Chapter 221 - 220: Courting Death

Chapter 221: Chapter 220: Courting Death

Night gradually fell, and inside Wenhua Hall, the songs and dances grew more enchanting.

Xia Wuyang appeared to be indulging in sensual pleasures, but in reality, his Cultivation Power was advancing by leaps and bounds.

Soon, he became a little "spent" and was helped into the Practice Room by a group of beauties to get some rest.

But the moment the Practice Room door was locked from the inside, his drunken eyes suddenly cleared, and his cultivation began once more.

His Foundation constantly solidified. His Combat Techniques, Secret Techniques, and Alchemy all improved rapidly. His overall strength steadily increased, bringing him closer and closer to the True Monarch Realm.

At this moment, Sun Wuyang was still wracking his brains in the Inner Treasury, Emperor Xia was flying into a rage in Yangxin Hall, and the various Princes and Princesses were still locked in open and secret strife. No one knew that the elder Crown Prince, the butt of everyone’s jokes, was on the verge of becoming Extraordinary.

In a few more months at most, Xia Wuyang would possess enough Power to suppress everything. When that time came, the entire order of things would be overturned.

After the heavy snow, clear skies arrived, and the accumulated snow in White Jade City began to melt.

The sound of melting snow dripping from the eaves was incessant all day. The stone-paved roads were covered in slippery patches of water. Occasionally, Palace Attendants hurried past carrying braziers of charcoal, leaving a trail of deep footprints in the slush.

Inside Wude Palace, however, the atmosphere was even colder than the winter outside.

The Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, sat alone in his study. The light from the window shone on his gloomy face, casting it in a ghastly, pale hue.

He clutched a copy of the *Sword Dao Secret Record*, his knuckles white from the force of his grip, the pages crumpled.

"That bastard, the Thief Demon, and that bitch, Yun Liyue!"

He squeezed their names through his gritted teeth, his eyes burning with venomous hatred.

Some time had passed since the Thief Demon had stolen the original manuscript of the Sword Control Skill and destroyed his Yang Meridian, yet the humiliation of that day was still vivid in his mind. He had even come to resent Yun Liyue for it.

’If Yun Liyue hadn’t possessed the Sword Control Skill, I would never have sent the Thief Demon to steal it, and I wouldn’t have suffered this fate.’

The manuscript of the Sword Control Skill, which he had gone to such great lengths to acquire, had barely warmed his hands before the very Thief Demon he’d hired turned on him.

Not only was the treasure stolen and he himself grievously injured, but he had also become the laughingstock of the entire Imperial Palace.

Even the Courtiers who used to flatter him now looked at him with a faint, mocking gaze.

Of course, the most devastating blow was the destruction of his Yang Meridian, which was slowly turning him into a eunuch. Despite secretly seeking treatment from several famous physicians, nothing had worked.

This drove Xia Wuchen to act with increasing desperation, especially as his daily mannerisms became more and more effeminate.

"Since I can’t catch that bastard Thief Demon, I’ll just have to strike at the source!" Xia Wuchen slammed the book on his desk, a venomous light glinting in his eyes.

He remembered the Thief Demon saying that there were no powerful experts guarding Lizheng Hall. He had stolen the original Sword Control Skill manuscript with ease, claiming the supposed Elder Qing Yin wasn’t present.

He hadn’t paid it any mind at the time, but thinking about it now, he realized it was a crucial piece of information. ’If Elder Qing Yin were truly protecting Yun Liyue,’ he thought, ’how could the Thief Demon have succeeded so easily?’

’It seems that expert, the one suspected to be Elder Qing Yin, was most likely not in Lizheng Hall. After all, how could a peerless master of her caliber possibly remain in Lizheng Hall to protect Yun Liyue indefinitely?’

’In that case, with Yun Liyue’s strength being only at the initial First Grade, it shouldn’t be difficult to capture her.’

’All I need is a Grandmaster at First Grade Perfection. If they strike secretly, they can most likely capture Yun Liyue with ease. Once I have her, under severe torture, she’ll have no choice but to spit out the secrets of the Sword Control Skill!’

A vicious glint flashed in Xia Wuchen’s eyes, along with a hint of regret. ’It’s a pity my Yang Meridian is ruined,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I could have thoroughly enjoyed my stunningly beautiful sister-in-law.’

Back when she had first married Xia Wuyang, he had been quite smitten and had even entertained other ideas about her.

’As long as I can get the cultivation method for the Sword Control Skill from Yun Liyue and cultivate it to a certain level, those who mock me will be silenced. My power will soar, and even fighting opponents above my realm will be possible.’

Once this crazed idea took root, it grew like wild weeds.

The more Xia Wuchen thought about it, the more excited he became, his breathing growing ragged.

He rose and walked to his desk, preparing to write a secret order to mobilize his most clandestine forces.

But he would never know that as he trembled with excitement, a bulbul perched on the plum tree outside his window was watching him quietly.

The bird’s eye reflected his twisted face, and the abyss he was about to fall into.

A short while later, in the Sleeping Palace of Wenhua Hall, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of Xia Wuyang, who had just finished "favoring" Ah Yuela.

From the chirping of the bulbul that had just arrived, he already knew what the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, was planning.

’I wasn’t planning on dealing with that bastard Xia Wuchen just yet,’ he thought. ’After all, I only recently destroyed his Yang Meridian. The punishment was sufficient for now.’

’But to think that not only has he shown no remorse, he’s actually doubled down. He’s still not willing to let Yun Liyue go.’

’What did Yun Liyue ever do to deserve this? Why is this bastard so fixated on her? It seems Xia Wuchen has grown tired of living.’

’But on second thought, killing Xia Wuchen now would be letting him off too easily. The punishment isn’t over. This needs to be done slowly.’

’Then I’ll start by ruining his reputation and making his life a living hell. We’ll see if he has any time or energy left to bother Yun Liyue then.’

In a flash, a venomous plan took shape. A cold smile crossed Xia Wuyang’s lips as he feigned exhaustion and lay back in Jin Xiuya’s arms.

Several hours later, a shocking piece of news spread like wildfire throughout the Imperial Palace and beyond.

"Have you heard? The Third Prince’s Yang Meridian was destroyed. He can no longer... perform."

"I heard that too! They say the Imperial Physician who discovered his Yang Meridian was destroyed was immediately beaten to death by him. He even made up an absurd excuse, claiming the Imperial Physician had been disrespectful."

"Of course he was ’disrespectful.’ After finding out his Yang Meridian was destroyed and that he’s basically a eunuch, the physician’s expression must have given something away. Xia Wuchen obviously couldn’t handle it."

"No wonder the Third Prince hasn’t favored any of his concubines recently. So it’s because he can’t perform anymore! I just asked those concubines in Wude Palace, and they all confirmed it."

...

The news spread with vivid, convincing details, many of which were crystal clear.

For example, there were stories of how the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, had refused the advances of his concubines, how he had secretly sought out famous physicians for treatment, and how his recent behavioral changes were identical to those of many eunuchs...

This news was, of course, all Xia Wuyang’s handiwork. He had used the Thief Demon to spread these rumors with ease.

The Thief Demon had done his work quite cleverly. Different people heard slightly different versions of the story, but the core message was always the same: the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, was now impotent—effectively a eunuch.