Chapter 87
Chapter 87
A Clever Tongue (2)
Xin Yi Zhenjun sighed.
“I remember Li Wei Zhenjun has an innate sword Qi? Using this sword Qi to seal the male gu in your dantian can reduce the power of the love gu to a minimum. But doing so… would subject your dantian to the constant invasion and abrasion of the sword Qi, which would be really difficult to bear.”
“That’s fine.”
Cui Wang’s face was as dark as the deepest waters, and it seemed as if there was no external force in the universe that could affect his mind. He nodded, “Then, I’ll be troubling Xin Yi Zhenjun.”
“Stop that——”
Li Wei Zhenjun waved him off, “I’ll lend you a hand.”
A cultivator’s lifespan was too long; the human heart is fickle, and emotions may stir for just a moment, only to become a dead silence the next. The gu was to be suppressed for now, but perhaps, when the time came for it to be dispelled, that slight hint of affection might have already gone with the wind.
The suppression of the love gu took up the span of a day and a night. Only when Cui Wang stepped on the marketplace’s teleportation formation to return to Guixu Sect did the old ancestor in the sea of consciousness, who had been quiet for a long time, finally let out a long sigh.
“Little Wangwang ah… you doomed bachelor dog.”
Cui Wang was accustomed to the inexplicable remarks the old ancestor would occasionally let out, and just gave an “Mm” in reply.
“This old ancestor really can’t understand you at all.
“You abandoned the little miss without leaving her any powers, then used your innate sword Qi to seal the love gu, and insisted on separating with the little miss even at the cost of enduring the pain of sword Qi’s attack day after day. In that case, why did you leave your lifesword there to prop up the realm gate? You have too much energy to spare or what?
“The mortal world is filthy, how can you guarantee that within a hundred years, the little miss can cultivate there and get out? If you don’t break through to the Grand Magnificence stage, won’t you have to die along with her?
“No, this won’t do, you have to go back and bring her here.”
Cui Wang threw a spirit stone into the recess of the teleportation formation. “She planted the gu for this very reason.”
“So, you just won’t let her get what she wants? Sigh, she has no powers, how is she going to cultivate?”
“Since leaving the illusory realm, that spirit has been following her.”
“Huh?” Suddenly, there was neither wind nor rain in the sea of
consciousness, and the old ancestor was a little unused to it. “What spirit?”
But alas, his inscrutable grandson of who knows how many generations removed fell silent again and stopped answering.
“Forget it, forget it, you’re destined to be a bachelor dog for thousands, tens of thousands of years. The bloodline of my old Cui family is going to go extinct…” The old ancestor cried as if for real.
With a flash of silver light, Cui Wang had fallen back to the land he was familiar with.
The sky was filled with a fierce, icy snowstorm; he watched it for a while, then suddenly said:
“Old ancestor, my heart is very quiet.”
“Yeah, there’s no more thunder, and no more rain. Even this old ancestor is unused to it.” The black-robed man circled around before saying, “What if the little miss can’t get out? What will you do?”
“There is a slim chance of survival for us.”
“Li Wei Zhenren, ah, no,” just then, two grey-robed disciples guarding the gate of Guixu Mountain hurried over, “Li Wei Zhenjun! Congratulations on your return!”
“Dong, dong dong——”
Three strikes of the bell rang out throughout the mountains.
——————————————
Meanwhile, as Cui Wang returned to Guixu Sect, the Zheng residence was being surrounded by the Capital Guard led by the crown prince.
By the time Zheng Wan made herself up before the mirror, and arrived at the main hall after dressing up resplendently, the crown prince’s personal guards had already rushed to the atrium of the main room. They still seemed to have some concerns, and had not made any major moves.
“Wan’niang, you’re here.”
The crown prince touched the stump of his missing arm, “Look, the person you tried so hard to please has abandoned you in the end. Did you ever think back then that you would face such a situation?”
“Crown Prince, you’re mistaken.”
Zheng Wan bit her lip. “If I didn’t say that that day, not only would you not be able to save your left arm, but you would also not be able to save your life.
“Even if you were the one to break off our engagement, and I hate and blame you for it, in the end, I wouldn’t actually watch you lose your life in front of me.”
“Bullshit!”
The crown prince’s expression suddenly turned savage. He held the sword in his intact arm and pointed it at Zheng Wan. “The fangs of a bamboo viper, the sting at the end of a wasp, as venomous as these things are, how can they compare to you, Zheng Wan’niang’s clever tongue? Spouting honeyed words that hide a sword, cutting and sharp as a reed!”
Zheng Wan was reduced to tears by his words. “Crown Prince, why don’t you think about it, who was the one who lured you there that day, and who was the one who reaped the most benefits in the end?!
“It’s the Liu family! The State Preceptor developed a grudge against me because of you, and that concubine-born daughter of the Liu family had been brought to the Upper Realms, even His Majesty will have a higher regard for the Liu family now. The Liu family has become the recipient of great benefits, while my Zheng family has become a crumbling wall that everyone is rushing to kick and shove. Crown Prince, you should ask around and find out who the Liu family is closest to now—it’s Jin Wang.”
The crown prince’s eyes darted; he thought about the recent movements, and sure enough, everyone was inclined towards the Liu family, and the one who had made a toast to him that day was also his future crown princess consort, the second lady of the Liu family…
“You’ve lost your arm. Even if you have His Majesty’s favour, I’m afraid that the courtiers will soon petition to His Majesty to appoint a new successor! You and I are just victims of political struggle, why bother blaming one another!”
“You— you’re spouting nonsense!”
From his expression, it was clear that the crown prince was shaken, and his eyes were red.
Zheng Wan sighed secretly; the benefit of this person being so suggestible was that he’s easy to manipulate. If only Cui Wang were also like this…
“Wan’niang has been with the State Preceptor for so long. Crown Prince, could you possibly…” She approached slowly, “…not want to know, the method to regenerate a broken arm?”
If the crown prince had been hesitant just now, he was currently entirely entrapped by Zheng Wan.
If one became disabled, one would get used to it sooner or later. But he was the crown prince. He was originally the most esteemed future master of the Great Liang, but today, everyone looked at him with sympathy; even the castrated eunuchs had the gall to pity him, making him unspeakably miserable, and hate the culprits of this situation, Cui Wang and Zheng Wan, even more.
Now that Cui Wang was gone, this hatred would naturally fall upon Zheng Wan.
But the temptation offered by Zheng Wan was too good for him not to bite.
“Crown Prince, please lend me your ear.”
The crown prince leaned over skeptically. When he straightened, his face was filled with confusion.
“You want me to fake an engagement with you?”
Zheng Wan nodded. “Naturally.”