novelraw Chapter 215: Rebellious Disciple
Chapter 215: Rebellious Disciple
The Prince decided to act as if she were utterly infatuated with Simo Tu.
Although she had already begun making up her mind from the moment Simo Tu's connection to the Azure Cloud Sect became apparent.
No matter how much he had stood up for her under Jialan's command back then, now that Simo Tu was getting too close to the Azure Cloud Sect, she could no longer trust Simo Tu wholeheartedly.
But she couldn't simply abandon Simo Tu outright either.
The Mirror Kingdom still needed Simo Tu's strength, or rather, the entire old world still needed Simo Tu's strength.
The upcoming Full Bloom Plan... oh, it should now be called the "Heavenly Fire Attainment Plan," would definitely require Simo Tu's assistance.
So, agreeing to get engaged to Simo Tu was merely a temporary expedient.
She was a purely political creature, incapable of altering plans for personal desire or abandoning her own interests.
The Prince admitted she harbored somewhat unusual feelings towards Simo Tu.
As a Prince who had lived independently since childhood, receiving no shelter, a girl whose interactions with others had always been purely transactional.She couldn't deny that when Simo Tu unconditionally protected and trusted her, her heart had skipped a beat for a fleeting moment.
But, it was only a fleeting moment.
She was the cruel, ruthless, and cold Prince of the Mirror Kingdom, the woman destined to become the King of the old world!
Even if it was Simo Tu, even if he was her fiancé, he would still be used as a stepping stone!
If this was her own heart's desire, then she would even exploit that very desire.
All her submissive and yielding behavior in front of Simo Tu was nothing but part of her plan.
Only by first deceiving herself could she deceive Simo Tu.
[Are you saying that all your previous performance was merely to lull Simo Tu into letting his guard down and serving you wholeheartedly?]
"Of course."
The Prince limped towards the end of the mirror space.
Now that Simo Tu had left, she no longer needed to pretend, "If I can make him serve my Mirror Kingdom, what does it matter if I give him a little sweetener?"
[That makes sense. It's just that your performance earlier didn't seem like acting at all.]
"If it was obvious at a glance, wouldn't that give the game away?"
The Prince's voice carried an unshakeable arrogance and confidence, "When the plan concludes, you'll see who was really played for a fool, and who will end up unable to live without whom. One day, I'll make you witness Simo Tu clinging to my leg, begging for my mercy!"
[Suggestion: If that's the case, perhaps you should discard all the fish Simo Tu caught for you here first, to demonstrate your contempt for him.]
"Pfft."
The Prince let out a disdainful laugh, "Going out of my way to throw away things he gave me would only prove I care about him far too much, wouldn't it? They're just inconsequential things anyway. Don't tell me you actually think a few fish could capture my genuine affection? System, are you taking me for a cheap woman?"
[My apologies, I overstepped. I just felt you should appear more principled...]
"A true monarch knows when to bend and when to stand firm!"
The Prince declared resolutely, "It's merely an insignificant bit of grievance. For now, we've placated Simo Tu, making him work for us. If we fail, there's no loss; if we succeed, the gains are immense!"
[Your Majesty is wise! Besides Simo Tu, neither the old world nor the Witch Association can currently find anyone else capable of entering the Central Bureau...]
"Heh."
Passing through the end of the mirror space, the Prince arrived at the empty hall of the Mirror Kingdom palace.
Rows of golden-yellow statues, a lavish crimson carpet, resplendent gold and jade walls and ceiling, and various ornately carved, majestic and dignified load-bearing pillars.
Of course, the most important thing was at the very top.
The crown sealed within a crystal pillar, transparent like glass, was the core of all the Mirror Kingdom's systems.
Only by donning that crown could one truly become the King of the Mirror Kingdom and gain all its permissions.
A fiery heat rose in her heart, momentarily pushing all thoughts of Simo Tu to the back of her mind.
What use were mere feelings of love and affection? Only power was real.
Only strength was the most reliable, the one thing that would never betray her!
[Reminder: After a system search, no engagement-related documents were found in the Civil Affairs Bureau of the new world. According to official records, no such thing as an engagement document exists. Please re-examine your documents, Prince-sama.]
Hearing the system's reminder, the Prince was taken aback for a moment.
Then, leaning against a load-bearing pillar, she picked up the document and examined it carefully.
Simo Tu had prepared two copies of the engagement document, one for each of them, both signed.
Now, looking closely at the engagement document, the header indeed read "Engagement," but the content below was...
The more the Prince read, the more her fervent, coldly arrogant expression transformed into excitement.
Finally, she pressed the document against her face and laughed uproariously.
For a moment, she displayed a joy and abandon reminiscent of when her mother had discovered the new world.
[Query: Why are you laughing so happily? Is there an issue with the document? Is it not an engagement document?]
"You are correct."
After laughing for a long while, finally venting her emotions, the Prince reined in her mirth, her voice even sounding a bit hoarse.
Her crimson pupils were filled with amusement and confidence, "Indeed, it's not an engagement document. It's a marriage certificate."
[Assessment: It's possible Mr. Simo Tu grabbed the wrong document...]
"How could that be? He's not an idiot."
The Prince said flatly, "You don't actually think he's an illiterate fool, do you? He gave me two copies. For such an important ceremony, and him being so invested, he must have read it over several times."
"Simo Tu did this on purpose!"
[Reminder: Marriage documents are officially recognized in the new world. As of now, in the eyes of the new world's authorities, you are already Simo Tu's wife...]
"Quite the schemer, just to marry me."
The Prince wore an expression of having seen through the other's intentions, "First deliberately calling it an engagement, then pressing step by step, giving me no breathing room, retreating in order to advance, forcing me to sign the marriage certificate."
"Going to such lengths to scheme against me, all just to be able to marry me." At this point, the Prince couldn't help but chuckle, "Just how much does he like me? Truly lovesick. It's almost making me a bit afraid. If I abandon him in the future, he won't be driven to despair and commit suicide, will he?"
[Rebuttal: I don't think so. Prince-sama, you might be a bit overconfident. There are other possibilities, such as the Civil Affairs Bureau not having engagement documents and using marriage certificates to accommodate him...]
"No need to force-find excuses for him like that."
The Prince waved her hand, "I don't really care either. Even knowing he's utterly infatuated with me, his rhythm completely thrown off, finding it hard to breathe, using what little brainpower he has entirely on how to obtain me, I still won't be the least bit flustered. I clearly know what I need to do. It's just reassuring; since he's so obsessed with me, the risk of his betrayal is slightly lower."
[Agreement: What you say is also true. However, I still recommend proceeding with caution.]
"The current pace of events is developing very well. No need for too many changes in rhythm, causing us to lose our footing."
The Prince of the Mirror Kingdom gazed at the transparent throne.
"Not just Simo Tu, but also the others from the old world. I will use everyone to obtain the true essence of the world, using countless corpses to achieve my own Full Bloom! The true King of the old world! You, all of you, just watch."
...
The Prince of the Mirror Kingdom probably wanted to use other old world individuals, having them also achieve Full Bloom to conceal her actions,
While she herself obtained the true Full Bloom power.
This was why Jiang Si had mentioned the Heavenly Fire Attainment.
The Full Bloom of others might not necessarily be fake; the Prince most likely genuinely wanted other old world individuals to achieve Full Bloom as well.
But these were undoubtedly just smokescreens.
Once the Full Bloom Plan began operation, the Incubators would definitely be watching.
So, having other old world individuals achieve Full Bloom was merely to have them draw fire. The real goal was for the Prince to achieve the result of a flawless Full Bloom herself.
Imagistically, [Heavenly Fire] represents the radiance of the sun and moon, symbolizing the fire of the Supreme Yang and Supreme Yin, warming mountains and rivers, illuminating the cosmos. It is the supreme path, the emperor among fires. Therefore, to attain [Heavenly Fire], one must have a reputation that shakes the universe, rule over the world, receive homage from all directions, and govern both internal and external affairs!
And this "world" isn't just East China, West China, South China, North China, Sakura Island, Gazing Star, and other overseas regions; it must include the world encompassing the old world Dregs!
From the perspective of sun and moon imagery, this world is the [Sun], and the old world Dregs are the [Moon]!
Therefore, as long as she could genuinely give other old world individuals the opportunity for Full Bloom, they would inevitably be placed in a subordinate position to the Mirror Kingdom, forming a ruler-subject relationship.
Then the Prince of the Mirror Kingdom could be considered the King of the old world.
Imagistically, this would satisfy half the requirement.
What about the other half?
To push the Prince girl to attain [Heavenly Fire], all subsequent actions would likely revolve around this world.
The Dao Master, himself, the Incubators, and the Witch Association's president—Jiang Si didn't know exactly how powerful this person was, but the fact that the Witch Association had survived until now without being eradicated by the Incubators meant that, strength-wise, relying solely on Jialan wasn't enough. This Witch Association president probably wasn't weak.
The game of the three Dao Masters—although Jiang Si also didn't know where the game was, but since the Heavenly Fire Attainment had begun, the game had started.
[Heaven and Earth Board]! [Pool of Great Fortune]! [Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Diagram]! [Fate's Pawn Walk]! [Debate of the Hundred Arts]!
If the Hundred Cultivation Arts he had mastered couldn't help the Prince subdue the heaven, earth, and all living beings of this world, achieving imagistic perfection, then he also knew a thing or two about the art of the great game.
For Jiang Si, he needed to see what method the Prince of the Mirror Kingdom would use to achieve flawless Full Bloom.
Although that Full Bloom using the Dream Core also hadn't had its power reclaimed by the world, ultimately, by discarding a major trump card like the Mental Landscape and preventing detection by setting up a Simplified Domain around oneself,
And the Simplified Domain had power limitations; exceeding the output could easily cause the Simplified Domain to self-destruct.
For Jiang Si, it held no value whatsoever.
He absolutely had to obtain the Mental Landscape.
Using the Mental Landscape as his own Purple Mansion was also the key to taking the next step on his cultivation path, stepping onto the road of Nascent Soul Transformation.
On the other hand, he was also very curious about what his own domain would look like.
If it was the materialization of his mental imagery, could the domain present him with the true cultivation world?
Jiang Si was very much looking forward to the effect of his Mental Landscape.
He hoped it wouldn't disappoint him.
After emerging from the mirror space, Jiang Si took another look at the engagement document.
Back then, he had asked at the Civil Affairs Bureau for a long time if there were engagement documents. The Civil Affairs Bureau staff kept saying no.
He kept insisting they issue him an official engagement document. After pestering them for a long time, they finally, impatiently, gave him a legally official engagement document.
Since there were too many words, Jiang Si, of course, was too lazy to read it. They were official staff; they couldn't possibly cheat him, right?
Not just the engagement certificate, he also got a divorce certificate, even with an official seal.
Jiang Si had wanted a letter of repudiation, but they said they could only issue a divorce certificate, so there was no choice.
A divorce certificate it was then. When the time came, he'd just shout "I divorce you!" himself.
Carefully putting away both the divorce certificate and the engagement contract, Jiang Si, satisfied, headed towards the inn.
All preparatory work was complete. All that remained was to make the Prince lose her composure, enrage her, and then have her annul the engagement with him.
Jiang Si wasn't in a hurry about this; there were plenty of methods. Currently, his cooperation with the Prince couldn't be disrupted by making her turn hostile too early.
In this regard, he had always been very patient.
Next, he needed to go to the Central Bureau first and secure the Mental Landscape.
Once the Prince's Heavenly Fire Attainment succeeded over there, confirming the path to flawless Full Bloom, he could immediately make his breakthrough.
Halfway there, he stopped again and sent a message to Keke, saying Shion had sent him home first, so Keke shouldn't worry and should just follow the South China Disaster Control Bureau to the Central Bureau to participate in the Mental Landscape trial.
After all, it was closer to the Central Bureau from here; going all the way back to Beihai would be too troublesome.
However, Keke insisted on returning to Beihai to meet him, wanting to see him arrive home safely before leaving.
Well, Magical Girls were highly mobile anyway, so it didn't really matter.
After finishing his chat with his little sister, Jiang Si took out the crystal ball again.
Soon, Yun Ke's face appeared on the crystal ball, looking utterly exhausted, completely drained.
Upon seeing Jiang Si, she perked up immediately.
"Simo Tu-sama! Thankfully, Jialan-sama has been subdued by you and gave me a hand, otherwise I'd already be in the witch trial court, never to see you again..."
"Did you get the goods I asked for?"
"I did."
Yun Ke wiped her nose, then pulled out two canisters of reagent from her bosom, "Ten tons in total, not a bit less."
"Purity?"
"The purity is absolutely guaranteed!" Yun Ke even opened a lid and took a sniff, "Couldn't be purer. The goods came from Uncle Dong's hands, absolutely reliable. Before the Magical Girls came knocking on his door, he was personally overseeing quality control at the factory! If there was the slightest problem, the person in charge had to write an 8D report. I saw it with my own eyes. His goods have no flaws except for being expensive!"
"Good. Deliver them to the address I gave you in batches."
Ten tons of reagent would last him a long time.
Since he was going to the Disaster Control Bureau Central Bureau, Jiang Si wouldn't naively think Magical Girl power alone would suffice.
Even old world individuals could produce a Magical Girl Killer.
He didn't believe the Disaster Control Bureau Central Bureau lacked means to deal with Magical Girls.
He could clearly distinguish that the Incubators at the Disaster Control Bureau and Magical Girls were two different species, even two different organizations.
With medicine in hand, his heart was at ease.
Even if they could handle Magical Girl Shion, he still had Witch Shion as a fallback, and failing that, the Golden Calamity Dragon King.
He had to be fully prepared, regardless of whether the Central Bureau posed any danger or not.
Caution was never wrong.
"Keep up the good work. Obtain the witch reagent formula as soon as possible and achieve self-sufficiency in witch reagent production."
"Yes!"
Satisfied, he hung up the call without wasting any time.
He found a spot and transformed directly.
After all, Keke and the others were almost ready to head back. He needed to get back first.
The Calamity Dragon was too conspicuous, and with the entire South China region searching for the Calamity Dragon recently, Magical Girls everywhere were itching for a fight.
He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.
While heading straight for Beihai, halfway there, near the small city of Anyang, he saw a huge spray of water suddenly erupt from the sea surface,
And several Disaster Beast corpses sent flying in all directions.
The terrifying mana explosion even caused the sea to surge into a massive tsunami, threatening to engulf the entire small city of Anyang!
Yet it dissipated instantly in mid-air, the great tsunami turning into rain, pattering down over the small city of Anyang.
Such precise mana control.
With just a glance, Shion realized this Magical Girl she happened to encounter on the road possessed mana control precision not inferior to that of a true-transmission disciple, sparking her curiosity.
Currently, most Azure Cloud Sect disciples were not in East China; the majority of true-transmission and inner sect disciples had gone to the Disaster Control Bureau Central Bureau for exchanges.
This Magical Girl on the road should be either a free Magical Girl or one from the Disaster Control Bureau.
Having such control precision was truly a bit surprising.
So Shion made a slight detour, flying into the deep sea near the small city of Anyang.
It was in the area where the Heart Image Remnant had been previously. Due to the influence of that Heart Image Remnant, there were actually quite a few Disaster Beasts active here.
The Azure Cloud Sect and the Disaster Control Bureau had previously discussed cooperation matters regarding jointly clearing out the remaining Disaster Beasts in this area.
Getting a bit closer, she saw a girl wearing a Gothic-style dark red robe, flying in the air, sitting on a broom-like magic staff, with black knee-high socks matching the red robe, and a dashing cloak of the same color.
Of course, the most eye-catching was her pointed hat.
Clearly dressed like a little witch.
As the wind blew, she hurriedly pressed down on her pointed hat that was almost blown away. When a large shark suddenly leaped from the seabed, opening its maw wide towards her, the girl holding her hat chuckled and recited:
"Confringo."
The moment the large shark touched the little witch, it suddenly exploded!
Blood splattered everywhere, dyeing the entire sea surface red.
After blowing up the fish, the girl finally noticed someone approaching. She turned her head, blinked at the purple-haired Magical Girl, and said,
"Ah! Sect Master!"
Shion turned and left immediately.
Then the little witch quickly chased after her on her broom, "Hey, hey, hey, Sect Master, it's me, it's me! I'm Thousand-Pinweed!"
That's right, Thousand-Pinweed.
Shion's least favorite true-transmission disciple.
A Harry Potter fanatic.