Chapter 858 - 479: Shadow Walker
Chapter 858 - 479: Shadow Walker
Chapter 858: Chapter 479: Shadow Walker
Their attack will continue, as they exhausted the martial power cheering them on, and they kept getting smaller. Eventually, would they fall into a state of stagnation when their final energy was depleted?
Yan Xiaobao chose this attack because it could strike without him needing to focus on it. Therefore, he could use other skills simultaneously with his opponent.
Yan Xiaobao spent a week perfecting this ability, and it was then that he finally received the invitation he had been waiting for. A smile appeared on his face as a palace guard appeared in front of his mansion, inviting him to meet the Princess in a few days.
He smiled and accepted the invitation, then returned to his room. The past two days were a blur because he did nothing but focus on enhancing his control over the soul copy and metal body.
When the sun rose on the third day, Yan Xiaobao showed a slight smile on his face and bade farewell to Wang Julong, happily leaving the mansion. Outside the door was a carriage driven by Imperial Palace guards. The Princess had sent them to ensure the young guest arrived on time, and he quickly accepted the gesture of kindness.
Although he could reach the Royal Palace faster on his own, he said nothing, sitting in the carriage which slowly moved through the bustling streets filled with civilians, merchants, adventurers, and mercenaries.
Looking out the window, Yan Xiaobao saw children running around and playing behind the carriage. He saw maids walking on the roadside glancing curiously at the carriage, and even merchants would call out to the "young Master" riding in the carriage to purchase goods.
No matter how many people looked at the carriage or called out to them, the guards on the side showed no signs of stopping. The carriage slowly drew closer to the Royal Palace. The closer they got to their destination, the smoother the traffic. There were no longer merchants calling out or children running behind them. There were still some maids curiously looking, but mostly what Yan Xiaobao saw on the road were guards patrolling in groups of four.
The Royal Palace soon appeared before Yan Xiaobao, and as he sat in the carriage, he could not hide the smile on his face. Guards were everywhere, ready to stand aside so that they could easily pass through the gates. He sat in the carriage, which was the Princess’s private carriage, and the guards controlling it were her personal guards.
Passing through the palace grounds, the guards led him towards the Princess’s palace. While driving, after he finished talking to the Princess, Yan Xiaobao observed everything he could understand about how he would act.
He hoped the Princess would not insist on sending him home, as it would obviously limit his actions. "Oh well, we can’t guess what will happen afterward, so all we can do is prepare and improvise." Yan Xiaobao sighed at Lan Feng, Phoenix grinning. They couldn’t plan too much ahead today. They had to accept it, but they still had to ensure they succeeded. They only had one chance to win.
The carriage stopped, and a guard opened the door. Yan Xiaobao exited the carriage, looking at the huge mansion in front of him. Beside it was a small lake, with white birds standing in the shallow water. In a small garden at the back of the mansion, lotuses could be seen with two guards standing there.
"Come on," the guard said to Yan Xiaobao as he left the carriage. He was neither too respectful nor insulting him. He clearly didn’t care much about Yan Xiaobao, merely fulfilling the orders given by his superiors.
"Master Hui!" A gentle voice came from the garden, and a stunning beauty appeared beside Yan Xiaobao. Her black eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and a soft, gentle smile graced her lips.
"I am glad you had time to meet me today. Cao Min thanks you for bringing him here; you can return now," she said to the guard, who bowed deeply before turning to leave.
"Master Xu, take me to my garden. I would love to see the view there." The Princess said in her gentle voice, gently taking Yan Xiaobao by the hand to lead him to the garden she came from.
Along a small stone path, they walked through a beautiful garden filled with various flowers. A soft, gentle fragrance filled the air, enveloping Yan Xiaobao and the Princess.
"When I first met you, you said women could become Queens and rule a Kingdom." She casually sat down, seating herself on a chair, with a small tea table beside her filled with sweets and tea. Afterward, she motioned for Yan Xiaobao to do the same.
"Initially, I never thought it was possible for a woman to become a Kingdom’s leader, yet, the more I thought, the more I began asking myself, ’Why not?’
"In terms of ruling a Kingdom, women are just as capable as men, but sadly, I fall far behind my other brothers in terms of support. I mentioned to my father that I wished to be an heir, but he only laughed at me. Although the King dotes on me, he does not consider a woman to be anything more than someone to be married off."
Pausing for a moment, the Princess sipped her tea, stealing glances at Yan Xiaobao, who leaned leisurely on his chair with a warm smile.
"You have been quite busy lately," she suddenly commented. "You managed to gain the support of several Saints within Muchuan City. You also managed to garner the support of the black lion and Master Gao for you and both the Black Market Auction House and the most skilled spiritual blacksmith in town."
"Thinking about it, I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of your support, but I am amazed to see you have such allies in such a short time. So far, you haven’t put any weight on anyone, but everyone believes you support my Third Brother." She continued, continuously observing Yan Xiaobao to see if he reacted to her words. Yan Xiaobao’s face remained unchanged as if he hadn’t heard her, maintaining his silly smile all along.
"While most people are convinced you would surely support my Third Brother, my intuition tells me he is someone your heart would never support. Since you are unwilling to support him, why not become my first ally?" She inquired while leaning towards Yan Xiaobao with an enchanting smile on her face.
"If you become my ally, I will grant you many benefits. I know how to reward those who support me when we win the war. If I gain the support of the Divine Origin Beast Army’s Great Marshal, I believe others will follow me as well. Then I will no longer be weaker than the Prince."
Pausing once more, she puckered her lips charmingly and leaned back in her chair. For a whole moment, her eyes kept watching Yan Xiaobao’s every expression. He raised his teacup to his mouth and sipped it. Yan Xiaobao said nothing, deliberating on how to respond. Regardless, he was greatly surprised that this lady had already discerned his true intentions towards the Third Prince.
Yan Xiaobao didn’t know what to say. He worried that if he expressed discontent with the Third Prince, the Princess might speculate that his timely death was somehow related to Yan Xiaobao, but at the same time, he knew he shouldn’t lie to the Princess.
Yan Xiaobao smiled, placing the teacup on the saucer, his smile growing even more radiant. "I can consider your proposal..." he finally said, "but before I extend my support to you, I need to talk to my friends. Making a decision without consulting them first would make them very unhappy," he smiled, attempting to bide his time, as the Princess clearly knew what he was doing, nodding.
"I eagerly anticipate your decision and am confident you will realize it is worthwhile," she concluded, as Yan Xiaobao surmised she had said what she wanted, nodding. "I will certainly consider it," he assured her, "but alas, it is a significant decision that I cannot make on my own. I do indeed value our friendship, and I will soon return with good news." Hearing his words, a smile appeared on the Princess’s lips.
"Please borrow my carriage to return home," she said, waving her hand as Yan Xiaobao stood up, slowly making his way to the end of the garden. As he turned away from where the Princess was, entering a part of the garden where the thick trees made it hard to see him, Yan Xiaobao slowly walked into the shadows. He leapt to the top of the trees, ensuring he was hidden from sight.
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