————Ju Lian Pov——
I felt my cold-heart beat like a horse. I thought I numbed myself a lot in recent years but seeing my parents tied up and brought by powerhouse soul master, undid all of that. I became a panicking child once more, rushing over my feet to check on their safety.
I felt like the weight leave me when I found that they were just unconscious.
I looked at Zhu Zhuyun, confused and frightened. While we were unharmed, I could feel that she was looking at me like I was a dead man walking.
"FUCK."
Zhang Kun's shout of realization drew all the eyes to him.
"I have been surrounded by these guys so much that even my own opinions morphed like them. I forgot the biggest obstacle to Dai Weisi's path to the throne. If it is her, it is easy for her to know our trap of Dai Huo. Even spread evidence throughout the empire."
He looked at Zhu Zhuyun and said, "I assume she must have already spread the evidence to the entire empire by now. Shifting the blame and anger on to us. Though mostly me, considering the second prince came to kill me."
Zhu Zhuyun clapped as she said, "Impressive. You are really a smart one, Zhang Kun. That's right. For her, it is as easy as nodding her head to make you and the soul masters, into traitors that killed the prince."
I know having the term traitors was not simple during the fight for the throne. The only ones who have the term attached to them were idiots who left evidence of their involvement or a fucking political trap.
"The Empress."
The words chilled me because the empress was the chief supporter of Pince Dai Weisi and was also his mother.
A woman was only below the emperor in the Star Luo empire.
"We have been stupid. The heir to the throne was not yet decided. There is still another prince. The second son of the empress, Prince Dai Mubai."
Zhu Zhuyun grit her teeth in anger as she said, "Yes, she will never let her sons kill each other. No matter what. Considering that Dai Weisi is too strong right now, she wants to knock him a peg down and give a warning to rest of the nobles. Favouring one son over the other is forbidden for her. Basically, all the people here are the example prepared by her. Your death will be by the hands of Concubine Mu. But it would because of the open-scheme of the Empress. It will be a continent warning by her to keep the fuck out of the conflict."
"This is ridiculous. You mean to say we are pawns that can be discarded by you people? So, we are to die because she wants to prolong the inevitable and drag the fateful death between her sons as long as she can."
One of the noble kids, Jiang Kun, shouted out in frustration, but Zhu Zhuyun hummed for a second and said, "Yes!"
Not caring about everyone's depression, she asked Zhang Kun, "Would you mind showing me the soul bone?"
"Legs of Wind."
"AH! So, he is dead. Good. Good."
Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath and said, "Ideally, I should take the soul bone back, as it is part of the set that belongs to the emperor. After all, it was separated for the sake of the struggle for the throne. Fortunately for you, I am in a good mood, and I owe a debt to you for humiliating Dai Huo a few days back. So, I will let this be. But, be warned Zhang Kun, never in the history of the Star Luo empire did the Dai family fail to retrieve the soul bone. Especially when lost from the dead body of the prince."
While the words of disappearing Zhu Zhuyun might seem like a friendly warning. I could easily see her cruel amusement at our struggle. Just like that, she and Zhu Wan, along with the saint, disappeared into thin air.
The depressing atmosphere continued for a while until Zhang Kun burst out laughing. "So that's what changed? The couple knew this beforehand but proceeded to complete the plan to end Dai Huo, their greatest threat to the throne. That's why I felt uneasy."
I felt that he might have gone crazy considering his laughter. Because it was not one of sorrow but of happiness.
He got on the ground, started taking out book after book, reading them one after another. As if not caring about our impending doom.
"Have you gone crazy? You know, concubine Mu will arrive at any time to kill us."
Jiang Kun asked the question burning in everyone's mind.
Zhang Kun seemed to think over those words for a while and said, "No. I have the confidence to survive the concubine Mu. So, what about you guys?"
This guy. The look on his face is the same as the time he went to 'borrow' from Dai Mubai. He wanted something. "What do you want?"
Zhang Kun frowned while looking at me and said, "Frankly, you have nothing I want, Ju Lian. Instead, it is you who needs me. Think over it with your parents and come meet me 2 weeks from now in the capital of the Longhu kingdom if you need me."
Why does this guy seem to be the happiest among everyone here? Even more so than Zhu Zhuyun who left just now.
Mon Luan had enough and roared out in anger, "You crazy asshole, this started because of a dog like you."
I saw him possess his flaming lion and attack Zhang Kun.
"Legs of wind."
Zhang Kun easily dodged the attack and flew into the air and landed on a tree branch far away. This was weird. It was not like him. He would have crushed Mon Luan for attacking him instead of taking a seat far away.
"Hey idiots! Do you want to return to the Star Luo empire? I can arrange that."
Anyone can do the same by walking towards the border, but everyone understood the meaning clearly that Mon Luan deflated like a balloon and looked at Zhang Kun like he was the hottest woman he had ever seen in his life.
"I can have you return to Star Luo empire with your head held high, with all your power and status intact, with not even a single loss for your family. Of course, it is for a price."
Jiang Kun asked the golden question, "What do you want?"
Zhang Kun smiled and said, "Everything you know. All the juicy secret, clan exclusive given to you assholes. All of it because of your luck to be born in the right place. In exchange for the knowledge, I will return you to the same place safely."
I could see all of them reflexively clench their teeth in anger and offense felt by them. After all, other than the resources, this knowledge was the reason they are the ruling class of the empire.
"Don't be idiots. As far as I can see, everyone here were the second sons who sucked up to Dai Weisi or Heirs of lowly clans or have spare brothers in their powerful families. So, your families won't make much of a fuss if you get killed. While it might hurt Dai Weisi's power base a bit, it won't matter considering the empress will not let anyone to fan the flames between her sons. Afterall, she wanted to force a decisive duel between them."
A decisive soul master duel between the contestants to the throne is also called 'Tiger parade'. The oldest tradition in the world which can strip the losers of all rights for the throne. I could understand the empress's thinking. She is not really optimistic about the third prince, rather she wanted to save his life. Involving the nobles leads to a fight to the death because of their schemes. But, a duel between them, no matter who wins, she will force the winner into sparing the loser.
The problem was us who are unfortunate casualties for her scheme. The warning to end the nobles involvement in the conflict from now on.
The murmurs between the Nobles ended when Jiang Kun said, "Zhang Kun. Can you truly do as you say?"
Zhang Kun simply said, "If I can't do that. I would scared out of my wits like you guys."
Jiang Kun nodded and said, "Fine, I agree with your deal."
"Brother Jiang, are you serious?"
"My friend, this is insane."
"Yes, he is a greedy civilian that wants our-"
Jiang Kun said while gritting his teeth, "I wouldn't be surprised if my father had already banished me from my clan and named my brother as the heir. No, I believe he would put a bounty to avert concubine Mu's anger. I sure as hell know that my father won't do shit in response to queen. As for Prince Dai Weisi, we don't need to think about it."
Prince Dai Weisi is known to the most ruthless of the Dai Family, that was saying something considering their cruel streak.
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP
Zhang Kun happily nodded and said, "Very good. Now, let's start with the soul power paths for your 2 soul rings and your cultivation. No, even before that, is it true that your martial soul has a connection to the divine beast Kun Peng?"
"I don't know about that. As for the soul power paths, it might be useless to you, considering mine are based on the soul paths unique to my martial soul."
Zhang Kun's eyes lit up and said, "It doesn't matter. Say them, no, it is better to draw them out for me."
—
-
-
"You, I am not stupid like you. Are you telling me the Mon clan's dick is dysfunctional for generations and everyone is a cuck?"
"Zhang Kunnn."
"What? That's what happens if one follows the soul power path like you and throw soul power into the kidneys. Fucking idiot. Stop lying. I am not an idiot like you. So, spit out the real thing."
-
-
-
"You idiot, do you think I don't know about the manipulation of fire by your flaming lion's martial souls? Write it down."
"How the fuck you know about that?"
-
-
-
SLAP
"Why are you sleeping? The concubine Mu might be here at any time. Hurry if you want to leave. Write, say or die."
Zhang Kun spread his arms out, "*YAWN*, I will sleep for a few hours. Keep grinding the ink and papers."
-
-
Seeing the rising sun, I realized that Zhang Kun might really be mad. Everyone was forced to sit here all this time in the same clearing that Zhu Zhuyun gave her the warning. Warning that was given the previous day.
Looking at the noble kids that are furiously writing as Zhang Kun looked over at them like a predator.
"Is he crazy? We should run. Like right now."
Hearing my father, Ju Lian's words, I replied, "No, Father. He is crazy, but one thing Zhang Kun is not, that is an idiot."
Ju Lu, my mother, said to us while taking a seat, "It doesn't matter if we run or not. Don't you remember how easily we were captured?"
Father went silent on her question. It seems their capture left a mark on their confidence.
Well, they were not the only ones.
Looking at my peers and the tracking unit who don't know what to do with their lives, I realized everyone was marked. Even Zhang Kun, though in his case it seems as if he blossomed into his newfound freedom with ease.
I wonder, are his eyes glowing?
It seems I really need sleep, to think the reflection of sun rays made me think his eyes are glowing. But why were they purple?
"She's here."
The moment his words ended, I felt the world rejecting me and suffocating me. No, it was really suffocating me.
I felt thick and viscous fluid that surrounded the entire clearing immediately.
Just in a blink, we were captured and held hostage by a flood of maple syrup. No wonder everyone stayed together and even grasping the last straw, Zhang Kun.
Running was useless and the scariest thing was facing this alone.
"As expected of the martial soul avatar of soul saint. We don't even have the qualification to fight."
Zhang Kun's words, while he still read the secrets of the noble heirs, ignited the clearing into blood. No, no, no, I Am dying.
NO, I am not yet dead.
No, I am dying.
RETCH
Before I know it, I am vomiting my guts out on the ground along with everyone. Zhang Kun finally put down the book and looked into the sky and said, "C-Concubine M-MU, You are b-being used as a pawn by the empress. Please, retract your killing intent" "
I saw her for the first time.
A 5'7' woman, dressed in black, matching her black eyes and hair and a sorrow that crushed any kind of lust one would have felt when seeing her sensual body for the first time.
Now, it was not the Killing intent speaking; I know for a fact that we are dead.
"First soul skill, Maple syrup Heal."
I felt the wounds from the battle heal, but the maple syrup crushed us, breaking bones and tearing muscles.
AHH
"AGHH, Fuck."
CRACK
POP
BOOM
ZHANG KUN, YOU ASSHole.
—Zhang Kun's pov———
Fuck, this is too much. At this rate, I will die from the sheer force of killing intent itself.
Time to show my background and trump the card against her. The reason, I can pat my chest and say I can save all of them.
"Concubine Mu, your son is alive."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,"
Feeling my ears ringing from the sound of Dai Huo waking up, I felt a headache coming.
I walked to see him looking at his amputee leg, at the remains of them left after I cut them open to retrieve his soul bone.
"Now, Now. Prince Dai Huo, stop screaming like you are dying."
"You, You, Y-You, I am going to kill you."
I rolled my eyes at his words and punched him in the face.
BAM
"The only reason you are alive is because you are lucky and I am paranoid."
BAM
"I wanted to kill you to tie up loose ends but then remembered I might also be a loose end for your brother. To my shock, it is your stepmother that was pulling the strings."
It was scary even now if I think about the situation where had killed Dai Huo after trusting Dai Weisi.
Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuyun and the empress, every single one of these three had their own goal, but the common point was sacrificing us. My icy back, wet from sweat, made me shiver because of the passing winds.
BAM
I stopped hitting Dai Huo when I noticed he has calmed down.
"Ok, prince Dai Huo. You have two options- die or become the emperor of Star Luo empire."
To make my point, I pressed on the wound where I amputated his leg.
"ARGH! You are insane."
I nodded and said, "I might be, but I am not an idiot."
As I clenched my palm further, the closed wound reopened. Not caring about the oozing blood, I continued with my task, "Zhu Zhuyun just left after warning me that this is a part of Empress's scheme. Under which, your mother already heard the news of your death. I wonder how you feel knowing your mother became a thug for her love rival and sworn enemy, the empress. All because couldn't control your dick."
"YOU, YOU, * HUFF* What do you want?"
As expected of an amputation, it helped him grow and mature.
100% recommended for personality development.
I saw the he finally seemed to calm down, not even looking at the amputated limb. His bloodshot eyes and angry face, twitching with bulging looked ready to tear me apart. But, he held back, ready to hear me out.
Who cares about trauma? We got a mature and stable prince without pettiness and greed. I could only say I was salty with Dai Weisi and I was planning to leave a tremendous gift when I leave the Star Luo empire.
"Well, like I said, do you want the throne? I can help you with that. I can get a large base of nobles to support you. Then, combined with the civilian support you already have, I am sure you can stand as equal to Dai Weisi. So, dear prince, Dai Huo, are you ready for a deal?"
"You? What do you want?"
I smile broadley and say, "You see, the Zhu Zhuyun just gave me a lot of texts hidden by the Dai family. I want the knowledge from you, the prince/heir of Dai family, the only one below the emperor."
I must say that Dai Huo is far better than the noble kids who were throwing a tantrum right now. He took my enormous appetite in stride. I was sure he must have knowledge regarding the mutations of marital soul, the soul power manipulations and, most important to me, martial soul evolution.
"You, the price you have given me is good, but I want time to consider."
I huffed in amusement and anger. "I am no idiot, prince Dai Huo. The longer the time, the more advantage you have. I can give you 10 minutes only."
"YOu asshole, you dare. You cut off my leg and my future, you then blackmail me. I will fucking kill you."
Now, now, I want him to hold the crazy mothers and Dai Weisi back when I leave the Star Luo empire, not to chase me. So, my trump card against him is, "I see, I will give you your leg back."
"Huh!"
I smiled broadly and pointed at the remains of his stump and leg, saying, "I made significant efforts to cut it neatly and properly, so that reattachment is possible."
"You see, as long as the leg has lost total connection with your body, the soul bone condenses around your bone in the severed leg. I removed and absorbed the soul bone. So, I no longer need this leg. If you want, I could return it."
It was simple to remove the soul bone surgically while leaving minimal damage to nerves and vessels of the severed leg.
"Most importantly, prince, you don't need to find or spend an enormous fortune for rare immortal herbs for reattaching the limb or for healing it. I can suture your leg back. Afterall, I am a genius in medicine."
In a way, I am a genius with the support of my AI and my experience from past life.
CLAP CLAP
At that signal, Ye Lingling walked inside.
"Meet my junior sister, Ye Lingling. The soon to be best healer in the world. Together, we can reattach the limb. Think fast, my prince. You only have 5 minutes left, because after that the leg will start decomposing. Please, don't risk your future."
That was the most severe blow to him, and it worked like a charm.
"Very well."
I smiled like a child seeing fireworks.
"Good. I will reattach the limb and slightly heal you, so that you can happily write or say your knowledge. It won't do for you to have the fear of losing your limb in the back of your mind. After that, with enough time, we will complete the treatment."
"You evil man."
"Yes, my prince. You better be fast, right now, all the nobles that will soon support you are gathering to give me their information right now."
"You talk as if you are in two different places."
"I am in two places, price Dai Huo."
"Huh."
"You'd better bite down. This is going to hurt."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,"
So, here we are as a carriage rolled in front of the stunned concubine from which Dai Huo got down. Along with him, teacher came down and kept holding him in place. Obviously, there was Ye Lingling. The miracle of healing.
"Little Huo, is that you? Your life lamp fell into darkness. I thought you died."
I answered her, "It was because he was severely injured and went into a coma temporarily, almost like death."
Of course, I induced that.
"Yes, mother. It is me."
I didn't even need to show further proof or explain as the concubine seem to recognise her son with such ease that she left everything behind. Meaning the lives of everyone she left behind was safe. Rather than holding them in place and continue torturing them, she prioritized checking over her son from the top to bottom.
"Dai Huo, are you alright? Who hurt you? I will tear them apart."
"It is me, concubine Mu. But I also healed him. So, what I mean to say, -"
I couldn't end my words as my vision fell to the ground while my headless body fell to the other side. Fuck.
"Die."
I despaired seeing the overwhelming power as the teacher and Ye Lingling were torn apart.
As the last words, I uttered, "I will be back Star Luo empire, so enjoy the gift I left behind."
-
—
-
-
-
—
I opened my eyes from the meditation needed to connect with the Mirror forge clone.
[Mirror forge clone: The most restricted clone soul skill but the most versatile.
Restriction: Can never grow beyond the current level.
Success rate: 5%
Requirements: Entire soul power reserves on usage, forging skill, Metals syncing with target of cloning, 50 liters of blood from clone, consent from clone, Target soul power for operation of clone, Lightning hammer….
Soul beast: Mutated Mirror beast-7000 years
User: Mo Tian-4th ring]
RETCH
RETCH
Looking at Teacher and Ye Lingling that are vomiting from feeling the vast power of a soul saint for the first time, I smiled.
They were soon helped by the rest of the forging apprentices and Ye Lingling's family. In our planned escape, teacher managed to drag the entire branch, lest they might become the target of blame for the chaos I let loose.
"Teacher, you are really the luckiest guy I ever met. How in the fuck did you get such an outstanding skill?"
He snorted in response. "What's the use? The soul skill is useless in combat or even forging."
"But, it is the most precious lifesaving skill. With proper preparation, we escaped from the Star Luo empire and fleeced much knowledge from its nobles. You know the advantage of these things, just the location of the mutated mirror beast for you was also such knowledge. Imagine, what we can do with this?"
He shook his head and said, "You are incredible, to think you remember all the things you read and heard from the nobles with the mirror forge clone."
I grinned at that.
I wanted to be honest in my dealings. Both with the nobles and the prince.
Now, they had a prince to support and a way back to the empire.
The prince now had maturity, trauma and a significant need for power base, after losing a soul bone.
Now, the ball is in the other court.
But, I with luck and a lot of preparation turned the game into utter chaos. Prince Dai Weisi's faction filled with aversion to the cruel second mother-son pair, which also have a rift right now.
The second prince whose faction comprises nobles who tried to kill him a few days back. Of course, the minister still remembers the second prince sleeping with his wife.
Now, Dai Mubai was pulled into Dai Weisi's eyes as a target.
"HAHAHA, the chaos filled Star Luo empire gives us enough time to find a new shelter and peace. HAHAHAHAHA."
I laughed for a long time, venting my feelings, as I was under a lot of oppression in the time spent under Dai Weisi.
At least, it had the benefit of giving me some much-needed cruelty.
"So, Teacher. Will the blacksmith association be affected by our actions?"
Knowing his feelings for the association, I asked him.
"No need to worry. The thing about profiting from war or conflicts is that we would not be touched by any faction lest the blacksmith association join their opponents and flood them with weapons. The only thing needed till now was to prove that our weapons hold significance, which you did splendidly. We only need to lie low for a while."
I shook my head. "No, in fact, we must be as conscious as possible and build an even better image. I know how these guys think, considering their hands tied and strangling with each other. They will start by slandering our names and let the slander become the proof of our evil nature. Then they will officially issue a bounty on our names. So, we must build our reputation."
I thought for some time and decided to follow the already established successful formula.
"What better way than saving lives and awakening marital souls to build a reputation? Especially saving lives. With Ye Lingling and me, it would be easy to spread our fame in the surrounding kingdoms."
I looked towards my junior sister and said solemnly, "Ye Lingling, it is up to you and me to decide our future."
I hope her use of her martial attack the other nine-flower apple use from Heavenly Dou academy. after all, to survive the wrath from the Star Luo empire, we need shelter from either Heavenly Dou empire or Spirit Hall.
But luckily, the Heavenly you academy could give both because of the current crown prince studying there. More like the person disguising as the crown prince.
Fuck, I was really becoming like Baelish or Aizen. Schemes upon schemes, chaos as a ladder. Especially with my plans to use Ye Lingling to enter the academy and contact Dugu Yan.
The last thing I need was to become a pervert like Issei, catching 'pokemon'.
"HAHAHAA, fuck, my own jokes will kill me one day."
"My student, I believe you have gone crazy."
I was crazy.
Because only a crazy guy could aim for godhood and attain it.