Persuading Zhu Zhuqing

After reaching Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Chengqian jumped down from the carriage and asked with concern:

"Are you all right?

I have some healing medicine here. Take it."

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Dai Chengqian's handsome face, then accepted the medicine and thanked him.

A system panel appeared before Dai Chengqian.

[Zhu Zhuqing's Affection increased by 5 points]

[Candidate Red Luan identified: Zhu Zhuqing]

[Affection: 5 points (cannot be bound)]

Closing the system panel, Dai Chengqian pretended not to recognize her and asked:

"What's your name?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked up at Dai Chengqian.

She thought Dai Chengqian was incredibly handsome. Looking at his face, she found her heartbeat inexplicably quickening.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face flushed slightly. Silently scolding herself for being so lovestruck, she said:

"My name is Zhu Zhuqing. Thank you for saving me just now.

Otherwise, I probably would have been hurt even worse."

"Oh? You're Zhu Zhuqing? The Zhu Family's second young lady?"

Dai Chengqian deliberately put on a surprised expression, then continued:

"I'm Dai Chengqian. You should know who I am."

Startled, Zhu Zhuqing asked uncertainly:

"Dai Chengqian? Are you the Star Luo Empire's sixth..."

"That's right. I'm the Sixth Prince, Dai Chengqian."

"Sixth Prince, what... what are you doing in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Dai Chengqian walked over to the Black-Clad Assassins who had been burned to charcoal and said calmly:

"Father Emperor punished me by sending me to the Star Dou Great Forest to temper myself. I'll tell you the details in a moment.

First, let's talk about these Black-Clad Assassins who were hunting you. If I'm not mistaken, they were either sent by your own Zhu Family or by the Eldest Prince, Dai Weisi, weren't they?"

Sitting on the ground, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Chengqian and gave a self-mocking smile.

"Sixth Prince, do you really need to ask me that?"

Haven't our families long since grown accustomed to their younger members killing one another?

Who else would attack a mere Soul Master like me?"

Dai Chengqian nodded and said:

"You despise the way our two families choose their heirs, making us slaughter each other like venomous creatures trapped in a jar, don't you?"

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes began to redden. Clenching her fists, she said:

"I don't just despise it. I hate it. To choose stronger heirs, they raise us to see one another as enemies.

The winner ultimately inherits the family, while the losers are simply wiped out.

Why did heaven make me be born into a family like this? I'd rather have been born in a poor little village. I hate my family."

Dai Chengqian walked over and crouched in front of Zhu Zhuqing. Looking into her reddened eyes, he asked earnestly:

"Do you want to abolish the marriage alliance tradition between our two families?"

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Dai Chengqian and shook her head.

"I dream of it, but it's too difficult. It's impossible."

Dai Chengqian took Zhu Zhuqing's slender, fair hand and gazed at her earnestly.

"Nothing is impossible. Join me and help me ascend the throne.

Once I become emperor of the Star Luo Empire, no matter how difficult it is, I'll abolish the marriage alliance tradition between our families."

[Zhu Zhuqing's Affection for you increased by 5 points]

Zhu Zhuqing looked up and stared at Dai Chengqian's handsome face for a long time.

In the end, she pulled her hand out of Dai Chengqian's grasp and shook her head.

"Sixth Prince, I've thought about it, and this isn't realistic.

Even setting aside how powerful your eldest brother Dai Weisi's faction is,

I'm already engaged to the Third Prince, Dai Mubai.

Even if I were willing, how could I possibly be with you..."

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing say this,

Dai Chengqian knew he had her.

"Good. As long as you're willing, you don't need to worry about anything else.

Let me introduce you to someone first. Once you see her, you should have a little more confidence."

With that, Dai Chengqian entered the carriage and brought Zhu Zhuyun out.

The moment Zhu Zhuqing saw Zhu Zhuyun, every hair on her body stood on end.

Her nether civet martial soul instantly possessed her, and she watched Dai Chengqian and Zhu Zhuyun approach with wary eyes.

"Zhu Zhuyun! Why are you here?!

Stay back! If you come any closer, I'll attack!"

Seeing how nervous Zhu Zhuqing was, Zhu Zhuyun covered her mouth and laughed.

"Don't be nervous, little sister. I won't hurt you."

Dai Chengqian gestured for Zhu Zhuqing to relax and said:

"Zhu Zhuyun is on my side now. There's no need to be afraid."

Seeing that Zhu Zhuyun had not even released her martial soul and genuinely did not seem dangerous, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Chengqian beside her in confusion and couldn't help asking:

"Sixth Prince, what exactly is going on?"

Dai Chengqian pointed at his carriage and smiled.

"Come on. Let's go inside and talk over tea."

After entering the carriage, the three sat down.

Zhu Zhuyun began brewing tea for the other two.

Watching Zhu Zhuyun, who seemed like a completely different person, Zhu Zhuqing was filled with astonishment.

Zhu Zhuyun was such a proud person, yet now she was brewing tea for the Sixth Prince.

What on earth had happened?

"Sixth Prince, can you tell me what happened now? Why is she with you?"

Dai Chengqian lifted his cup and took a light sip, then told her the whole sequence of events: how Dai Weisi had framed him, how he had brought accusations against him at court, and how Zhu Zhuyun had ultimately switched sides.

After hearing his account, Zhu Zhuqing was stunned by the news.

She covered her mouth, hardly able to believe it.

Yet seeing how Zhu Zhuyun was acting now, she had no choice but to believe him.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Chengqian and asked in astonishment:

"Sixth Prince, is what you said true?"

This is so hard to believe. How on earth did you do it?"

Dai Chengqian gave Zhu Zhuqing a mysterious smile. "It's a secret."

"All you need to know is that Zhu Zhuyun will now do everything she can to help me ascend the throne.

With you as well, I'd have the support of both daughters of the Zhu Family. My chances of ultimate victory would increase by at least thirty percent.

So let me ask you now: are you willing to help me?"

Zhu Zhuqing knew her elder sister Zhu Zhuyun very well.

Winning Zhu Zhuyun over, and poaching her from the Eldest Prince at that, was not something just anyone could accomplish.

The fact that Dai Chengqian had managed it made him worth betting on.

He was certainly better than her fiancé, who had gone into hiding somewhere she couldn't even find.

Still, Zhu Zhuqing hesitated. She felt that even with both her and Zhu Zhuyun's help, Dai Chengqian's eventual ascension to the throne would not be so simple.

In her memory, Dai Weisi was far too powerful. With an innate soul power of rank nine, he was the strongest fighter among all the princes.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Chengqian and said:

"Sixth Prince, let me ask you one last question. As far as I know, the Eldest Prince is currently a Soul Elder above rank thirty.

Given a little more time, he might become a Soul Ancestor above rank forty.

Right now, you're only a Soul Grandmaster.

Ultimate victory still depends on which of you princes is stronger. Can you guarantee that you'll be stronger than the Eldest Prince in the future?"

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Dai Chengqian did not speak. Instead, he chose to prove his potential with something tangible.

His soul power surged, and his purple sky divine thunder tiger martial soul possessed him.

Dense purple arcs of electricity spread over Dai Chengqian's entire body.

That heart-stirring sensation arose within Zhu Zhuqing once again.

Dai Chengqian's martial soul seemed to exert a powerful attraction on her nether civet martial soul.

Beyond the intense sense of closeness and affinity, it also gave her an irresistible urge to kneel and submit.

An ordinary White Tiger martial soul did not inspire this feeling at all.

She could sense that Dai Chengqian's martial soul was stronger than an ordinary White Tiger—at least dozens of times stronger, perhaps even more.

"You can try attacking me."

Dai Chengqian used his first soul skill.

Zhu Zhuqing tried attacking seven or eight times in succession with her soul skill, but she could not break through his defense at all.

"Your... your martial soul is amazing!"

Dai Chengqian smiled and said:

"There are plenty of other things I'm good at.

My martial soul is a mutated martial soul. You can call it the purple sky divine thunder tiger.

Do you have confidence in me now?"

"The purple sky divine thunder tiger..." Zhu Zhuqing murmured.

After experiencing the purple sky divine thunder tiger's power at close range, Zhu Zhuqing's confidence in Dai Chengqian's ascension to the throne soared.

She looked up at Dai Chengqian, her gaze growing resolute.

"Sixth Prince, I've made up my mind. I'll join you."