Chapter 67: That Is My Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine
After learning what had transpired in the Eastern Palace, Liu Yiqing no longer had a shred of suspicion toward the dying Xia Wuyang.
’It seems I really was being paranoid.’ Liu Yiqing felt a bit ashamed. ’How could a man who can’t even control his own consort or catch her lover possibly be connected to the killer?’
She sorted through the case files, striking the elder Crown Prince’s name from the list of suspects without a second thought.
All the evidence indicated that the elder Crown Prince was indeed an incompetent and pitiful wretch, completely unrelated to any of the cases.
If he were truly hiding so deeply, why would he have endured such humiliation for so long? For decades, he had allowed others to snatch away his power, his properties, and his resources... Only a fool would do such a thing.
While all suspicion against him was vanishing, the "fainting after coughing up blood" elder Crown Prince was currently lying on the bed in his Sleeping Palace, circulating his Cultivation Technique at full force to rapidly advance his Cultivation Realm.
Beneath the brocade covers, his body was vigorous and powerful. Faint sounds of a Dragon’s Roar and Tiger’s Howl vibrated unceasingly within him.
One after another, Dragon and Tiger Elixirs dropped into his mouth, becoming fuel for his growth and causing his Cultivation Realm to advance at an astonishing speed.
The disappearance of Dong Yujie and Wang Xuan didn’t surprise him. With so many Princes and Princesses opposing him and wishing for his early death, it was only natural that they would deliberately let the pair escape.
With Xia Wuyang’s power, finding the two wouldn’t be difficult, but now was not the time.
Everyone was currently focused on the matter. If anything were to happen to Dong Yujie and Wang Xuan now, suspicion would certainly fall upon him, disrupting his subsequent plans.
The time to deal with Dong Yujie and Wang Xuan would be when the attention had died down, or when he possessed sufficient strength.
He had originally planned to spare Dong Yujie’s life for the sake of their past as husband and wife. He never expected her to run away, slandering and defaming him before she left.
If he were truly the Dying Crown Prince, such a blow could very well have killed him.
Dong Yujie must have known the consequences, yet she did it anyway. She clearly wanted him dead.
In that case, the last shred of sentiment between them was gone.
He would definitely kill this "white lotus."
As for her lover, Wang Xuan, he wouldn’t be leaving this world alive either.
Fortunately, out of fear, Dong Yujie had only sent a few letters to Wang Xuan. Otherwise, Xia Wuyang would have truly been cuckolded, and that would have been nauseating.
He had now publicly repudiated that "white lotus." Whatever happened next had nothing to do with him.
’I have to take full advantage of this "illness." I’ll cherish this time, cultivate with all my might, and gain as much strength as possible so this opportunity doesn’t go to waste.’
"Have you heard? The Fifth Prince brewed something amazing."
"It’s the Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine! It’s supposed to be fragrant and wonderful."
"Xia Wushang is going all out to improve his strength. He doesn’t want to become the next Princess Huanzhu."
"He’s scared... He’s scared..."
...
Blessings come in pairs. He had just thrown off all suspicion, diverting prying eyes elsewhere, when he received another piece of good news from his birds.
’I haven’t even gotten my hands on Third Prince Xia Wuchen’s Dragon Roar Sword, and now Fifth Prince Xia Wushang has come up with something good.’
According to the birds, Xia Wushang had been terrified by what happened to Princess Huanzhu. He had spent this entire time working frantically and had finally succeeded in brewing the Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine.
This was a High Level Miracle Treasure. If he could consume it, it would raise his cultivation by at least one or two minor realms. Reaching Third Grade Perfection in a single leap wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Compared to this, the Celestial Water Essence and the Five Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine were far inferior. This was a treasure that even Upper Three Grades Martial Artists would fight to the death over.
’As expected of Xia Wushang, the wealthiest of all the Princes and Princesses,’ Xia Wuyang thought. ’He just lost a Special Miracle Treasure, and now he’s brewed a High Level one. It’s enough to move a man to tears.’
A cold glint flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes as he thought of Princess Xiang Yun, who had already returned to the country. It was only after seeing Princess Xiang Yun brewing Monkey Wine years ago that Xia Wushang had started himself—after stealing quite a few key ingredients from her.
If not for that, Princess Xiang Yun wouldn’t have taken so long to produce her Monkey Wine, and it would have been more than just the five-hundred-year-old version.
Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that Xia Wushang’s Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine was rightfully his.
All Xia Wuyang had to do now was return the item to its rightful owner.
At that thought, the brocade bed beneath him no longer felt so comfortable. A cold glint flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes. He had made his decision.
’It’s a bit risky, but with my current abilities, it shouldn’t be a major problem.’
He had originally planned to wait, but according to his birds, Xia Wushang was working around the clock to consolidate his Cultivation Realm and adjust his Essence, Qi, and Spirit. He planned to consume the Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine as soon as possible to avoid repeating his previous disaster.
’What if that bastard Xia Wushang drinks it before I can take back my Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine? I have to act tonight.’
Besides, his Foundation was now stable and his Cultivation was solid. He was ready to use a Miracle Treasure to rapidly advance his Cultivation Realm. How could he delay any further?
「That night, the sky was as black as ink. Even the weather was on Xia Wuyang’s side.」
Dressed in black, he moved through the Palace grounds, flickering in and out of sight like a phantom.
His Perfection-level Dragon Storage Skill and Great Success-level Stealth Technique allowed him to merge with the darkness, moving effortlessly through the Imperial Palace. Even a First Grade Grandmaster would struggle to detect him.
Soon, the Gold and Silver Palace came into view. Compared to his last visit, the security was clearly much tighter.
The number of patrolling Guards had not just tripled, but many more traps and Arrays had been laid. Xia Wuyang could even sense the auras of three Upper Third Grade Martial Artists.
’It must be nice to be rich,’ he mused. ’He can even hire Upper Third Grade Martial Artists in bulk for protection.’
The strongest among them, however, was still the Second Grade Grandmaster. A First Grade Grandmaster wasn’t someone you could hire just because you wanted to—not even for the Celestial Treasure Pavilion, whose wealth could rival a nation’s.
Hiding in the shadows of the eaves, Xia Wuyang noticed that most of the ancient trees here had been felled, with only a few remaining. It seemed Xia Wushang was truly terrified of him.
The last theft had taught Xia Wushang a lesson. Xia Wuyang sneered inwardly and continued to probe forward. He soon found a trace of Xia Wushang—he was in the Practice Room.
Outside, in addition to the Second Grade Grandmaster, there were two Third Grade Martial Generals. They had the small Practice Room guarded so tightly that not even wind or rain could get through. It wouldn’t be easy for even an ordinary Second Grade Grandmaster to approach.
The gray-robed Grandmaster’s eyes were wide open, his Qi Blood circulating as he clearly pushed his Sensing to its absolute limit, terrified of a repeat incident.
However, maintaining such a state for too long was exhausting.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the gray-robed Grandmaster couldn’t resist blinking, preparing to rest for just a moment. At that exact instant, Xia Wuyang struck.