."

Zhao Hongguang hurriedly asked, "Which technique did you choose? Was it the Killing Scripture? I heard this Immortal Martial Arts Technique is incredibly powerful. Many generals praise it to the skies. As long as you charge into battle and kill enemies, you can improve your cultivation."

"I chose the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique."

"..." Zhao Hongguang's mind stalled for a moment, question marks practically appearing above his head. "What technique is that? How come I have never heard of it?"

"It is merely a Longevity Technique." Zhao Hongming said, "We of the Zhao Clan have poor martial fortune as the imperial bloodline. Learning more Confucian studies is the proper path. Do not go on about killing, killing, killing every day."

"Oh!" Zhao Hongguang immediately lost interest.

After a while, he took out a smooth white stone no larger than a soybean and secretly handed it to Zhao Hongming. Lowering his voice, he said, "I heard Fifth Brother wants to learn martial arts. I got this from Mother Consort. Here."

"A Wish Stone?!"

Zhao Hongming was somewhat surprised.

The princes did not receive Wish Stones as part of their monthly stipends.

For one thing, the number of Wish Stones produced each month was limited, and they were an important tool the Imperial Family used to control the court.

For another, the Imperial Family's martial fortune was poor, so giving them Wish Stones would largely be a waste.

Thus, if princes wanted Wish Stones, they could only obtain them from elsewhere through special means.

And as an invisible prince, Zhao Hongming had limited resources he could draw upon, making them especially difficult for him to acquire.

He had not expected quiet little Zhao Hongguang to have gotten his hands on one.

With the aid of a Wish Stone, his cultivation speed for the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique would undoubtedly become even faster.

He never complained about having too many good things.

With that thought, Zhao Hongming did not decline. Smiling, he accepted it. "Thank you, Eighth Brother."

Zhao Hongguang clasped his hands behind his back and waved with an old-fashioned air. "No need to thank me, Fifth Brother. It was only a small effort."

"Eh? Why do I feel like you have grown a little taller today?"

Zhao Hongming's single sentence instantly broke Zhao Hongguang's composure.

The latter began gesturing wildly like a child. "Really? Fifth Brother, quick, quick, quick—measure me. Mother Consort said that once I grow as tall as Third Brother and the others, I can Leave the Palace."

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