Chapter 312.1: The Best Method to Protect a Princess
Princess Huansha wore a bright, radiant smile. Her looks did her title full justice. Not only her beauty rivaled any of those dazzling celebrities online, but she also carried herself with an inherent grace.
She smiled warmly. "I'll be troubling you two for the tour of the Wuyun Pavilion."
Han Kang reminded them once more, "Wu Cult members are scattered throughout Longtai City. They have their eyes on Her Highness Huansha. You must keep her safe at all costs."
Despite the sternness in his tone, there was actually nothing to worry about. All the staff in the Wuyun Pavilion had long since been replaced with their own people. It would be crazy if the Wu Cult dared to harm the princess in Longtai City. The warning was mostly to make sure the two remained vigilant.
Princess Huansha instructed the group, "Stop following me already. A crowd is no fun."
Then, she walked cheerfully toward Qi Yuan and Han Xianyun.
Han Kang watched thoughtfully. His brother was behaving very differently toward him today. Could he have heard something?
After a few more instructions from Han Kang and a minister from the Liulis Kingdom, the three were permitted to enter the Wuyun Pavilion without further obstruction.
The princess carried an emergency alert device that would activate at the first sign of danger. If she came under attack, the protective energy shield embedded in her clothing would activate. Not even a sniper’s bullet could graze the shield.
It didn't take time for Princess Huansha to prove herself to be outspoken. She asked Qi Yuan, "You seem a little down, sir. Did something unpleasant happen?"
Qi Yuan nodded vigorously. "I'm too poor."
Not expecting him to be so direct, the princess was taken aback, her opinion of him dipping slightly. She assumed he was trying to get close to her for her connections. While it was understandable, doing so while offering nothing in return was rather off-putting.
Qi Yuan sighed, growing even more troubled. "I only have a hundred million dollars."
Princess Huansha froze completely. Her newly formed assumption suddenly felt so absurd.
She assured him, "A hundred million is quite a lot, though."
She knew the exchange rate between the two countries. A hundred million dollars was more than most ordinary people could ever hope to see in a lifetime.
Qi Yuan had a look of genuine dejection. "Not nearly enough. I can't afford what I want to buy."
Han Xianyun asked, puzzled, "Mr. Qi, what are you trying to buy that costs so much? A fighter jet?"
Qi Yuan replied, dead serious, "I want to buy Arch Star. Just now, I got humbled so bad, I nearly couldn't bring myself to enter the Wuyun Pavilion. I need to buy Arch Star so I can reclaim some dignity. Otherwise, I've got no face left."
Han Xianyun was at a loss for words.
Princess Huansha managed to choke out, "You're joking, right, sir?"
Buying Arch Star was a bold ambition. She realized she'd misjudged him completely. Qi Yuan wasn't trying to borrow money or ask for her help. He was just a very amusing man.
Qi Yuan genuinely felt the gulf between himself and other people. "I am really broke, though. The other day, I was scrolling through videos, and I kept seeing these twenty-year-old girls... An Chuan, Jing Can...
"They are newly risen billionaires with eighty quadrillion in assets. Compared to people like that, I'm utterly, hopelessly poor. How much beef would I have to give up to ever scrape together that much?"
He was actually wondering if he should start following some of those accounts and trick them into a fraudulent marriage. Eighty quadrillion per person... If he targeted a few and tricked half out of each of them, maybe he'd have enough to buy Arch Star. Though, that would raise another problem.
Qi Yuan stared expectantly at Princess Huansha. "As a princess, you must have connections. Could you help me find something out?"
The princess, who had been on an emotional rollercoaster, said pleasantly, "Please, go ahead."
"Where do I go if I want to buy Arch Star? Also, how much does it roughly cost?"
He'd decided to start saving. From now on, when he ordered beef noodles, he couldn't keep adding an extra portion of beef. He had to stay frugal for the sake of Arch Star!
Princess Huansha gave an awkward little laugh. "That... I honestly don't know."
If the first instance had been humor, this was now just eccentric. Qi Yuan appeared genuinely disappointed at the answer.
Han Xianyun was sweating. He had spent enough time with Qi Yuan to understand his abilities and character. Could Qi Yuan really be serious about this?
Not daring to push the topic further, he changed the subject. "Your Highness Huansha, Wugui doesn’t seem to have any history of conflict with the Liulis Kingdom, so why are the Wu Cult trying to harm you?"
Han Xianyun was keen to pry into any gossip, especially anything involving noble families and royalty.
The princess’ gaze flickered with anger. "Those cultists claim I am the reincarnation of Wu God's daughter, and that I must return to the divine realm to serve him day and night."
When she had been born, the king had invited a Wugui priest to offer blessings. This was a common practice among royal families. Unfortunately, that blessing went sideways.
The priest declared that she was the reincarnation of the Wu God's dearest, youngest daughter. Apparently, she was a naturally mischievous soul who had slipped from the divine realm into the mortal world. She had to be returned to her father's side. The method of return was simply death. Thus, the Wu Cult had been plotting to kill her ever since.
Naturally, the king of Liulis Kingdom was enraged. Sending his own princess to her death was unacceptable on both a personal and a political level. It was akin to a slap to the royal family’s dignity. Nevertheless, due to the extensive trade between Wugui and the Liulis Kingdom, the matter was never escalated openly.
Han Xianyun said, "The Wu Cult really has some nerve. Heck, what if I claim that Wu God is my wife? Are they going to deliver Wu God to my bed?"
Princess Huansha covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling. "That's actually a fair point."
Qi Yuan stared coldly at Han Xianyun. "Shameless. Your wife hasn’t even been dead long, yet you’re already seeking a new wife."
Though he was hardly one to talk, even he couldn't quite manage Han Xianyun's commitment-free enthusiasm. The rooster-comb-haired man was declaring someone a wife without even knowing their gender. As the saying went, “Don't break a good girl's heart, don't waste a bad girl's time.” Qi Yuan could at least manage the first half.
Han Xianyun nearly collapsed at the thought of his very strange wife. "Don't!"
Princess Huansha's eyes went wide. She seemed to have stumbled onto something interesting?
Of course, she didn't press the matter and redirected smoothly, "The Wu Cult only knows how to talk big. I survived all these years just fine, haven’t I? With my father’s guards by my side, the Wu Cult couldn’t lay a finger on me."
Though small, the Liulis Kingdom amassed immense wealth from its resources. A formidable force of gene soldiers also protected their princess, fully prepared to die for her. In fact, a team of such soldiers stood outside the Wuyun Pavilion.
Han Xianyun grinned proudly. "The Wu Cult really is all bark. Just the other day, our martial artist caught their priest and dragged him away."
For martial artists in the modern world, that counted as one of the few concrete victories worth talking about.
Princess Huansha was delighted. "I've admired Qin Yuan's Martial Dao since I was small. It's a shame my father wouldn't let me train. He was afraid I'd turn into a muscly woman."
She chuckled lightly, with just a touch of wistfulness.
Han Xianyun nodded in sincere agreement. "Honestly, I think your father made the right call. If you trained, the world might lose one of its great beauties.
"Besides, you've had gene serum, right? Your combat prowess probably matches or even surpasses mine. No need to force yourself down the Martial Dao path on top of that."
Princess Huansha smiled brightly. "The gene serum is helpful, but I have zero combat ability. Otherwise, they wouldn't have insisted you two to protect me on the way in."
Han Xianyun glanced sidelong at Qi Yuan. "Don't worry. With us here, even if the Wu Cult's Shadow Corps showed up in full force, they couldn't touch you."
He'd witnessed Qi Yuan's power firsthand. Capable of wiping out an entire military camp, he was practically a walking immortal of the mortal world.
As for the Shadow Corps, it was the Wu Cult’s most fearsome force, consisting of fanatics who regularly launched suicide attacks. Nevertheless, they were still ordinary mortals. Even if they were enhanced with gene serum, how could they compare to an immortal like Qi Yuan?
Princess Huansha caught the glance and paused slightly. As much as she admired martial artists, she knew their power had limits. What gave Han Xianyun such absolute confidence in Qi Yuan?
She simpered at Qi Yuan. "I wonder how the two of you plan to protect me?"
As long as it wasn’t mere gossip, she was more than happy to investigate a person’s little secrets.
Qi Yuan seemed to contemplate seriously. "That depends on what methods the Wu Cult has available."
She replied honestly, "The Shadow Corps numbers in the thousands. Not only are they proficient with firearms, bladed weapons, and assassination, but they are also skilled hackers. They can even call in aerial support when necessary. For ordinary martial artists, running into them is a death sentence."
Han Xianyun nodded. "Honestly, if I actually ran into the Shadow Corps here, I'd have no chance of survival."
The Shadow Corps combat teams all underwent injections of a specially formulated gene serum. This custom variant dramatically enhanced their combat abilities at the cost of the body’s internal balance. As a result, none of them lived longer than ten years.
Though the serum was officially banned across most countries, Wugui didn't even pretend to care. Those who worshipped the Wu God and were willing to die for their faith were countless, which meant the Shadow Corps never lacked new recruits.
Qi Yuan murmured, "That does sound like a real problem. On Blue Planet, they'd be a match for the Dragon Group. Only someone like the Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King or a warrior god would stand a chance. It seems, Princess Huansha, that you are in quite a bit of danger."
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