Heaven Slaying Blade

"Big Brother, do you really think so highly of that little brat?" Xia Hao looked at Xia Ying with a surprised face and sneered, "Half a year ago, when we plotted to trick that idiot Xia Jie, he jumped out and spoiled our plan. I wanted to seize the chance to kill him then, but you wouldn't allow it. You said he was just a little kid and didn't intentionally mess with our scheme. So why do you hold him in such high regard now?"

Xia Xiong glanced at his third brother and took over, "Third one, you only noticed his causing a commotion at the Prince's Mansion yesterday, but you didn't pay attention to how he came out unscathed afterwards. You also didn't notice that he went into the Prince's Mansion again today, and... he even entered from the main door!"

"So what? Xia Jing, the old jerk, isn't even feeling guilty, so he probably doesn't dare to make things difficult for him. He went there again today, most likely to claim some benefits. What's so strange about that?" Xia Hao disdainfully commented.

"You really think so?" Xia Xiong looked disappointedly at Xia Hao," You should...stay away from these things in the future."

"Second Brother, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?" Xia Hao was instantly pissed, glaring at Xia Xiong.

Xia Ying coughed lightly, saying, "Alright, Second and Third, stop arguing, we're all brothers, why the quarrel?"

"Brother, tell me, what exactly is going on?" Xia Hao said a little unconvinced, "Is the adopted grandson that old jerk Fan Wudi found...really that incredible?"

Xia Ying chuckled, "There are some things that I haven't completely figured out yet, but what I can be sure of is that that kid... is much more than what he seems!"

"In what more-than-meets-the-eye way?" Xia Hao began to get persistent, hounding with questions.

Xia Ying said, "First of all, Chu Mo is still just a thirteen-going-on-fourteen-year-old boy. Half a year ago, he left in humiliation; but half a year later, he suddenly returned and from his behavior since then, do you think he's afraid of the Prince, Xia Jing?"

Xia Hao subconsciously shook his head, mumbling, "If he were scared...he wouldn't dare to bang on the door."

"What about half a year ago?" Xia Ying asked.

"Well... He sure was scared then. If he wasn't, why would he have run away?" Xia Hao seemed to have caught onto something, but his eyes still held a trace of confusion, muttering, "Why though?"

"Secondly, when Chu Mo left Yanhuang City, he was only at the Yellow Rank Second level. However, according to our spies, Chu Mo has broken through from the Second Level to the Primordial Pass, achieving the Yellow Rank Third Level!" Xia Ying looked at Xia Hao, "Third Brother, you've practiced martial arts since childhood, and you should know how difficult it is to break through from the Second Level to Primordial Pass. Yet, this boy did it in half a year. How long did it take you in the beginning?"

Xia Hao's mouth twitched as he muttered, "It...took me ten years!"

Upon his words, even Xia Xiong couldn't help but draw a cold breath, "Could it be, this boy...he's entered some incredible faction?"

"That's impossible!" Xia Hao said with certainty, "Any disciple who's successfully taken under the wing of a major faction cannot step off the mountain without at least ten years of training! Especially the so-called talents--the higher their value to the faction, the longer they'll stay up there. There's no way he'd be allowed off the mountain in just half a year."

"So why suddenly become so strong?" Xia Ying looked at Xia Hao, "Third Brother, why don't you tell us?"

Xia Hao's mouth twitched, after a long time of stuttering, he finally said dejectedly, "I don't know, normally, such a thing is impossible!"

"What about the most brilliant talent in your faction?" Xia Ying asked.

Xia Hao thought for a moment, but still shook his head, "Even he couldn't do it."

Xia Ying sighed, "Finally, the most crucial question - Chu Mo caused a commotion at the Prince's Mansion yesterday. You think Xia Jing feels guilty because he wanted to kill Chu Mo. But would he not know whether that archer was sent by him? Knowing his character, would he let it go that easily? But up until now, he has done nothing, and Chu Mo... is perfectly fine. Even today, he entered the Prince's Mansion again, and he still hasn't come out."

Xia Ying looked at Xia Hao,"Third Brother, do you still think, this boy... is just some simple fellow?"

"Well..." Although Xia Hao was stubborn, he respected his eldest brother. Bit by bit he let his resistance go, no longer arguing.

At that moment, Xia Xiong said casually, "According to the information we got, Chu Mo claims he can cure our royal uncle's illness."

"How is that possible?" Xia Hao immediately stood up and laughed, "That's ridiculous! When we wanted to woo our royal uncle, we thought about doing just that. But even things that the top doctors from major factions couldn't solve; how could a young, inexperienced boy pull it off?"

Xia Xiong gave a mischievous grin, "Yeah, it's like breaking through to the Primordial Pass in half a year. There are few who could do that either."

Xia Hao was stunned, he sat for a while, then collapsed back down, "That's weird as hell!"

Xia Ying took a look at Xia Xiong, "Second brother, what's your opinion on this matter?"

Xia Xiong let out a sigh, "We can't let Xia Jing make a recovery! A psychotic Prince is definitely better than a sane one!"

"So?" Xia Ying's eyes narrowed slightly.

Xia Xiong muttered, "In another ten days or so...it'll be the New Year."

Xia Ying's eyes glinted, he said, "The New Year feast?"

Xia Hao spoke coldly, "Leave it to me!"

...…

For the following few days, Yanhuang City was enveloped in a jovial and harmonious festive atmosphere.

After Mr. Xu Zhongliang of the Xu Residence went to the palace, he learned that Chu Mo was at the Prince's Mansion, so he sent a letter to Chu Mo asking him to go to the Xu Residence once he left the Prince's Mansion.

At the Fan Residence, however, everything was quiet, and the Demon Lord still hadn't shown up.

Knowing his master's skills, Chu Mo wasn't worried and comfortably stayed in the Prince's Mansion. He spent every day in cultivation and medicine concoction.

Chu Mo had known that Xia Jing as a prince had great influence, but he found that he still underrated Xia Jing's real influence.

It only took two days for Xia Jing to gather the thirty kinds of medicinal materials listed. Although these materials were relatively common, each kind weighed tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of pounds. Turning all the medicine shops in Yanhuang City upside down wouldn't yield this many! Chu Mo was curious as to what means Xia Jing had used to gather these medicinal materials.

However, Xia Jing didn't show his face, probably due to being scolded by Chu Mo the other day, exposing his weak side, and with Chu Mo clearly stating his annoyance towards him. Therefore, he was reluctant and didn't dare to appear here.

Chu Mo instructed the servants to bring the medicinal herbs into his room in batches.

What shocked Xia Jing's confidants was that over these few days, they brought in enough herbs to fill Chu Mo's room seven or eight times over.

Yet every time they came in, the room was empty.

Aside from the lingering scent of the herbs, there was no trace of anything.

Xia Jing was puzzled by this. He didn't dare to confront Chu Mo again, so he turned to Mr.Weichi for advice.

"Mr.Weichi, where have all those herbs gone? Could it be... he packed them away with a storage ring?" Xia Jing frowned, his face full of confusion. "But what does he need these ordinary herbs for? To open an apothecary? If he really wants money... this king could instantly make him the wealthiest man in Yanhuang City!"

In the room sat an old man with a white beard and hair, dressed in white. The old man, full of ease, laughed and said, "The young man's methods... this old man can't see through!"

"What? Even you… can't see through?" Xia Jing was shocked. Others might not know about Mr. Weichi's abilities, but he knew them all too well.

"What's so strange about my not being able to see through? There are many things in this world... this old man can't see through," the old man said with a light smile. "This young man is a curiosity. Maybe, he really can cure your illness, so, just wait patiently."

Having said this, the old man lifted his head and glanced at Xia Jing: "Additionally, the world's largest storage ring... can only hold about ten thousand jin of herbs at best. A storage ring that can hold hundreds of thousands of jin of herbs... at least this old man hasn't heard of it. So, there's no need for you to be so suspicious, Your Highness."

Xia Jing couldn't help but gasp, feeling slightly ashamed, he murmured, "No wonder he reacted so strongly that day, thinking I was insulting him... I see now..."

"This young man... is no ordinary person!" The old man said softly and then closed his eyes, silent.

Xia Jing wisely withdrew from the room.

Then he called over his trusted servants, instructed, "Ensure Master Chu is well taken care of, remember... absolutely no negligence! Failing this... they shall be killed!"

"Yes!" His servants shuddered. They had never seen the prince take such interest in an outsider... especially one who had nearly destroyed the Prince's Mansion.

While Xia Jing was treading carefully, not willing to offend Chu Mo, there was one person who was grinding her teeth in hatred, wishing to tear Chu Mo into pieces.

That person was the most powerful woman in the Prince's Mansion - Princess Consort Yuan Zidai!

Yuan Zidai was not Xia Jing's legal wife, but she was Xia Jie's biological mother!

Her status in the mansion was superior, and even the legal wife had to give her due respect.

Yuan Zidai, who has not yet reached forty years old, was as beautiful as a flower and maturely charming.

Time barely left any traces on her face, and she looked no more than a woman in her early twenties.

But at this moment, her handsome face was filled with resentment.

Her son was wrecked by someone else, and then that person, who wrecked her son, actually had the audacity to come to the Prince's Mansion and be treated as an honored guest! It was preposterous!

What unsettled Yuan Zidai the most was that this man... claimed to be able to cure the prince's illness!

At first, Yuan Zidai didn't believe it and was rather disdainful... What a joke! If he could cure the prince, why would they have waited until now? A teenager in his teens, how dare he tell such a lie!

However, over these few days, a large number of herbs had been brought into the mansion. Even though it was done clandestinely, how could her spies not get wind of it?

Gradually, Yuan Zidai started to feel uneasy.

In these past years, she had managed to dominate in the mansion because of her son.

If not for her son, with just the support of her little clan behind her, she would have been long defied and killed for her domineering behavior in the mansion.

Though the prince had been impotent, she lived a widow's life, but her heart was always at ease - even if her son Xia Jie had been castrated, at most he would be without successors, but it wouldn't affect his succession to the throne.

In that case, no one could threaten her position as princess consort.

But now... things have started to get a bit complicated!

"If the prince's illness really was cured..." A hint of fear flitted through Yuan Zidai's beautiful eyes.

Although she still looked young and beautiful, she was almost forty after all. On what basis could she compete with those girls in their late teens for the prince's favor?

The mansion was filled with beauties. If someone became pregnant and gave birth to a boy... her superior status would be replaced instantly!

Moreover, it was likely that she and her son could fall into an irreparable abyss!

"No, no matter what... I can't let this... become a reality!" A firm light flashed in Yuan Zidai's eyes.

She immediately ordered, "Summon the servants!"

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Highly recommended!

As it also happens to be the Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish everyone a happy family reunion!

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