"What?! Who knew that Lord Chen would…" Heated discussions happening in whispers fanned out amongst the crowd of ministers gathered.
Hearing this, the color drained from Lord Chen's face as his lips began to tremble from the shock. "Your Highness, I can explain. Please listen to me, Your Highness!"
However, all Baili Jia Jue did was produce a white handkerchief to wipe off the blood splattered on his fingers. With a sinister smirk that still dripped with elegance, he said, "You don't have to explain. The reason I am about to kill you is not for the silver. In fact, it's for poking your nose where it does not belong."
Chapter 659 - A Fatal Counterattack From The Crafty Prince
Swish!
The white handkerchief straightened like a stiff knife and sliced through his throat.
Lord Chen's eyes widened immediately.
Blood dripped onto his hand. Lord Chen could only touch his neck briefly before his whole body collapsed and twitched on the floor. Grunts emitted from his throat and his head drooped as he took his final breath.
The shadow guards were very quick. The moment Lord Chen fell, they dragged him away and cleaned the blood away rapidly. The whole process was very professional, none of them even blinking an eye at the carnage.
The conservative courtiers were shell-shocked at this point, and their hands were trembling.
His Highness had already made his intentions so obvious, yet Lord Chen had to interfere in this matter of political marriage.
And before that, Lord Ge was dragged away in the same manner…...
Zongzheng Yu Er was closest to Lord Chen. The long skirt that she had prepared painstakingly was now stained with blood. She looked rather disheveled now, but she was more embarrassed as her face burned hot. Was he rejecting her?
Baili Jia Jue took another step forward, but he did not even look at the princess. Pulling off his fur coat, he dr.a.p.ed it over Helian Wei Wei's head as he dragged her over to him. In a cold voice, he asked, "Who allowed you to b.a.r.e your face?"
Helian Wei Wei tried to explain herself, "That cape was blocking my view."
"You still have to wear it even if it is obscuring you." Baili Jia Jue patted the furry head in front of him as he threw a penetrating stare toward the direction of Zongzheng Wen Ren. His gaze was icy cold.
This was when Zongzheng Wen Ren realized that he had been staring at Helian Wei Wei since the beginning.
Zongzheng Yu Er bit her lip. Suddenly, she spoke, her soft voice full of persistence. "Your Highness, no matter what decision you make, I still have to tell you that I really like you."
Hearing this, Helian Wei Wei gave the man beside her a sideways glance and sighed heavily in her heart. What a dangerous beauty he was, attracting admirers like flies.
However, she was not afraid of the possibility of him having an eventual change of heart.
She would find a few handsome men for herself. Let's see who will have a larger harem!
Baili Jia Jue knew what his little vixen was thinking about, so he reached out and grabbed her wrist. His grip tightened while he lowered his voice, chuckling softly into her ear. With a cautionary tone he said, "If you ever dared to do what you're thinking about, I will bind you to the bed."
Helian Wei Wei's back stiffened as her face turned sincere. "I was not thinking about anything."
Baili Jia Jue looked at her with a grim gaze, as if he was looking at a fool, and said leisurely, "I am your guardian demon, do you really think that I would be unaware of your stream of consciousness? "
Helian Wei Wei: …...Darn! This is an invasion of privacy! This means that I cannot have any wicked intentions from now on. How annoying...
"Sure, you can still do naughty things. " Baili Jia Jue lowered his head and kissed the corner of Helian Wei Wei's lips, as if there was no one around. He did not care that people were staring. In a deep voice, he murmured into her ear, "... but you can only do those naughty things to me. You may do whatever you please, my mistress."
Helian Wei Wei: …...Do not speak like you are a pimp!!
As if he was delighted by Helian Wei Wei's frustration, Baili Jia Jue chuckled. Even those mysterious eyes of his seemed much brighter.
Zongzheng Yu Er did not expect that her confession would be ignored just like that.
That man did not even look at her once from the very beginning!
"Your Highness, why are you doing this to me? Is it wrong of me to harbor affections for you?" Zongzheng Yu Er's tears spilled. Her weeping face was beautiful, like pear blossoms bathing in the rain.
This made the envoys and the exorcists from the other kingdoms sympathize with her.
A girl like her should be pampered. Even if the third prince of the War Dragon Dynasty was unwilling to marry her, he should not have embarrassed a girl like that.
Hearing this, Baili Jia Jue finally looked at Zongzheng Yu Er.
Zongzheng Yu Er felt hopeful as she raised her reddened tear-filled eyes.
Baili Jia Jue smiled with perfect politeness and elegance. "You are asking me if you have done anything wrong. In fact, I would like to question you, why is it that you keep offering yourself when I have no affections for you? What are your intentions? Are the women of Xuanyuan Kingdom so hungry for love? So much so that you have to break up someone's marriage?"
Hearing this, the little one took a step back quickly. He initially planned on joining the fight if Third Aunt was going to start one.
Now, it seemed like Third Brother was riled up instead. He would be better off staying away from it. When his Third Brother got mad, mere mortals would not be able to withstand it.
For example, the whole remark he just made may sound polite, but he just meant that she was being a tramp.
Who in this palace would not understand that?
When Zongzheng Yu Er heard Baili Jia Jue's reply, her face turned green and pale. Her body was trembling, and she almost fell to the ground.
A proper princess like her had never been humiliated like that.
What did he think she was!
Elder Xu Wu could not tolerate the situation anymore. "Your Highness, I thought your kingdom is a civilized one, and that you should know…..."
"I agree." Baili Jia Jue interrupted him slowly, coldness dripping from his eyes. "As a civilized kingdom, no country would gift their princesses to others like she's an object. Why don't you ask Lord Wang of Huangzi Kingdom, would they do this to their princess?"
"Of course not!" Lord Wang denied this immediately. This was a matter of his nation's dignity!
Baili Jia Jue's smile deepened malevolently. "See, this is something that even the Huangzi Kingdom would never do. But since the Xuanyuan Kingdom has done it, I merely rejected this barbaric offer. Yet, you are still talking about etiquette to me, hah..."
The meaning behind that laugh was unspoken, but everybody understood him. What he meant was that those Xuanyuan people were undeserving of his attention.
Elder Xu Wu's face turned green. He clenched his fingers and glared at Lord Wang.
Lord Wang just realised that he had become Baili Jia Jue cannonball.
The three kingdoms were supposed to be united against the War Dragon Dynasty!
Why was he helping Baili Jia Jue against Elder Xu Wu instead?
This man… this man!
Lord Wang had no words to describe Baili Jia Jue. He was dumbfounded.
Helian Wei Wei was learning silently at the side.
Before she knew His Highness, she thought that she was brazen enough.
After she got to know him, she truly understood what a true expert meant.
His insult could even break an alliance, what a genius!
No wonder His Highness used to say that her approach was not ruthless enough. She only knew how to kill and fight bluntly, to push forward blindly. It seemed that she was not skillful enough.
The look on Elder Xu Wu and Lord Wang's face, Zhongzheng Yu Er's expression... This slap on their faces was so skillful that they
cannot even squeak in pain, how pitiful...
Chapter 660 - You Must Be Dreaming If You Think His Highness Would Yield
"Well then, let's stop wasting time." Zongzheng Wen Ren stood up, his eyes staring coldly at Baili Jia Jue. "What about the seal, how do you plan to fix it? Once the Divine Exorcist Seal is destroyed, not just the capital, but the entire Divine Mainland will face the invasion of the demons. Right now, all envoys of the three countries are here, so we have enough power to strengthen the seal."
"You may deny us entry into the capital, and you may reject the idea of a political marriage. You can do whatever you like. However, this is a matter that concerns everyone else, so you can't just do as your heart d.e.s.i.r.es. Since the War Dragon Empire has your own Elder Compound, then why don't we have a contest? Let's see who is more competent at exorcism and necromancy. The winner will be the guardian of the seal."
His words angered Wu Jing. "Prince Wen Ren, we all know that the Xuanyuan Kingdom is the most adept in necromancy. You're just proposing this because you think we know nothing about exorcism. Why don't we compare our skills in martial arts instead?"
"General." Zongzheng Wen Ren smiled and replied sarcastically, "You can only use necromancy to neutralize demons and wraiths. If you use martial Qi to fight these ghosts, you will be the only one dying."
Wu Jing was left speechless at once. He could only glare daggers at the enemy prince, while internally blaming himself as his ability could not be used.
The envoys from the other nations spoke up at this moment, "Prince Wen Ren is not wrong. Third prince, let us fight fairly. The winner of two out of three rounds should bear the responsibility of guarding the seal!"
As they were speaking, the exorcists behind them stood up as well. They started to flex their wrists, and when they looked at Wu Jing, their expressions were full of disdain. It was obvious that the other nations had come prepared. Right from the start, they had planned to propose this contest as an excuse for their armies to enter the capital.
Everyone knew that the War Dragon Empire's Elder Compound had yet to recuperate, which was the only place where they would find any real exorcists to compete against.
The War Dragon Empire used to be the strongest among the four nations, but now, the other three nations had formed an alliance against them. As a scholar-official, Liu Yu was starting to feel anxious.
Zongzheng Wen Ren raised his eyebrows and spoke slowly, "Brother Baili, you would not reject this too, right?"
The exorcists chortled. It was obvious what they were laughing about.
"Your Highness!" A representative from the Elder Compound stepped forward. It was a young man with fire burning in his eyes. With recalcitrant wrath, he spoke, "Let me fight! I am capable of necromancy!"
Even so, his knowledge of necromancy seemed to be confined to mere theory, not practical skills. From the way he dressed, it was obvious that he was still an amateur.
The courtiers were more than aware of that, and the young man himself knew it too. They knew that they could not beat the rest. However, they could not just stand around and be bullied by these people!
"Alright!" Elder Xu Wu c.a.r.e.s.sed his white beard and stepped forward. "Since there are no further objections to this competition, then we should determine the candidates and the rules. Let's settle this matter quickly."
Hearing this, the courtiers looked toward Baili Jia Jue. If His Highness had accepted the offer of a political marriage, then they would have avoided this complication.
Despite that, no one dared to say a single word. They were all afraid that they would be the next one to decorate the hall's floors with their blood.
However, they have made up their mind that they would report this to the Retired Emperor when he returns.
Not only was there no news of pregnancy from the Third Princess Consort, now His Highness was rejecting the Xuanyuan Empire's offer of marriage for her sake.
After all these thoughts, someone finally stepped forward and kneeled down, kowtowing heavily as he said, "Your Highness, I have been a loyal servant of this kingdom for more than ten years. In light of my diligent service over so many years, I would just like to put in a word that the War Dragon Empire has never been known for our skills in necromancy. If we lose this contest, we will not only lose our dignity, but our entire empire! I entreat Your Highness to reconsider the offer of political marriage with Princess Zongzheng!"
"Please, Your Highness, please reconsider this political marriage proposal! " Another courtier kneeled down and knocked his head twice on the ground.1
Elder Xu Wu beamed with delight. These old courtiers were indeed more sensible.
Throughout all of this, Baili Jia Jue stood there as perfectly as always, with a faint smile on his face. However, the kowtowing sounds made by the two courtiers triggered a cold look in his eyes, as he got ready to take action.
Helian Wei Wei tugged at his coat and shook her head.
Baili Jia Jue squinted at her, a dangerous look in his eyes. "Why are you stopping me? Did you not hear what they said, hmm?"
"I told you, I should do the killing and fighting." Helian Wei Wei raised her head and smiled as she held his hand. "Your hands are too beautiful. They are not meant for fighting and killing. Furthermore, these two are Imperial Grandfather's men, how would you explain yourself to him if you killed them?"
Baili Jia Jue lowered his head and smiled. "Wei Wei, you seem to have forgotten something."
"Hmm?" Helian Wei Wei raised her eyebrows.
Baili Jia Jue replied nonchalantly, "I am a demon. It is only normal that a demon kills. But since you despise my bloody methods, fine, killing is a waste of energy anyway. If it was not for your sake, it would have been too much trouble to kill them too. They are not worthy of dirtying my hands, as I would have to spend a long time washing them."
Helian Wei Wei: Those are humans, not a fly or a mosquito! Can you not speak of them so casually!?
Baili Jia Jue released Helian Wei Wei's waist as he concluded his reply. He walked toward the two courtiers with brooding eyes and spoke coldly, "Help these two lords up."
"Yes sir." The shadow guards stepped forward with uniform movements.
The courtiers' expression turned to delight as they thought that the Third Prince had finally come around to it.
Zongzheng Yu Er even looked at Helian Wei Wei and said in a soft voice, "I know the one he likes is you, but Helian Wei Wei, you cannot deny that marrying me would settle all his troubles, right? What about you? What can you do for him?"
Hearing these words, Helian Wei Wei's lips curled as she smiled meaningfully.
Her expression enraged Zongzheng Yu Er. She took a deep breath and continued, "I do not want to make things too ugly. He will agree to marry me in a bit, so if you would give up your title as princess consort, I will ensure that the rest of your life would be fr... "
Before she could finish her sentence, Baili Jia Jue's cold voice boomed like shattered ice as it spread to the entire palace. "Did you not want a contest? Let us begin now, Lord Qi and Lord Xie. Please, just stand there and watch. Did you think that the War Dragon Empire would just lose like that?"
Zongzheng Yu Er's face went rigid. She turned her head slowly and looked at Baili Jia Jue with an incredulous expression.
How could the War Dragon Empire win in its current state!?
Zongzheng Wen Ren's gaze turned cool. "Leng Yi, you will be our first representative. Be gentle, your opponent is a novice. Teach him what it means to be an exorcist!"
"Roger that." The exorcist named Leng Yi stepped forward with a flippant expression on his face, like he had no regard for his opponent at all…
1 A sign of utmost respect, usually used when asking something difficult of someone. It involves kowtowing so low that you knock your head on the floor, usually multiple times.
Chapter 661 - Helian Wei Wei Shows Her Hand At Exorcism
The exorcists from the other two countries came forward. Looking at the young
man representing the War Dragon Empire, they sneered.
"Look at what he is wearing. Does he even know how to restrain a spirit? "
"Pfft, restrain them? I do not think he can even sense their presence."
The exorcists laughed themselves silly at this. They were not too old themselves as they were all in their twenties, but the power rolling off of them was not to be underestimated.
The way to gauge an exorcist's capabilities was to check their robes and the equipment they carry. The more complete the accessories, the more powerful the exorcist would be.
Since the Three Kingdoms had already agreed to an alliance, the exorcists they sent out would of course be experts in their field.
They were definitely taking advantage of the fact that the War Dragon Empire did not have anyone who could handle them.
They were outright bullies!
The young man could no longer stand the pent up rage and injustice built up in his heart. However, now that he had volunteered himself, he did not know what he had to do next.
He could vividly sense that the Xuanyuan Kingdom had more powerful exorcists that had yet to be sent out. They were wielding twin swords and talismans, and there were even Spirit Binding Ropes dangling from their waists...
The Xuanyuan Nation had yet to send out their best exorcists. The current situation did not even call for them, as the ones currently sent out were more than capable of dealing with things.
He would be lying if he said he was not scared. The young man was indeed an amateur. All the experience he had was from witnessing how spirits looked like when he was learning from the elders. Now that he had to fight them himself, he was totally unsure, but he had to at least try!
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