Chapter 79
"It's estimated that he won't wake up for at least two or three days."
After confirming Ye Ruoshui's condition, Xiao Minghuang was both amused and exasperated, and gently patted Ye Ruoshui's soft cheek.
"Your spiritual sense is clearly weak, yet you kept insisting on wanting more. Now you're exhausted... you gluttonous brat!"
But she couldn't just sit idly by.
Xiao Minghuang took out some spirit stones and herbs from his bosom and placed them next to Ye Ruoshui. He also put a Spirit Infusion Pill with the fertility Pill Pattern directly into her mouth.
After doing all this, Xiao Minghuang thoughtfully covered Ye Ruoshui with the blanket before turning to leave.
103. The snipe and the clam fight.
One night passed.
The Myriad Treasures Pavilion incident quickly gained momentum in the capital.
The news quickly reached the Second Prince's Manor, and upon learning of it, he rushed to the Wu'an King's Residence immediately.
"Greetings, Second Prince!"
Along the way, every servant of the Wu'an King's Residence bowed down to the Second Prince upon seeing him.
This was not only because the Second Prince was the son of the Emperor Xia, but also because the King Wu'an intended to marry his only granddaughter to the Second Prince.
Therefore, the Second Prince can also be considered the son-in-law of the Wu'an King's Residence.
He turned a corner and was greeted by a slender and graceful figure. She wore a light green dress, had a graceful figure, long hair draped over her shoulders, a slender waist, and a look of surprise on her pretty face.
The woman was none other than Xu Xiuer, the only granddaughter of the King Wu'an.
"Cousin!"
Xu Xiuer called out and stepped forward, feeling a little uneasy, as she hadn't seen the Second Prince for quite some time.
"No need for formalities. I have important matters to discuss with my great-uncle. Please make yourself at home, cousin!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Second Prince strode away swiftly, slipping past Xu Xiuer and disappearing into the corridor.
Watching the Second Prince's departing figure, Xu Xiuer bit her pink lower lip, feeling somewhat hesitant.
She wanted to keep up with the Second Prince, but she was worried about disturbing Second Prince was doing his business.
Although she was the only granddaughter of the King Wu'an, her talent was extremely poor; after seventeen years of cultivation, she had barely Body Tempering Ninth Layer.
It was absolutely impossible to maintain such a large palace after the death of the King Wu'an.
Therefore, her grandfather arranged for her to marry the Second Prince, and she did not refuse.
She knew in her heart that this was a good thing for both her and the Wu'an King's Residence.
But as for whether there was any affection between her and the Second Prince, that's hard to say.
The Second Prince was obsessed with power, and aside from befriending chivalrous heroes and winning over court officials, he spent most of his time cultivating.
He was willing to accept this marriage because marrying her would allow him to unite more closely with King Wu'an.
Therefore, although they had agreed to marry in private, they never had any physical contact and had barely even exchanged a few words.
Xu Xiuer remembered that the last time she saw the Second Prince was at the royal competition a few months ago.
Seeing the worried look on Xu Xiuer's face, the maidservant beside her cautiously said:
"Miss... the Second Prince, he..."
"No need to say anything!"
Xu Xiuer gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, a resolute look in her eyes.
Although she lacks talent, as a princess of the Wu'an King's Residence's Mansion, she has no reason to be so eager to please him!
The living room of the Wu'an King's Residence.
The Second Prince paced back and forth in the hall, his face full of anxiety.
A moment later, a dignified-looking middle-aged man emerged from the back hall; it was none other than King Wu'an.
"What brings you to see me?"
Upon seeing King Wu'an, the Second Prince seemed to have found his anchor. He quickly walked to King Wu'an and asked eagerly:
"Does Uncle know what happened at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion yesterday?"
King Wu'an stepped down, picked up his teacup, and with a hint of reproach in his eyes, began to reprimand:
"Look at you, a prince of such high standing, so utterly lost. If you were to ascend the throne one day, would you continue like this?"
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince was somewhat embarrassed. Although he was resentful, he still lowered his head and admitted his guilt.
"Uncle's words are wise. I will definitely change and will not make the same mistake again!"
The King Wu'an's expression softened, and he stroked his beard, saying:
"Alright, what is it? Speak quickly. I have recently had some insights that may allow me to overcome the obstacles and enter the Divine Sea Ninth Level Realm."
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in the Second Prince's eyes, and he cupped his hands in greeting:
Congratulations, Uncle!
Immediately, a hint of worry appeared on his face, and he quickly told King Wu'an about the Myriad Treasures Pavilion incident.
"Yesterday, at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the Ninth Princess defeated Feng Yi, a true disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect, in a single move, and publicly announced that the eldest daughter of Beiyang City was her wife."
The Second Prince, deeply worried, analyzed the situation:
"Feng Yi is a true disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect. Although he is only at the Peak Qi Refining Realm, he is not at a disadvantage even against someone at the first Spring Gushing First Layer. The Ninth Princess was able to defeat Feng Yi in one move. Even if the element of surprise was involved, her true strength is very likely at the Spring Gushing Second Layer!"
The Second Prince didn't say the last sentence.
His cultivation level was only at the Spring Gushing Second Layer, and relying on various trump cards, he could at most unleash combat power comparable to the Spring Gushing Fourth Layer.
But he has a trump card, does that mean the Ninth Princess doesn't?
King Wu'an was clearly aware of this as well. After pondering for a moment, he asked:
What do you want to do?
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince's expression became complicated. Last time, they had planned to ambush and kill the Ninth Princess while she was on her way to Beiyang City, but unexpectedly, she escaped death, and all their previous efforts were in vain.
Now that the Ninth Princess is in the capital city and protected by a powerful expert like Wang Jin at the Divine Sea Realm, assassinating her would be as difficult as ascending to heaven!
Upon seeing the Second Prince's expression, King Wu'an understood that he was blaming himself for failing to eliminate the Ninth Princess.
"I sent Divine Sea Realm expert to that assassination attempt, but it still failed. It was beyond human capability."
The King Wu'an's voice was calm, but to the Second Prince, it was like a thunderclap.
He knew that the King Wu'an was somewhat angry, so he quickly apologized:
"I'm not blaming my maternal uncle, but I'm worried about how to get rid of the Ninth Princess, this formidable enemy!"
He paused at this point, then slowly said:
"After all, if I cannot defeat the Ninth Princess in the grand competition, the throne will be mine."
"Snort!"
Upon hearing this, King Wu'an snorted coldly. He understood the Second Prince's meaning; he simply wanted him to personally assassinate the Ninth Princess.
But if the Second Prince could think of something, couldn't the Emperor Xia and the Old Ancestor have thought of it too?
King Wu'an knew that if he took action personally, the Emperor Xia or his Old Ancestor would probably slaughter his entire family in the next moment!
Therefore, no matter how the Second Prince tried to provoke him, it would have no effect whatsoever.
After thinking for a while, King Wu'an spoke in a deep voice:
"I remember the Sixth Prince has been a disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect for over ten years now..."
Sixth Prince!
Upon hearing this address, the Second Prince was startled, as if waking from a dream.
"The Sixth Prince has been a disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect for twelve years, during which time he has rarely contacted the royal family. If my maternal uncle hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten!"
The King Wu'an, with his piercing gaze, said:
"I told you long ago that a ruler needs to have a long-term vision and not be confined to a single city or only concerned with immediate gains and losses, but you never listen to my advice."
"..."
The Second Prince looked ashamed and lowered his head.
After a moment, he asked:
"Does my great-uncle mean that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits?"
King Wu'an did not answer the question, but calmly and leisurely said:
"My informant in the Spirit Sword Sect has sent word that the Sixth Prince has already reached the Spring Gushing Second Layer and has grasped the Sword Intent Embryo. Even his fellow disciples at the Spring Gushing Fourth Layer cannot withstand more than a second move from him!"
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince was startled:
"The Sword Intent Embryo!"
104. Did Your Highness have a good night last night?
As everyone knows, for a swordsman, comprehending the sword's essence and not comprehending it are two completely different concepts.
Without sword intent, one can only unleash the power of the magic sword itself, or use the sword to carry one's own martial arts. If the magic sword is of a higher grade, the combined power will be even greater.
However, if the magic sword is of a lower grade, the power it exerts may not be as great as performing martial arts bare-handed.
Therefore, martial artists who have mastered sword intent can often fight beyond their level. Even those with only Sword Intent Embryo are far stronger than ordinary martial artists.
King Wu'an said calmly:
"You know how to do it, right? I don't need to teach you myself."
"Grandson understands!"
The Second Prince stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled.
King Wu'an sighed softly and said quietly:
"Whenever I have free time, I often come to your residence. That girl, Xiu'er, always talks about you to me!"
The Second Prince was about to leave when he heard this and quickly bowed and said:
"Grandson understands, and will definitely visit my cousin often in the future!"
After saying this, the Second Prince turned and left.
Watching the Second Prince's figure disappear into the hall, King Wu'an's eyes flickered with uncertainty, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Princess Mansion, training room.
Xiao Minghuang stood in the center of the empty hall, her mind racing, and took the Spirit Source out of her storage bag.
A half-person-sized Spirit Source stood in the center of the hall, its entire body pitch black, its surface glossy, and covered with many strange patterns.
"Mysterious Yin Fruit..."
Xiao Minghuang muttered to herself, looking at Spirit Source.
According to the rules of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, items are usually opened within Spirit Source and recorded.
However, Xiao Minghuang's status was so noble that she naturally did not need to follow the usual rules.
"I'll give this Mysterious Yin Fruit to Wanqiu; I wonder if it will trigger a high-value compensation..."
Xiao Minghuang pondered for a moment, then stretched out a hand, and a surge of spiritual power extended outwards, condensing into a long sword, which he then aimed at the Spirit Source.
Without hesitation, she swung her sword, which landed on the Spirit Source.
Click!
With a crisp sound, the Spirit Source was cut in two, and the inert spiritual energy contained within dissipated like water flowing on flat ground.