Chapter 300: Zhao Ci Enters the Dream-Eating Gu’s Game, the Saintess Tearfully Gives Up Her Eldest Son

Zhao Huan: “…”

[System Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward granted: Comprehension +100, Gu Xiangzhu Life-Sized Figure x1.

[Gu Xiangzhu Life-Sized Figure]: A 1:1 scale replica, identical in appearance. Can simulate her aura and all other external characteristics.

Zhao Ci: “…”

A long silence fell over the Imperial Study.

After a long moment.

Zhao Huan finally spoke with a smile. “It is I who have not shown you enough concern. I have no intention of blaming you for this. As for Yong, do you think I don’t wish to punish him? But you know… Sigh!”

He let out a long sigh.

It was as if he had aged several years in an instant.

If anyone else were to see the Emperor backing down before a Prince like this, their jaws would surely drop.

‘Just keep spoiling him!’

Zhao Ci’s anger seemed to vanish in an instant. But after just throwing a fit, backing down immediately would feel strange, so he stubbornly held his ground for a moment longer.

Seeing that Zhao Huan remained silent, his eyes reddened slightly and he said in a softer tone, “Father Emperor! You are the ruler of a nation; naturally, you cannot consider matters as simply as I do. I didn’t mean to insist you do anything specific. I was just feeling wronged and felt better after venting. Please, don’t take it to heart.”

Only then did Zhao Huan look up. “Sigh! You’ve suffered…”

“I haven’t suffered!”

“Right, channel your True Qi to its absolute peak. Let me see how else I can help you improve!”

“…”

Zhao Ci was speechless. ‘This Old Deng is so damn hypocritical!’

‘I was planning to hide my cultivation level for a while longer.’

‘But he’s demanding it. What can I do?’

Before an expert of his caliber, he would know at a glance whether I was holding back.

And so…

He pushed his True Qi to its absolute limit.

Then.

Zhao Huan: “…”

Huh?

Wha—

Is this the level Imperial Extreme True Qi can reach *before* the Physical Body Realm?

And! His flesh, sinews, and bones… are they all first-grade?

Not even Xiang Tiange reached such a level back in the day!

Although the ultimate strength of the physical body depends on the Divine Pattern…

…even if Zhao Ci’s Divine Pattern is poor, how poor could it possibly be?

Earth-grade at the very least.

Most likely, it will be Heaven-grade.

Furthermore, the Imperial Extreme True Qi encompasses all five elements. After his breakthrough, if he focuses on nourishing one or two Divine Treasures, he will surely raise the quality of his Divine Pattern by another half-grade.

Zhao Huan was both shocked and delighted. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhao Ci channel his True Qi toward his liver and gallbladder, and a halo of emerald light appeared between them.

Huh?

Wood Marrow?

Zhao Ci seized the opportunity. “Somehow, I’ve awakened Wood Marrow. I feel that if I don’t focus on cultivating the Liver Wood Divine Treasure after reaching the Physical Body Realm, it would be a terrible waste.”

Zhao Huan: “…”

With a worried expression, Zhao Ci continued, “But if I focus on the Liver Wood Divine Treasure, I won’t be able to cultivate both Metal and Water. Father Emperor, do you think I should choose the Zhao’s Lung Metal or the Xiang’s Kidney Water?”

‘I’m not going to waste my breath arguing with you.’

‘You deliberately summoned me here just to antagonize me.’

‘So why wouldn’t I take this chance, while you’re fumbling through an apology, to turn the tables on you?’

‘What I cultivate for my Second Divine Treasure is not up for discussion with you.’

“The Xiang’s Kidney Water, of course!”

Zhao Huan said gravely, “It’s not that the Zhao’s Lung Metal is weak, but you’ve been practicing the Xiang’s Overlord Spear since you were a child, so the Xiang’s Kidney Water is naturally more suitable for you. And don’t worry about the Lung Metal Divine Treasure. The Royal Family is full of experts who specialize in the Metal Element Divine Treasure; there are plenty of ways to help you compensate.

“My private treasury contains items that can stimulate the Lung Metal Divine Treasure. I will have them sent directly to the Imperial Clan Court’s Merit Library!”

Zhao Ci’s mouth twitched. “That sounds vaguely familiar…”

Zhao Huan: “…”

Helpless, he could only promise Zhao Ci that there would be absolutely no mistakes this time.

He had to coax and placate him for quite a while longer before finally dispelling the resentment in Zhao Ci’s heart.

He watched Zhao Ci leave.

He remained silent for a long time, his expression undeniably grave.

After a long while,

he finally looked at Eunuch Li. “What are your thoughts?”

Eunuch Li’s face stiffened, and he quickly said, “This servant is terrified!”

Zhao Huan waved his hand. “You are pardoned. Speak freely.”

Only then did Eunuch Li say in a low voice, “Lady Jing seems overly ambitious. Although she hasn’t touched upon fundamental matters yet, her actions will inevitably cause the Tenth Prince to gradually develop resentment toward Your Majesty.

“Moreover, Her Ladyship seems to have bet heavily on the Prince. With such an investment, it would be difficult for him not to feel grateful.

“If her goal is merely to elevate the Prince’s status to leverage his position and expand her own power, that would be one thing.

“But one worries what might happen if, one day, Her Ladyship tells the Prince the truth…”

Zhao Huan’s gaze grew heavy. His tenth son was rising far too quickly; it could no longer be explained by talent alone. He had long suspected that Gu Xiangzhu played a significant role in this process.

His son’s physical body was so formidable.

As long as he didn’t die prematurely, he was destined to become a powerhouse.

Gu Xiangzhu desperately lacks support; it wasn’t out of the question for her to sow discord and induce Zhao Ci to turn against him.

However, he still waved his hand. “Rest assured, she wouldn’t dare.”

‘On what grounds would a Demon Sect Demoness dare to sow discord?’

‘Unless Zhao Ci discovers something and confronts her himself, she wouldn’t dare take such a risk even if you gave her ten times the courage.’

‘Even if it did happen, I would only need to frame her for the murder of the real Princess Consort Jing, and she could forget about ever taking Zhao Ci away.’

‘After all, no one besides me knows the truth of what happened back then.’

‘Lao Shi is a classic man of passion.’

‘How could he choose to leave with the very Demoness suspected of murdering his mother?’

Eunuch Li wanted to say more, but seeing that Zhao Huan had no intention of continuing the conversation, he closed his mouth.

…

Back in Lingge, everything was calm as usual.

After spending a few days with Zhu Li, Zhao Ci declared his vacation officially over. He took on a few more missions from the Imperial Clan Court, then set off once again, heading south toward Wangshan County.

The Imperial Clan Court still had case-solving missions available.

However, there were no more of the “choose one from a list of suspects” type.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t do missions that required him to use his own reasoning to catch the culprit, but the utility of his wish-granting cheat would be minimized.