Chapter 1714: Peach Blossom Spirit

Zu An was taken aback. "Your Highness must be joking. You are a noble of the imperial family, and I am just a commoner. No matter how good our relationship is, we cannot be considered family."

He thought to himself, 'Is Prince Qi getting desperate? It's one thing to try and win me over, but to use such a clumsy excuse is really beneath his standard.'

Even if they formed an alliance, they would surely have their own hidden agendas. A good relationship might not even be possible, let alone being called family.

Prince Qi, however, was unfazed. He smiled slightly and said, "I have a beloved daughter named Xiao Die. From a young age, she was adored for her delicate beauty. Later, I sent her to cultivate in the ancient Taoist sect, Lihen Tian. Her cultivation talent is also quite excellent. It's not just a father's boast; she truly embodies the words 'talented and beautiful'."

He paused, then suddenly remembered something. Smiling, he added, "Sir Zu, you were at Mount Zi before, so I imagine you must have met her."

Zu An instinctively nodded. "I have. The Princess is indeed exceptionally beautiful."

(Though her personality is a bit strange, with a masochistic tendency...)

Of course, he dared not say this to Prince Qi. Otherwise, if the Prince knew he had once whipped his precious daughter, there was no telling if he would instantly turn hostile.

Hearing his words of praise, Prince Qi's face showed a father's contentment. "My daughter is now of marriageable age, and as far as I know, Sir Zu is also unmarried. I think you two, a talented man and a beautiful woman, are a match made in heaven..."

Hearing these words, Zu An was stunned on the spot. He never expected such a proposal from him.

At this moment, Mi Li's laughter echoed in his mind: "Well, well, well, it hasn't been long, and you've already made quite a name for yourself! Even a prince wants you as his son-in-law."

Zu An replied irritably, "Stop joking around. Help me figure out what Prince Qi is really thinking."

Their souls were bound, making communication in their minds extremely convenient. What seemed like a long conversation for them was but an instant to outsiders.

"What else could he be thinking? He wants to win you over," Mi Li answered with a relaxed tone. "You are now the Regent King of the Demon Race, and your standing has risen sharply. He weighed the pros and cons and realized it's more beneficial to win you over than to continue being your enemy."

"But isn't he going too far?" Zu An asked, puzzled. "He's being unusually eager. We've had several dealings, and previous conflicts have led to deep resentment..."

"If you're worried about that, there's no need," Mi Li explained. "It makes no sense for him to deceive you now, and he certainly wouldn't joke about his daughter. He must have shrewdly noticed the rift between you and Zhao Hao, realizing you can be won over. That's why he cast aside past grievances to approach you."

"And for him to be so hasty this time, even immediately offering such generous terms, your status as Regent King of the Demon Race alone is probably not enough to warrant this. Most likely, he's about to undertake a major action against the Emperor and desperately needs your support, which is why he can't afford to be subtle."

Zu An's heart stirred. Could it be about Mount Zi?

Although he knew there was some sincerity this time, he still replied apologetically, "Thank you for your kind offer, Your Highness. However, I already have a wife, and several confidantes by my side..."

"Are you referring to the Qin family's granddaughter?" Prince Qi was unfazed. "As far as I know, you have already divorced her; she is no longer your wife. As for confidantes, it's common for a man to have multiple wives and concubines. Xiao Die comes from the imperial family and is not a jealous person; she naturally won't stop you from taking concubines."

Zu An: "..."

At this moment, Mi Li's voice rang out: "Agree to it. Otherwise, if you refuse such a tempting offer, you'll truly offend him beyond repair. Then both Zhao Hao and Prince Qi will want to eliminate you. Do you think you truly have three heads and six arms?"

Zu An was startled, knowing it was indeed unwise to simultaneously contend with two powerful figures in this situation.

However, he wouldn't compromise his marriage for this. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness," he said. "In Mount Zi, the Princess and I did get to know each other, and we even had some interesting encounters."

"Oh, such a thing happened?" Prince Qi was somewhat surprised. He never expected his precious daughter to have a decent relationship with him, thinking, 'How does this scoundrel manage to charm beautiful girls everywhere he goes?'

Zu An nodded. "Precisely because the Princess and I are acquainted, it wouldn't be right to use a transactional approach that might hurt her feelings. It's better to let things take their natural course."

"Hmm..." Prince Qi frowned, not entirely satisfied with this answer.

At this point, Zu An said, "Your Highness, as things stand, I might as well be frank with you. My past actions were not intended to be hostile towards Your Highness, but merely the whims of fate. Currently, there are no irreconcilable conflicts of interest between us, and coupled with my acquaintance with the Princess, our relationship will naturally develop in a new direction in the future. I hope Your Highness can put aside past grievances."

Prince Qi's worry turned into joy. "Haha, of course," he replied.

After Prince Qi left, Zu An mused, "Mi Li, I feel like something big is about to happen. Though I can vaguely sense it, I don't know the specifics, and I always feel a sense of trepidation."

"What is there to worry about?" Mi Li's tone, however, was relaxed. "If the sky falls, there will be taller ones to hold it up. You should be thankful for the existence of people like Prince Qi; otherwise, Zhao Hao wouldn't be focusing on you. Given what you've done, he would have already ground your bones to ashes."

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. "It's not that serious, is it? There are many things I've done that he doesn't know about."

"You haven't received an imperial education, so you don't understand the imperial way of thinking," Mi Li said, shaking her head. "Just because the Emperor dislikes you, you're destined for a bad end. Right now, you simply still have some use."

"Furthermore, regarding what happened in the Xiquanqiu secret realm last time, he lost a clone. Although I don't know exactly what happened inside, only a few of you came out alive. For the Emperor, he'd rather kill innocents than let a culprit go. Once he's dealt with Prince Qi, it will be your turn."

"So that's why you wanted me to agree to Prince Qi's marriage proposal, isn't it?" Zu An sighed.

"You philanderer, what's wrong with you? You actually refused?" Mi Li was somewhat exasperated with him. "I've seen that Zhao Xiao Die; although she's slightly less beautiful than that Chu girl, she's still a rare beauty, one in ten thousand. You wouldn't be losing anything!"

"That woman is a bit perverse..." Zu An said, feeling a little aggrieved. "Besides, I don't need to sell my charm for these things."

Mi Li chuckled, her ethereal form reaching out a slender, pale finger to hook his chin. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," she purred, "I didn't expect you to have such backbone."

Zu An suddenly realized something. "You've seen Zhao Xiao Die, so you must have woken up a long time ago, haven't you?"

"Yes, I woke up ages ago," Mi Li sighed with emotion, "otherwise, I would have missed so many exciting things. You really are a lady-killer; you even managed to charm someone's master! Although those two women are very beautiful, who knows how much older they are than you. You certainly have an unusual taste..."

As she spoke, her expression suddenly changed. "You wouldn't be having such thoughts about me too, would you?"