Chapter 194 - 193: The Original in Hand

Chapter 194: Chapter 193: The Original in Hand

After capturing the Thief Demon, the first thing Xia Wuyang had him do was give the Third Prince a taste of his own medicine. Since Xia Wuchen had used the Thief Demon against Yun Liyue, Xia Wuyang would now use the Thief Demon to strike back at him.

With Xia Wuyang’s help, the Thief Demon easily entered Xia Wuchen’s study. While Xia Wuchen was still wondering why he was there, the Thief Demon let out a sinister laugh and slapped him. "On second thought, I’ve decided this Sword Control Skill manual is better suited for me. You’re not worthy of it."

"Pfft—"

Before Xia Wuchen could even react, he was sent flying by the Thief Demon’s palm strike, losing consciousness instantly.

Then, the Thief Demon struck again, destroying Xia Wuchen’s Root of Right and Wrong, ensuring he would now be a companion to the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang.

After fighting and scheming against each other for so long, for them to now both become eunuchs could be considered a beautiful tale in its own right.

Then, under Xia Wuyang’s direction, the Thief Demon plundered all of Xia Wuchen’s resources and treasures before vanishing without a trace.

Not long after the Thief Demon left, the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, slowly regained consciousness and immediately let out a hysterical roar. "The original manual for the Sword Control Skill! The Thief Demon stole it! He took all my resources and treasures too! He betrayed me! Go! Kill him!"

His voice was like a clap of thunder, echoing in all directions. Many of the nearby Princes and Princesses heard him.

It seemed the plundered Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, couldn’t contain his rage and, in his furious roar, had unintentionally revealed the truth.

Large groups of Palace Attendants swarmed the area. Seeing the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, covered in blood, they hastily summoned an Imperial Physician.

At the same time, several Guards followed the Third Prince’s directions and gave chase. However, with their level of strength, catching the Thief Demon was an impossible task.

They knew this themselves, so after a brief pursuit, they started slacking off, waiting for the real experts from the Imperial Palace to take over.

Many other Princes and Princesses also rushed over when they heard the commotion, their faces a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"Can that be true? So the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, was the one who stole the original Sword Control Skill manual? That means the Crown Prince Consort, Yun Liyue, wasn’t lying! And he used the Thief Demon, who was famous in the Jianghu years ago, to do his dirty work. But then the Thief Demon got greedy and betrayed him."

"According to Xia Wuchen’s own words, that’s exactly what happened. I never thought he could even recruit the Thief Demon. He really lives up to his reputation as the most powerful Prince. Too bad that scoundrel, the Thief Demon, is no saint. He didn’t just bite the hand that fed him, he ran off with all his employer’s treasures."

"Looks like if anyone wants to find the original Sword Control Skill manual now, they’ll have to go after the Thief Demon. Even though Yun Liyue has practiced it, learning from her can’t compare to having the original text. Besides, given her personality, it’s not like she would teach the Sword Control Skill to anyone easily."

"Tsk, tsk, what a show. One moment, the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, steals Yun Liyue’s original Sword Control Skill manual; the next, he’s betrayed by his own man and left grievously wounded. Who knows when he’ll recover."

...

The assembled Princes and Princesses were, for the most part, gloating over his misfortune. Few among them wished the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, after an examination, Xia Wuchen was horrified to discover the full extent of his injuries. It was one thing to be grievously wounded, but even his Yang Meridian had been destroyed. He was afraid he was doomed to live as a eunuch.

BANG—

With no time for second thoughts, Xia Wuchen killed the Imperial Physician on the spot. His actions were identical to those of the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang; neither wanted this matter exposed.

Otherwise, how could a eunuch possibly ascend to the throne?

Even if he could be cured later, his chances of becoming Emperor would plummet if people ever found out he had once been made a eunuch.

Now, besides recovering and tracking the Thief Demon, the most important thing was to get his "root" healed.

Xia Wuchen’s face was a mask of despair, and his hatred for the Thief Demon was bone-deep. He still had no idea that this was all someone else’s doing, and that the Thief Demon was merely a puppet on a string.

This was exactly what Xia Wuyang wanted. ’This is much more interesting. If I just reveal he’s a eunuch, where’s the fun in tormenting him?’

Emperor Xia had also received the news by now. He learned that the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, had stolen the Sword Control Skill manual, only to be betrayed by his own thieving subordinate moments after getting his hands on it. Not only had he lost the original manual, but the considerable resources and treasures he had painstakingly accumulated were gone as well.

"Idiot!"

Emperor Xia cursed in anger. He had been eyeing the Sword Control Skill for a long time and was almost ready to make his move. He never expected the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, to beat him to it.

’Being beaten to the punch is one thing, but he could have at least hidden the manual properly! It hasn’t even been a full day, and it’s already been stolen—by his own subordinate, no less.’

’What kind of judgment does it take to recruit a subordinate like that? He’s a complete waste. He’s thrown away the original Sword Control Skill manual for nothing.’

’That scoundrel, the Thief Demon, was notorious in the Jianghu years ago. Now that he’s stolen so much, who knows where he’s hiding? Getting the manual from him will be much more difficult than getting it from Yun Liyue.’

The thought gave Emperor Xia a headache.

What he didn’t know was that the original manual for the Sword Control Skill had not left the Imperial Palace. In fact, it had fallen right into Xia Wuyang’s hands.

「In a vacant palace nearby」

The Thief Demon knelt respectfully before Xia Wuyang, presenting one by one the treasures he had taken from Wude Palace, along with some other prizes he had acquired over the years.

The first item was the original manual for the Sword Control Skill. Xia Wuyang casually flipped it open. The pages shimmered with a faint golden light, and every character seemed to contain a sharp Sword Intent.

A brief inspection revealed it to be incredibly profound, far surpassing any of the Combat Techniques and Secret Techniques he had previously acquired. As expected of a Top Level Spirit Technique, it was truly extraordinary.

’Now that I have it, I’ll have to practice it diligently. Once I master the Sword Control Skill, my overall strength will surely soar.’

"Is this a Spirit Talisman?" Xia Wuyang asked, picking up a sheet of talisman paper that glowed with a gray light. The patterns on it were arcane and complex, and it faintly emitted a sharp aura, as if it could break through anything.

"You are perceptive, Master," the Thief Demon replied respectfully. "This is an Array-Breaking Talisman, a type of Low Level Spirit Talisman. It can tear an opening in a Spirit Array, allowing one to pass through. A single talisman can be used several times."

A thought struck Xia Wuyang, and he couldn’t help but ask, "With this Array-Breaking Talisman, could one break through the Spirit Array at Xuan Nu Palace?"

He described the details of the Xuan Nu Palace’s Spirit Array to the Thief Demon. After listening, the Thief Demon smiled faintly. "It can be done. No problem. It will likely consume one or two Array-Breaking Talismans, though."

"The Secret Vault of Xuan Nu Palace contains dozens of Spiritual Artifacts and Spiritual Objects. Compared to a haul like that, one or two Array-Breaking Talismans are nothing," Xia Wuyang said with a laugh.

’The Thief Demon has four Array-Breaking Talismans in total. I’ll give him two to go plunder Xuan Nu Palace, and I’ll keep the other two for myself. If the opportunity arises, I can use them to get into Qianqing Palace.’