Chapter 94 - 76: Arrogance, the Blade of Self-Destruction

Chapter 94: Chapter 76: Arrogance, the Blade of Self-Destruction

Zhu Li retorted, "Does upholding justice require a motive? If you had some other purpose, do you think you could hide it from my eyes?"

Looking at her wise eyes, Zhao Ci thought she was right.

’I was just born with a chivalrous heart.’

...

「Late at night.」

「Ninth Prince’s Mansion.」

"How is he?"

"His hand was saved, but he probably won’t be able to use a sword ever again. It’s going to be hard to explain this to the Bao Family."

"It’s fine! I’ll take responsibility for this!"

Zhao Yong once again took the blame. After all, Zhu Yan and Bao Longtao were cousins, and he had been the one to connect Bao Longtao with the Ninth Prince’s Mansion. Yet before Bao Longtao could even become a Mansion Official, his entire right hand was crippled.

If Zhu Yan were made to bear all the responsibility, it would truly breed dissent.

Zhu Yan sighed, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zhao Yong asked in a low voice, "Do you resent me? If we had left by force, Bao Longtao’s hand..."

"Your Highness did the right thing!"

A vicious glint flashed in Zhu Yan’s eyes. "I just didn’t expect Zhao Ci to be so calculating, his methods so ruthless. Your Highness, his strength has advanced by leaps and bounds. This is definitely not something a single Low-Grade Imperial Extreme Pill could achieve. He’s been in the spotlight so much lately; I fear he will become a huge problem in the future."

He still remembered how Zhao Ci had knocked his scabbard back with a single sweep of his spear. The ferocious force had almost shattered his True Qi.

If he hadn’t been prepared, the scabbard might have even shattered the bones in his hand.

And then there was his cousin, Bao Longtao, who could be called the strongest of the younger generation among the Zhu Family’s extended branches. Although carelessness was a factor in his defeat today, to suffer such a fate from a single opening proved that Zhao Ci was by no means weak.

This time, the Zhu Family had lost a member of an extended branch with limitless potential.

The Ninth Prince’s Mansion had also lost a very promising subordinate.

"Hmph!"

Zhao Yong snorted coldly. "His strength probably didn’t just advance by leaps and bounds. It was premeditated."

Zhu Yan was a little startled. "Your Highness means..."

Zhao Yong poured a cup of cool tea, his expression grave. "We have suffered repeated setbacks at his hands recently. At first, I too thought it was his luck, but thinking about it now, it was entirely because we were too arrogant and careless. The false image he created has been fooling us all this time. Do you... remember Princess Consort Jing’s origins?"

"Princess Consort Jing!"

Zhu Yan’s pupils shrank. He had, of course, heard about Princess Consort Jing’s origins. She had gone to Yingzhou Immortal Dao to study Taoist Skills in her youth; she couldn’t possibly be a mediocre person.

But in the decade or so since Princess Consort Jing entered the palace, she seemed to have been engaged in nothing but vulgar merchant practices. Over time, everyone seemed to have forgotten her background.

But after studying Taoist Skills for so long, how could she not use them at all?

Zhao Ci’s recent transformation must have something to do with Princess Consort Jing!

After all, a Second-Grade Flesh Soul was not something an ordinary person could cultivate.

The mother and son were likely pretending to be mediocre and weak, simply biding their time and accumulating strength until they got this Emperor Pill.

Even that Alchemy of Wine might have been something Princess Consort Jing unearthed from some unknown ruins of a previous dynasty.

"That mother and son... what deep scheming!"

"It’s not just scheming, but ambition. The two of them must have their sights set on the imperial throne!"

Zhao Yong said grimly, "Arrogance is a blade that cuts oneself. Fortunately, our awakening has not come too late. From now on, we must cast aside all prejudice and suppress the Tenth Prince’s Mansion with all our might. Otherwise, he will sooner or later become a grave threat to the Crown Prince."

"Yes!"

Zhu Yan nodded solemnly.

Seeing his worried expression, Zhao Yong smiled faintly. "There’s no need to be so somber. Even if Zhao Ci isn’t weak now, he has only just broken through to the Body Refining Stage. Let me ask you, if you were to fight him to the death, what are your chances of winning?"

Zhu Yan thought for a moment. "Seven to three, in my favor. Zhao Ci’s fundamentals with the spear are strong, but only his fundamentals. If he had truly mastered a more refined spear art, he would have been able to cut off Bao Longtao’s right hand in a single move when he exposed that opening.

"If I fought him, it might not be an easy victory, but he wouldn’t be able to do anything to me, either.

"Add in my flames, and my chances of winning are very high.

"If Your Highness were to act, the advantage of his Flesh Soul would be greatly diminished, and he’d have basically no chance of winning."

"Correct!"

Zhao Yong nodded with a smile. "Even I can’t deny the strength of his fundamentals, but the gap in our cultivation levels isn’t so easily closed. Our Ninth Prince’s Mansion is full of talented people. The Tenth Prince’s Mansion, on the other hand... is not even worth mentioning. Just relax. You should rest for now. Tomorrow, I will go to the Bao Family to offer my apologies."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zhu Yan nodded gratefully and left the Ninth Prince’s Mansion.

「After he left.」

The smile on Zhao Yong’s face gradually faded. ’The gap in cultivation is indeed difficult to close, but if Princess Consort Jing had the means to help Zhao Ci form a Second-Grade Flesh Soul, doesn’t that mean she might have other ways to boost his power?’

’And what about that group of bizarre Mansion Officials at the Tenth Prince’s Mansion? Before, I would have just laughed my head off at them.’

’But today, even after Bao Longtao thrashed those people and made them look like clowns, Zhao Ci still saw through the situation.’

’This man isn’t just lucky.’

’His judgment is truly viciously sharp.’

’Besides, there’s the precedent of Zhu Li. What if Zhao Ci finds some strange, unique uses for Feng Kucha and Yang Mo, too?’

’That would probably be quite troublesome.’

’Of course, even if the Tenth Prince’s Mansion grows stronger, it could never be stronger than the Ninth Prince’s Mansion.’

’A loser’s comeback is certainly amazing to witness.’

’But the truly formidable ones are those who have been geniuses since childhood.’

He didn’t believe his own Mansion Officials would be outdone by the likes of Feng Kucha and Yang Mo.

On this point, Zhao Yong was very confident.

But confidence was one thing; Zhao Ci’s recent performance still left him feeling deeply uneasy.

Opening the notebook where he recorded his life’s insights, he solemnly wrote down, "Arrogance is the true blade that cuts oneself."

「Just then.」

A voice suddenly sounded from outside the door.

"Your Highness, an honored guest wishes to see you."

"Hm?"

Zhao Yong’s expression tensed. The owner of this voice was named Shadow.

Shadow was not one of his own men, but an expert sent by the Crown Prince to be his liaison. He usually hid in the shadows and never appeared before outsiders. Even Zhao Yong himself had difficulty detecting his presence.

Only when something major occurred would Shadow seek him out.

’He’s come to me now, and brought an honored guest?’

He said in a low voice, "Bring the honored guest in!"

CREAK!

The door was pushed open, and Shadow, clad in black, entered with a withered, scrawny old man.

Zhao Yong frowned slightly but still spoke politely, "And how should I address you, honored sir?"

"This worthless life is of no account."

The old man smiled and cupped his hands. "Your Highness need only know that I have come to help you."

"Help me?"

Zhao Yong’s interest was piqued. "How will you help me?"

The corners of the old man’s mouth curled up together, squeezing his wrinkled face into an exaggerated, almost sinister arc. "Help Your Highness... eliminate a grave threat!"

"Who?"

"Zhao Ci!"

!

Zhao Yong shuddered and looked at Shadow in shock and suspicion. The fact that Shadow had brought this old man meant that he already had the Crown Prince’s tacit approval.

’Does this mean... the Crown Prince also agrees to kill Zhao Ci?’

’This, this, this!’

Zhao Yong started to panic. He knew full well that he had established his own mansion only to become the Crown Prince’s right-hand man and, in the process, clear away obstacles for him.

He would spare no effort in dealing with Zhao Ci, as well as Prince Ying’s Mansion, which was close to the Fourth Prince.

’But... murder?’

’Are we resorting to drawn blades already?’

He could not bear the crime of fratricide!

The old man seemed to see Zhao Yong’s hesitation and said with a faint smile, cupping his hands, "Rest assured, Your Highness. The process will not require you to act personally. You will only need to provide some minor assistance. After it is done, no one will be able to suspect you."

Zhao Yong’s brow was tightly furrowed. "May I ask your name, honored sir, and who stands behind you?"

"My humble name is not worth mentioning. However, behind me..."

The old man’s expression gradually became devout as he solemnly uttered two words.

"The Holy Sect!"