Chapter 434: Wu Princess

"Holy crap!" Ji Dengtu was originally chatting and laughing with King Liang, reminiscing about glorious past achievements in the west. For a moment, he felt as though he had recaptured his youth.

But as soon as he turned his head, he saw such a shocking scene. The feeling of being triumphant one moment, only to discover his home had been invaded the next, made him almost explode with rage.

Ji Dengtu's Rage value: 1024!

He rushed over like a madman, but was immediately stopped by the surrounding Imperial Guards. They might allow a soft, harmless young girl to approach an imperial prisoner, but there was no way they'd let a strong, skilled man get close.

These Imperial Guards were no pushovers, and coupled with the presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, even with Ji Dengtu's cultivation level, he couldn't break through for a while.

This only made him angrier.

Ji Dengtu's Rage value: 999999999...

What does it feel like to watch your painstakingly raised "little cabbage" (daughter) be "rooted up by a pig" (taken advantage of)? He felt he could write ten novels on that topic alone.

King Liang also hurried over to block his path and chuckled awkwardly. "Mr. Ji, don't worry so much about the youngsters' business."

"Of course, as an old friend, I should remind you: if you don't want your daughter to become a widow, you'd better find a new son-in-law soon. This one probably won't live much longer."

Ji Dengtu: "..."

"What the hell do you mean, son-in-law? Do I, your old man, need to find a son-in-law that even Chu Zhongtian wouldn't want?"

"No, wait. My daughter is so cute. She shouldn't be 'ruined' by some son-in-law. Just hearing those two words annoys me."

At this moment, Ji Xiaoxi finally separated from Zu An. Covering her flushed face, she turned and ran.

Ji Dengtu glared fiercely at Zu An. "You little punk, how dare you bully our Xiaoxi! If you don't give me ten or eight novels next time, even if the Emperor doesn't kill you, I will!"

After saying that, he hurriedly went to chase his daughter, calling out Xiaoxi's name with a pained heart as he ran.

He truly must have been possessed today to insist on bringing his daughter to see Zu An. If he had known this, he wouldn't have read those novels of his.

But he really wanted to know what happened next. Dammit...

King Liang watched the farce unfold, speechless. He wondered what it was about Zu An that made women like him so much.

No wonder Sang Qian was so furious when he learned his wife and Zu An were arranged in the same prison cart earlier. It must be because they were both from Brightmoon City, and already knew of each other's devastating effect on women, which made him exceptionally worried.

If Sang Qian, standing nearby, knew his thoughts, he would surely faint from anger.

*Was I afraid of Zu An's charm?*

*Any man would be uneasy if his wife were with another young man!*

"Stop looking, stop looking! Let's continue!" King Liang and Liu Yao waved their hands, and the procession set off again.

Zu An licked his lips, looking as if he hadn't quite recovered.

Zheng Dan, beside him, said with a hint of tartness, "Miss Ji's sweet kiss was certainly nice, but you don't need to savor it quite like that."

Zu An chuckled, but said nothing. With so many eyes and ears around, it wasn't convenient for him to speak freely.

At this moment, Ji Xiaoxi's whispered message to him appeared in his mind: "When you reach the capital, if you face a life-or-death situation, try biting into this pill. It's a suspended animation pill I refined. After taking it, you'll appear identical to a corpse for six hours; no one will be able to detect the difference. Whether it helps you escape then will depend on your luck."

Earlier, during their kiss, Ji Xiaoxi had managed to place something by his teeth. Now he had an extra tooth out of nowhere. He felt it; there was no difference from a normal tooth. He had no idea how she managed to install it so perfectly in that instant.

The little girl's tongue was so nimble. If she used it for other things...

Zu An's old face flushed, and he silently murmured, "My sin, my sin."

Speaking of which, even the usually timid Xiaoxi mustered the courage to come see him. But where were Big Manman and Sister Shang? He hadn't seen a trace of them. He had thought, given their relationship, they would at least come to see him off.

Humph, women truly are heartless. Otherwise, he would definitely spank their bottoms.

Hmm, no, for Big Manman, he'd have to spank somewhere else...

While Zu An was idly letting his mind wander, the procession continued its grand journey along the main road.

Suddenly, he noticed that Zheng Dan beside him seemed a bit uncomfortable. He then realized the sun was beating down directly, and the prison cart offered no shelter.

Girls were all fond of beauty. A young lady like Zheng Dan would usually take all sorts of sun protection measures when going out. She had never endured a day like this.

So he immediately started shouting loudly. King Liang and Liu Yao quickly arrived upon hearing the commotion, looking at him impatiently and asking, "What is it now?"

Zu An said, "I want a different carriage."

"Why?" Both of them stared at Zheng Dan. *Was it not pleasant enough to be with such a beauty?*

Zu An said, "This prison cart is open on all sides, and I feel like a monkey in a zoo, being gawked at the whole way. Also, just now, because this cart has no cover, I was taken advantage of by a woman."

As soon as he said this, everyone's minds were instantly filled with unspoken curses.

*You call that being taken advantage of?*

*Your tongue was clearly having a grand time!*

*If that's what being taken advantage of is like, let it happen to us!*

The Imperial Guards' Rage value: 666666666...

King Liang also gritted his teeth. This guy really had the nerve to act innocent after getting a good deal. But remembering his previous threats, he still snorted, "Someone, bring a canopy and set it up over him."

Who knew Zu An immediately shook his head. "I'm not riding in a prison cart. I want to ride in a carriage like yours." As he spoke, he pointed to their spacious and luxurious carriages.

"A carriage?" Liu Yao immediately laughed. "Who do you think you are? An imperial prisoner wants to ride in a carriage?"

Even Sang Qian in the other prison cart secretly cursed him as an idiot for making such an impossible request.

Zu An, however, looked perfectly calm. "I know I'm an imperial prisoner, and not just any imperial prisoner. The Emperor simply wants my 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra,' which I've memorized completely. If you treat me well along the way, I might just tell him everything readily once we reach the capital. But if you make me uncomfortable, then I'll tell the Emperor it's because of you that I don't want to speak."

"Whether you speak or not won't be up to you then," Liu Yao scoffed. "Besides, the Emperor is wise and mighty; he won't be fooled by your petty tricks."

Zu An smiled faintly. "You can try. Anyway, switching me to a carriage is no trouble for you, and there's no loss. On the contrary, if you anger me, you'll incur some unknown risks. For example, I might tell the Emperor that you privately interrogated me about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra'."

"Don't talk nonsense!" King Liang and Liu Yao's expressions instantly changed. They didn't think the Emperor would believe Zu An refused to speak because they hadn't kept him comfortable. But if Zu An falsely accused them of interrogating him about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra,' that would be a huge problem.

This was a method of eternal life, something the Emperor specifically wanted. What intentions would his subjects have for trying to lay their hands on it?

Although they could explain themselves, it would be too risky.

Zu An then continued, "Oh, and there's one more thing I should mention: the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' news must have already spread, and it won't be long before various factions arrive upon hearing it. This prison cart has no cover, so they can easily see my condition from a distance and then formulate all sorts of plans. It's quite possible a stray arrow could come flying and end my life. How would you explain that to the Emperor then?"

At this moment, Huang Huihong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, spoke up indignantly. "With us guarding you, even if an arrow comes flying, it won't reach you."

"Arrows from ordinary masters certainly can't escape your interception," Zu An said, "but what about higher-level cultivators, like a ninth-rank master, a Grandmaster, or even a Great Grandmaster's arrow?"

King Liang and Liu Yao's expressions changed. The possibility he spoke of indeed existed.

One must remember that there were many in the world who didn't want the Emperor to live forever. For this reason, it wasn't impossible for a Great Grandmaster to be dispatched.

Although their contingent's strength wouldn't fear a direct confrontation with a Great Grandmaster, if an arrow was shot from afar, they truly wouldn't be able to save Zu An in the prison cart in a hurry.

Thinking of this, King Liang ordered, "Empty General Liu's carriage and let him move in. General Liu, you can ride with me."

Liu Yao's face had been extremely dark, but upon hearing the latter part of the sentence, his expression softened slightly.

Zu An pointed to Zheng Dan beside him: "And her, because..."

He hadn't finished speaking when King Liang, weary at heart, waved his hand. "Alright, don't say another word. Miss Zheng can join you."

He had experienced this fellow's verbal skills before. If he let him continue, he'd probably come up with a pile of twisted logic. It was better not to listen, to spare himself the aggravation.

Sang Qian, off to the side, immediately let out a distressed cry. He hadn't expected them to actually agree to let Zu An ride in a carriage, and even more, he hadn't expected them to agree to Zheng Dan joining him!

Sang Qian's Rage value: 1024!

After all, the prison cart only had bars, and from such a close distance, anything happening inside was clearly visible. Now that they were in a carriage, he knew that these important figures' carriages were always tightly covered; if anything truly happened inside, he wouldn't be able to see a thing.

King Liang snorted, "With so many people guarding around, anything happening inside will be perfectly clear outside. You don't need to worry about such trivialities."

After speaking, he couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention to Sang Qian. Clearly, explaining even that much to him was a great concession.

He and Liu Yao returned to the carriage. The two men already had some friction between them, and sharing a carriage now made them inevitably uncomfortable.

Thinking that all of this was caused by that brat Zu An, each of them secretly fumed.

Zhao Yi's Rage value: 233!

Liu Yao's Rage value: 846!

Clearly, Liu Yao was even angrier because his carriage had been usurped.

The two men sat in the carriage in silence. The atmosphere was quite awkward. Eventually, Liu Yao found a topic to break the silence: "After we leave Linchuan Commandery, we'll pass through King Wu's territory. Do you think he might..."

King Liang shook his head. "Probably not. King Wu, being the Emperor's illegitimate son, has always conducted himself with discretion. He shouldn't harbor any improper thoughts."

"That's good," Liu Yao sighed in relief. He then chuckled, "This King Wu is a bit too discreet. Everyone else marries into prominent aristocratic families, yet he married a woman from a third-rate minor family to be his princess consort."

King Liang smiled. "Although this Princess Consort Wu doesn't come from a high-ranking family, legend has it she possesses heavenly beauty, enough to charm a nation. Everyone jokes that King Wu loves beauty more than the empire."

Liu Yao snorted. "Even if he had married a woman from a prominent aristocratic family, this empire still wouldn't have anything to do with him."