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Chapter 171 The Imperial Power and Beneficial Marriage Contract Finally Resolved; Qinghua's New Disciple's Sword Rainbow Appears [Part Two]

The emperor was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Compensation? Immediate payment?

Honestly, he naturally hoped that Tang Hao would agree to one condition.

Don't even mention that the other party might be a true disciple of the Qinghua Sect. Even if they are just an inner disciple, it's not something he can force to buy or sell.

'Forget it, let's just consider it a good deed.' He sighed inwardly. 'Besides, given Tang Hao's status, anything he offered to exchange for that wisp of national fortune must be extraordinary.'

After thinking it through, the emperor nodded slightly to Tang Hao.

"Your Majesty, please wait a moment."

Just as he was about to take action and sever the connection with that thread of national destiny, the voice arrived again.

Then, the strange dragon beast that had emerged from Tang Hao's brow and flown into the air turned around and returned from his brow.

Inside the Tianyuan Hall, the noise had disappeared without anyone noticing.

Many imperial relatives and high-ranking officials looked at each other, some of them confused about the current situation.

However, the person seated at the front, between the emperor and Tang Hao, was...

They clearly noticed the subtle changes in the expressions of the two people and understood that they were communicating telepathically.

The noise that had just subsided was gradually starting to rise again.

What was that dragon beast all about?

"That's right! Instead of seeing the imperial edict with the golden dragon pulling the chariot appear, a strange-looking dragon beast ran out."

"Hey, look at your eyesight. What dragon beast? That's just a strange phenomenon created by arcane runes."

"What? Arcane runes?"

"Hiss... This secret technique looks extraordinary. No wonder he is an inner disciple of the Qinghua Sect. Did he inherit the mantle of some elder?"

Hearing his colleagues' whispers, the Minister of Works' face gradually turned pale: "Your Highness, it's over."

"You're the one who's finished! Calm down, so what if things didn't work out? It's not a big deal." Although King Kang's expression was also not good, he did not lose his composure.

The Minister of Works said urgently, "This attempt to launch an attack has failed, and the Duke of Rong must be on guard now. It will be even more difficult to target him with this matter again!"

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he made a series of connections and murmured:

"Do you think he did this on purpose, using the prince as bait to lure us into making our preparations ahead of time, and then secretly taking over his body after the grand banquet? Or should we kill the prince and drag him down with us?"

"Confused!"

With a disappointed and disapproving rebuke, King Kang sneered, "It's not a complete loss. The concealing jade pendant is destroyed, so I'm afraid that old man Tang Ling will have a hard time getting it again."

"Now all the high-ranking officials know his plans, and Tang Hao himself will also be on guard. Given Tang Ling's current state, we may not even need to do anything before he dies of old age."

He glanced at the other person and said, "What we need to do now is to prevent him from having the opportunity to carry out that body-snatching act again."

All the King of Kang wanted was for the Duke of Rong to die, with no chance of ever recovering.

Just as his advisors said, it didn't matter who killed him. Even if he died when his lifespan was exhausted, it wouldn't be as satisfying, but it would still be something he could barely accept.

"So that's how it is! Your Highness is truly wise and far-sighted!" The Minister of Works thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case.

His complexion immediately regained its rosy hue, and he began to ponder how to prevent the Duke of Rong from attempting to possess someone's body.

As for compensation and punishment, they are ultimately acting in the best interests of Dongling. How could His Majesty punish them too severely?

The ministers whispered among themselves below, while the emperor rested with his eyes closed on his throne.

After waiting a few more moments, a voice came through: "Your Majesty, please take action!"

The emperor responded and used his divine sense as a blade to slash at the invisible connection.

At the same time, he noticed...

Tang Hao suddenly clasped his hands together between his eyebrows, palms apart to the sides, with only the fingertips touching, forming a gesture that resembled a triangle.

'Is this some strange hand seal? I haven't seen any magical fluctuations!'

The emperor was bewildered, but the sword of divine consciousness had already struck down fiercely, severing his connection with the fate of the nation.

'Compensation in hand!' A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

The smile froze in place the next moment.

The connection he severed disappeared for only a moment before it was re-established.

And at the same time.

The emperor saw a golden hue suddenly appear at the center of Tang Hao's strange hand seal.

'How come the nation's fortunes have returned?' His eyes widened suddenly as he stared at the scene in disbelief.

At the same time, a question lingered in his mind: 'Logically speaking, once the national destiny and the aura of that dragon vein merge, they should be impossible to separate again. To force it out, the only option is to actively abandon that secret technique.'

With his keen eye, just by seeing the unusual phenomenon of the secret runes, he could easily determine that it was a rare and powerful technique, and Tang Hao would not give it up so easily.

'Could it be that he doesn't want to be entangled in karma? But I have already severed the connection. Although that wisp of fortune still possesses characteristics of national destiny, it has been stripped of the karma of Dongling. What reason could he possibly have to do this?'

As the golden national fortune transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into the jade seal in his palm, the emperor couldn't understand it at all.

After a brief examination, he found nothing unusual about the imperial seal or the national fortune it contained, and his brows furrowed in concern.

Tang Hao slowly opened his eyes and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Previously, the nation's destiny was integrated into the [Nightmare Butterfly].

Although he didn't notice anything unusual, he always felt an inexplicable heaviness on his body.

Compared to the sense of ease he felt in his body and mind at that moment, a sudden realization dawned on him:
'If the emperor doesn't sever the connection, even if he tries to avoid it later, he will inevitably be drawn into the dynasty's karma.'

Then, Tang Hao glanced at the Imperial Seal of the State.

The clear connection he saw in it made him feel a little strange: 'I'll keep it; it might come in handy later.'

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the emperor's voice came through.

This time, no one spoke again: "Your Highness is truly decisive. Such a great art, you just give it up like that. Don't you think it's a pity?"

He was helpless; not only did he refuse to agree to the conditions, but he also wouldn't give him a chance to build good relationships.

"Your Majesty flatters me. It's just a secret technique; we can fix it later." Tang Hao knew he had misunderstood, but he didn't explain.

He bowed again and said, "I must thank Your Majesty. Otherwise, I would not have been able to return the nation's fortune intact."

The emperor's heart stirred, and a faint smile returned to his face.

These words and tone suggest that he has accepted this good relationship?

Although it was much shallower than expected, it was still worth the effort.

Thinking this way, he stopped worrying about what methods the other party had used to maintain that connection to the nation's fate: 'The head of the five great immortal sects has plenty of miraculous methods and treasures; it's not surprising.'

"I deeply admire the Crown Prince's methods and character!" the Emperor said with a smile and a nod of approval.

He then suppressed his smile and swept his gaze across the crowd in the hall, saying, "The Crown Prince has been verified as authentic. Do any of you ministers have any objections?"

"Your Majesty is wise, and we have no objection." With the facts laid bare, no one dared to say anything more.

Although many people had many questions about the strange phenomenon of the dragon beast, they also knew that this was not the time to investigate.

The Emperor nodded: "In that case, the three men, the Prince of Kang, the Minister of Works, and the Commander of the Black Dragon Guard, have criticized the Heir Apparent of Rongguo on trumped-up charges, causing damage to the Heir Apparent's reputation and mental distress. They shall each be fined two years' salary."

Prince Kang and the Minister of Works exchanged a glance, then bowed their heads and accepted the punishment.

The Black Dragon Guard commander opened his mouth, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

He had not actually participated in the plot of the Prince of Kang. Now that he thought about it carefully, it was clear that the old weapon refiner was deliberately sent to him by the other party.

'I've been used.' He gritted his teeth and looked at the two people's backs.

Noticing the emperor's warning gaze, he had no choice but to concede. The emperor then looked at Tang Hao, his gaze softening: "Your Highness, regarding the compensation, do you have any requests?"

"They probably don't have anything that interests me, so let's just compensate with mid-grade spirit stones, the more the better," Tang Hao thought for a moment and waved his hand.

"Then each of you shall compensate the young master with two hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

The emperor's words were law, and the hearts of the three punished were bleeding.

The penalty of losing a salary is one thing; two years' worth of salary converted into spirit stones would amount to only a few hundred low-grade spirit stones.

However, this compensation is a bit hard to bear. It's two hundred mid-grade spirit stones, enough to buy a top-grade spirit weapon. If the three of them put their money together, they could barely afford a low-grade magic weapon.

The emperor ignored the three men's tearful expressions and continued, "Prince Duan."

“Your subject is here.” Prince Duan quickly rose and bowed.

"If the Crown Prince of Rongguo insists on annulling the engagement with Princess Fu'an, you must fully cooperate and not make excuses to refuse."

Prince Duan sighed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Thus, the Spring Festival banquet finally came to a close.

After the emperor left, the imperial relatives and high-ranking officials discussed the events that had just occurred in small groups, and then left their seats and walked out of the hall.

"Xianzhi, let's go too." Helian Chengyu stood up, straightened his robes, and greeted him with a smile.

Tang Hao nodded and walked to his side.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness."

A gentle voice came from behind him. He turned his head and saw that it was Princess Helian Jinxi of Fu'an.

Prince Duan stood at a distance and did not approach, his expression somewhat complicated as he looked at him.

"Fu'an, you've come to see Xianzhi?" After the other party confirmed, Helian Chengyu winked at him, "Then you two talk."

After saying that, he quickly walked a short distance and waited at the entrance of the Tianyuan Hall.

Tang Hao nodded at her: "What does the princess want to say to me?"

Helian Jinxi glanced at him, their eyes met briefly, and then she quickly looked away.

"Your Highness, can, can we not break off the engagement?" Despite the blush on her face, her words did not sound timid. Although there were pauses, her voice was clear and steady.

This performance immediately enriched Tang Hao's impression of him.

He glanced at her briefly and noticed that this princess of the dynasty was tall and slender with graceful curves and a dignified and beautiful appearance, making her quite pleasing to the eye.

"There has never been any interaction between me and the princess, nor is there any romantic entanglement between us." Tang Hao's gaze sharpened as he looked into the other person's eyes: "If you are worried about your reputation..."

He pondered for a moment and said, "Today, before His Majesty, I have already explained the reasons. The matter of annulling the engagement has nothing to do with the princess herself. It is all my personal matter. I think it will soon spread throughout the entire capital."

"If that's not enough, I can issue another statement to ensure that the princess's reputation will not be tarnished," he solemnly promised.

Helian Jinxi stared at him blankly, seemingly not expecting Tang Hao to suddenly say such a thing.

"Princess?" Tang Hao called out, his brows furrowed slightly.

Startled awake by the call, Helian Jinxi's cheeks flushed even more.

She smoothed the hair at her temples to conceal her identity before saying, "Actually, the marriage agreement between Fu'an and the Rongguo Duke's Mansion has a long history, but the position of heir has been vacant, which is why the marriage contract has not been signed."

“When the young master first gained his identity, he was only focused on Miss Shen from the General’s Mansion. Later, he went to the Qinghua Sect to cultivate. It wasn’t until the young master returned to the capital today that this marriage contract officially took effect,” Helian Jinxi recounted.

"Fu'an was overjoyed on the day the marriage certificate was signed."

She stopped looking away and tried to meet Tang Hao's eyes.

'Does this mean that this girl had been secretly watching over the original owner since he became the heir apparent, and slowly, whether through self-suggestion or something else, she fell in love with him?' Tang Hao was astonished.

He originally thought the two were complete strangers, but he never expected there to be such a twist.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly and apologize to the original owner, knowing he could only disappoint the beauty's heart.

Tang Hao looked at her seriously and said, "I'm sorry, Princess, let's cancel the engagement. I won't lie to you, after leaving the capital this time, I won't be coming back easily."

“Cultivation knows no time. With my talent and aptitude, my cultivation level will improve very quickly. Once I reach a high level, a single period of secluded cultivation can last for countless years, and we will basically never have the chance to meet again.”

"Princess, you are just a stranger to me. Before long, I will forget about you. We are really not suitable for each other!"

The girl is shy and didn't say she liked him directly, but her meaning was already very clear.

He couldn't bring himself to use harsh words, so he had to present the facts and reason with them.

Fortunately, Princess Fu'an was reasonable. After a long silence, she finally nodded and said, "Then as the young master wishes, our engagement is null and void."

As she spoke, she took out the marriage certificate, and Tang Hao, seeing this, also took out his own copy.

With a sudden burst of their magical power, the two marriage certificates instantly turned to dust.

Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to her, and said, "Princess, farewell."

"Your Highness," Helian Jinxi said, looking into his eyes, "farewell."

Even after walking a long way, Tang Hao could still feel the other person's gaze fixed on his back.

"You're really heartless, kid." Helian Chengyu clicked his tongue.

Although he was far away, he was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and since neither of them made any attempt to conceal their conversation, he heard everything clearly.

Tang Hao smiled but didn't say anything more.

“Daughter, let’s go too.” Prince Duan had seen everything. It was the first time he had known his daughter’s thoughts, and he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

Helian Jinxi forced a smile and followed her father toward the palace gate.

He seemed somewhat dazed, and just as Prince Duan couldn't bear to look at him any longer and was about to say something...

She regained her composure and looked at her father, saying, "Father, I have made my decision!"
"What?" Prince Duan was taken aback and asked, puzzled.

"Your subject is going to the Qinghua Sect. I want to become the disciple of Fairy Yan Yumin!" Helian Jinxi's expression was firm, not like he was joking.

"This……"

Prince Duan frowned instantly.

However, it did not say anything about the need to first enter the inner sect to become an apprentice, or that the master must take you seriously.

“Daughter, you’ve only just entered the Dao, reaching the second level of Qi Refining in just one month. Shouldn’t you wait a little longer? With your talent, entering the inner sect directly shouldn’t be a problem, but becoming Fairy Yan’s disciple isn’t just about talent…”

Helian Jinxi looked at him and smiled, saying, "I know, everything depends on fate."

Sigh...you!

Prince Duan sighed: "Whatever you say."

He was unwilling for his daughter to join a sect for cultivation.

Given her status and talent, it would actually be quite suitable for her to cultivate at home.

Being a woman means she won't be affected by the emperor's edict, and she won't need sect missions or training. At most, her cultivation will be a little slower.

Having understood his daughter's thoughts, Prince Duan found it difficult to refuse.

He consoled himself, "It's alright. Fu'an's talent is even greater than he appears; he's just quite lazy at home. If he went to a sect, his achievements might be even greater."

"Thank you, Father!" Helian Jinxi replied with a sweet smile.

Over the next few days, Tang Hao moved to Helian Chengyu's private residence.

He resumed his days of wandering around with his flesh puppet and nine women.

Until it was nearly evening that day.

Two dazzling sword beams collided violently in the sky above the mansion.

(End of this chapter)