Whoosh!
The image of a perfect blue sky was ruined when a yellow smoke made erratic movents all over it. It landed in a huge yard, revealing the person within.
It was Ancestor Huang i and his cronies. Each was holding a knocked out hostage, Zhuo Fan and Holy Maiden Yun Shuang.
Throwing the baggage to the ground, the trio cackled.
Clap~
With a slow clap, a nice-looking youth ca over with a dozen people behind him. It was Yuwen Yong.
Second prince gave the baggage a curt nod, “Whenever the yellow wind blows nothing can catch him. Ancestor Huang i lives up to his reputation. To have even Zhuo Fan, the pain in the rear of all the houses, tied up, I am in awe, ha-ha-ha…”
“Hi-hi-hi, thank you, Your Highness. I am not like those nobodies, undeserving of their na. I had him captured even before I got to show what I was made of! I feel ashad sotis, undeserving of the second prince’s praise.”
“Ha-ha-ha, Ancestor is so modest. I’m sure that it is not Zhuo Fan who is weak, but Ancestor’s skills are out of this world to have achieved such swift success. Ancestor, you will have the ten 8th grade pills, rest assured.”
Second prince clapped and laughed while Ancestor Huang i gave out his creepy cackle.
With that out of the way, the second prince turned to the baggage. He flipped Zhuo Fan over and snickered at his dreamy look, “Is this all the Best Steward Beneath Heavens amounts to? This is what you get for ignoring my invite!”
Then he turned to Yun Shuang in confusion, “Ancestor, who is this?”
“He-he-he, not a clue. Since she was with Zhuo Fan, she has to be soone important to him. I figured the girl would be of so use to Your Highness so I brought her along.” Ancestor Huang i shrugged.
Second prince chapped his lips with so many praises, “That’s so nice of you, Ancestor, ha-ha-ha…”
He flipped her over as well, putting on display all that made her pretty. He was amazed, “Holy Maiden Yun Shuang? Ancestor, how co you’ve kidnapped soone from Parish?”
“You an I can’t?” Ancestor Huang i was confused.
Squinting, the second prince took a deep breath and showed a twisted smile, “No, you are perfect, Ancestor. In fact, I’ll add two more pills as thanks!”
[What?!]
Ancestor Huang i blanked for a second then laughed, “Thank you, Your Highness!”
He thought he had brought along a re girl but she proved to be of value, earning him a bonus.
Giving Yun Shuang a good look, second prince said, “Ancestor, could you wake her up. I have so questions.”
“Easy.”
Ancestor Huang i nodded and pulled out a vial from his ring. He hovered it under Yun Shuang’s nose and said, “This is my prized narcotic, Thousand Years Dream. Not even a Radiant Stage expert can fight it. Their only chance at waking up is if I help them, he-he-he…”
“Ancestor’s skills are amazing. I am in awe.”
Second prince cupped his hands, then waited for Yun Shuang to wake up.
Fifteen minutes later, with a lodious sound, Yun Shuang stirred. The first thing she saw was the second prince’s warped smile. She cried, “Ah, second prince…”
“Miss, there’s no need to fear. You are a valued guest of my manor. You’re safe here. Grinning, second prince made a gesture for silence.”
Yun Shuang looked at him distraught. She shuddered backwards as she took in his accomplices with a heavy heart.
Her 5th layer of Profound Heaven Stage could hardly count as anything against the 9th layer Profound Heaven experts around, to say nothing of the five Radiant Stage experts.
The biggest shock was the yellow eyebrow Ancestor, in the 8th layer of Radiant Stage.
Looking at so many bigshots around her, all she saw was death. Then she glanced at Zhuo Fan having the sweetest dreams imaginable and shook him, “Steward Zhuo, wake up! Wake up!”
No use. Zhuo Fan was sleeping like a baby.
“Ha-ha-ha, miss, save your energy. Only my antidote can wake him!” Ancestor Huang i laughed.
Yun Shuang bit her lip, growing frantic and fearful of the n around her. She knew Zhuo Fan couldn’t do a damn thing as he was, but she stuck close to him either way. The closer she was the safer she felt.
Snickering inside, the second prince put on a genial smile, “Miss Shuang’er, I’ve heard of you being a Holy Maiden. But with all of Parish’s rules and other obstacles, I’ve never had the pleasure of paying you a visit. Imagine my surprise when you ca to instead. You honor and humble with your presence.”
“Humph, what valuable guest, you kidnapped us!” Yun Shuang scoffed.
Second prince laughed, “True, but it’s fine. All that matters is that you are in my ho and that makes you a guest. And let tell you, I do know how to treat my guests. Though there is just one small detail that has been vexing for a long long ti, sothing that I hope you can clarify for .”
“What?” Yun Shuang asked.
Second prince gave a deep bow, “I’ve heard that Miss is the sa as the High Priest, with eyes that can read the heavens, able to look into a person’s fate. Would it be possible to glimpse upon mine? Am I…”
Second prince was getting excited and shouted, “Fit to rule?”
“Not in your life!”
Yun Shuang was stubborn and shot him down there and then, “By Yun clan’s ancestral teachings, we have always been neutral. We look after the people, not the rulers. Peeking into the empire’s fate is taboo and against the Yun clan’s principles. I cannot help you!”
Second prince’s face fell and he snorted, “I see, ancestral teachings, is it? Why then I heard that twenty years ago, the High Priest had read Huangpu Qingtian’s fate?”
“How is that the sa?”
Yun Shuang explained, “Huangpu Qingtian was a child then. His fate was full of twists and turns. He had yet to mature into soone being fit to rule. You, on the other hand, are fully grown and have fewer turning points. If you do have a dragon’s disposition, it will co to pass more often than not. And reading it will an revealing heaven’s plan, inviting heaven’s wrath and bringing hell upon the masses!”
She shouldn’t have said that. Now the second prince’s heart was thrumming in his chest out of excitent.
When Huangpu Qingtian died, his fate as an emperor wasn’t certain and even if he had the disposition of a king, he still couldn’t overco the tribulation called Zhuo Fan. But the second prince was different, his fate was set in stone. Once determined, it would co to pass.
Summing it up, all Holy Maiden had to do was to say that he had it in him to be an emperor and no one would stop him. He’d have a smooth sailing towards the throne!
Second prince’s delusion of grandeur grew so much that his eyes were bloodshot, “What are you waiting for then? Bask your eyes on my regal self. Tell if I have what it takes to reach the top!”
“I told you already. I mustn’t…”
Second prince held a 5th grade spiritual sword and poked at Zhuo Fan’s throat in his lunacy, “I heard you two are close. Look already or he dies!”
“Easy, Your Highness. He is after all the one His Majesty bestowed the Best Steward Beneath Heavens title. We will also have to answer if anything happens to him.” Soone urged in the second prince’s ear.
Second prince glared and roared, “Codswallop! Once I take the throne, Best Steward Beneath Heavens isn’t worth sh*t!”
He now turned to Yun Shuang and threatened, “Look or I will kill him! Didn’t the Yun clan always co to people’s aid? Are you going to let this man suffer?”
Yun Shuang was torn. She couldn’t watch him die nor go against her ancestor’s teachings. She just couldn’t choose.
She glanced at Zhuo Fan’s dreamy face and recalled her grandfather’s warning.
Zhuo Fan was an anomaly that changed fates and she was to guide him on the straight and narrow path. Recalling Zhuo Fan’s selfless act of jumping in front of her to et the poison, she finally made her choice.
Zhuo Fan had to survive!
“Fine, I will!” Yun Shuang nodded.
Second prince was jubilant. He took back the sword and straightened his tunic, “Then, Holy Maiden, if you please.”
Yun Shuang closed her eyes and the next ti she opened them they turned into a sucking abyss. Just that in that endless darkness faint glimrs shone, like stars.
After a while, she regained her normal sight and sighed.
“What is it, Holy Maiden, am I…” Second prince couldn’t control himself with joy.
Yun Shuang nodded with a relaxed smile, “How fortunate, you are not fit to rule. I didn’t go against my ancestors. Oh, such a blessing!”
Boom!
Second prince’s mind exploded. His face twitched as he babbled, “H-Holy Maiden, aren’t you mistaken? Do it again!”
“Grandfather has taught since I was a child. There’s no mistake.” Yun Shuang stated, “You are unfit for the throne. Don’t waste your breath. But I will tell you this, my kindness to you. The path you tread is fraught with danger, towards eternal doom. Turn back and you may live a life of peace. If you don’t…”
“You damn liar! You dare to deceive ? I’ll kill you!”
With a roar, the second prince denied this wretched fate with all his being and even lost his mind. Holding out his sword again, he slashed at Yun Shuang.
Yun Shuang shrieked and curled.
The sword failed to cut even a hair from her head as it clanged in the vise of a dragon claw.
What ca next was the cackle of a demon, “Ha-ha-ha, you fool, even if you were fit to rule, the instant you grabbed your fate was dood…”
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