Chapter 334: Pointing Out The Problem
Putting the crown prince and the Sky Princess under house arrest was not the sole decision of the third prince. In truth, the seventh prince had been in on the plot, too.
The crown prince was more like a pawn, but he could not be discarded at random though he was quite useless. After all, with the outcome of the throne battle still in suspense, neither the third prince, Ray, nor the seventh prince, Conn, was willing to tackle the crown prince.
If either of them made a move against the crown prince now, the other would accuse him of usurping the throne. Both of them knew they could not carry such blame on their backs.
But if one of them deposed the crown prince after he gained an absolute advantage, nobody would dare step forward to speak for the crown prince.
The young man with the purple hat swept his fingers along the zither calmly. The music was at times loud and sonorous, at other moments more sorrowful and euphemistic. It was quite an exquisite play.
“Who is he?” asked Zen.
“He's Conn, the seventh prince,” Aura answered him.
Hearing Aura's voice, Conn stopped playing at once. He smiled, calling out in a bright and clear voice, “Sister Aura, good evening to you!”
Aura bit her lips, saying, “Well, good to see you too, brother!”
“Tonight, the Burning Sky Palace was so clamorous that I couldn't fall asleep. So, I came out to play a piece. I wonder if Sister Aura and the friend beside you are interested in hearing my piece?” inquired Conn with a smile.
“No, not at all!” Zen replied flatly. He had no patience in dawdling over social etiquette with this young man. At first glance itself, Conn's uncanny appearance revealed him not to be a too decent guy. Zen just tugged Aura forward, attempting to walk through the hole in the wall and find a way outside.
However, the moment he moved, a waft of wind whirled in. Two men stood at the hole that Zen had created in the clash!
The two of them moved in such an eerie fashion that Zen failed to see how they came to be there. It looked like they had been stationed in that hole all along, when just a second ago, they had been beside Conn!
“Our seventh prince is seldom in such a good mood to play. Please hang around and listen, won't you?” one of the two said, his words more of a demand than a request. To Zen's surprise, his voice sounded as high-pitched as a woman's.
With the two men in the way, Zen tilted his head dangerously, snarling, “You two darn eunuchs!”
Calling someone a eunuch at the Burning Sky Palace was not an act of insult. In fact, a eunuch occupied an official position in the palace, and not everyone was qualified for it. Almost anyone who could be classified as a eunuch was powerful.
If Zen had simply called them 'two eunuchs', the two would have probably not minded it.
However, Zen referred to them with an insult. The expression on their faces turned unpleasant. After all, their martial art skills were quite extraordinary. They might not be a match to Elder Xu, but they could surely take out other elders of Cloud Sect.
The two of them were certainly top-of-the-range practitioners in the Eastern Region.
“You rat, you're lucky our seventh prince is in a good mood today. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been standing there spewing insults right now. You're merely at the third grade of nature-level. Who do you think you are to talk that way?” one of the eunuchs sneered.
“Well, I might not be a big shot, but at least I can have kids and continue my legacy!” Zen said outrageously, giving them a slight smile.
Aura could not help but let out a giggle, her face turning red at the words. Zen just poked fun at the physical defects of the two eunuchs. It was too audacious!
To become a eunuch, one had to be castrated, that was to say, get his manly part removed. But it was not an entirely awful thing because without it, a man was able to maintain his male vitality inside of his body and practice some unique cultivation methods.
Since eunuchs did not indulge in sex, besides taking on the responsibility of looking after their masters, they had enough time to concentrate on practicing the martial arts. That was the reason the eunuchs of the Burning Sky Palace were a group not to be neglected: many of them were martial arts experts.
Lacking the manly part was, nevertheless, not a thing one reveled in. It was a sore spot for nearly all eunuchs that they avoided addressing.
Still, Zen pointed it out, so how could the two eunuchs not feel their blood boil?
“You! Rot in hell!”
Sure enough, one of the eunuchs was incensed and not able to stifle his fury. He flicked his wrist and three nine-inch long black needles darted at Zen.
The black needles were not the usual ones. It seemed that they contained a certain peculiar form of life vitality that wrapped itself around the needles and protruded like a serpent sticking its tongue out.
Zen, of course, sensed the power concealed in the weapons.
It was just that the strength of the eunuch was too overwhelming for Zen to contend with. He made an attempt to dodge the three needles, but before he could duck them, they were in front of his eyes.
Clank, clank, clank!
Just as the three black needles were about to hit Zen's forehead, three sharp noises were heard.
An invisible, enchanted barrier seemed to have swooped in before Zen and blocked the needles. The needles collided with the obstruction without sinking in even the fraction of an inch and then proceeded to drop to the ground.
“Wasim, don't kill him!” said the eunuch behind Conn in a cold voice, the one issuing the powerful energy of the barrier. Evidently, the enchantment was his work.
A hint of a sardonic grin climbed onto Aura's face. Even if the three black needles that the eunuch cast were lethal, she was not much worried, for she knew that Conn would dare not do anything to Zen.
Since Zen was the winner of the All Peaks Competition, he was bound to join the test of the Cloud Road. If Zen, a man Kenneth had selected for the program, died at the Burning Sky Palace, Conn would land himself in big trouble, and so would Ray.
The two princes were fighting for the throne, scheming openly as well as in secret. But if they riled Kenneth, there would be no way either of them could become an emperor.
The strong always had the last word. Even the emperor had to bow before those stronger at the martial arts than him. It was how the world was running.
Aura was wise enough to perceive this. She was positive that Zen would not encounter any real danger at the Burning Sky Palace. She also knew that she had no way of escaping this place. So why not go along with Zen's antics? It was shocking for him, but it was fun and made her feel lighthearted, if even for a few moments.
“Mr. Luo, you are not powerful enough that we should allow you to misbehave at the Burning Sky Palace. I'm telling you, stop this now,” Conn said in a bland but strong voice.
“Stop it?” Zen cast Aura a long look. He would never give up on what he was determined to do. “Your Highness, what must I do to make you release Aura and me?”
“Release you two?” Conn shook his head indifferently, playing a few notes before continuing, “You can go, but Sister Aura cannot, unless...”
Zen frowned, probing, “Unless what?”
“Unless you take a side. You may side with Ray, or with me. Your choice,” Conn announced, beaming up at him.
Conn's requirements were different from Ray's. He already had the eunuchs backing him up. Now he only needed to rope in some of the patriarchs of the seven noble clans, whereas Ray needed to recruit all kinds of capable men.
A man like Zen, however, was a special talent, no matter where he went. Conn certainly would not mind securing the skills of such a genius. It would mean Conn had access to unlimited potential on his side.
“What if I refuse to give up?” Zen asked him in a frosty tone.
Conn Su smiled, replying, “I don't like making threats, especially when you have the Cloud Sect backing you. I really don't want to make an enemy out of you, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't dare to! I advise you to conduct yourself well from now on.”
As he was speaking, the door to the yard swung open. The third prince, Ray, entered the scene. Following Ray was a throng of guests who had come to attend that day's feast, including the old man who was at the final level of the Illuminating Soul Realm. Among the people was a stout man who wore black robes.
Catching sight of the fat man, the corners of Zen's eyes seemed to twitch. The royal palace was not short on impressive talent. The plump guy was certainly not inferior in strength to the eunuch standing behind Conn!
Ray shot Conn a shrewd glance before speaking to him with a smile. “My favorite brother of all! How carefree you are. Playing the zither on such a dark and windy night. I heard you say you'll hunt Zen down. Well, it's not what an honest man would do!”
These days, the two princes hardly got along. They were as incompatible as fire with water. Some said they would soon battle it out in a war of life and death.
The expression on Conn's face turned ice cold when he caught sight of his brother. “What does that have to do with you?” he demanded viciously.
“It sure does. Today, Zen finally consented to honor me with his company at my Feathery Star Hall...”
“...”
As the two princes stared daggers at each other, the followers behind them stood still.
This kind of confrontations had occurred numerous times already. But so far, the two had restrained the conflicts to verbal spats alone. If they got violent, the entirety of the Burning Sky Palace would soon be drenched in blood.
As the two princes argued, Zen suddenly bellowed, “Enough!”
Hearing Zen's shout, the two princes stood dazed. Soon, faint smiles curled their lips. They might fear each other but neither of them took Zen very seriously, given that the latter was hardly at top levels of the nature-level. His strength was praiseworthy, but not so impressive to them. If he joined any of their leagues, it would be great for them. But even he didn't, it was no big deal.
Zen threw them a sullen look. “Your highnesses, today I might lack sufficient strength to get Aura out of here. But could I point out a problem?”
“What?” asked Ray.
Conn rested his fingers on the strings of his instrument, his hard eyes fixed on Zen.
“Right now you might overpower me with help from those willing to back you. But one day, when I return with my accomplishments at cultivation, would you wish to watch your empire get run down to the ground?” Zen asked them in a quiet but awe-inspiring voice.