Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

Li Chengze's consciousness rapidly browsed the system's online store.

Those coveted god-level items like the "Chaos Pearl" and "World Seed" were tempting, but the dizzying string of zeros constantly reminded him of his current poverty. He decisively lowered the filter to "below 5000 reputation points".

The dazzling array of goods vanished almost instantly, leaving mostly modern household items such as soda, tissues, and even instant noodles.

"These things would be good for improving our lives later, but for now..." Li Chengze shook his head, his gaze continuing to search.

In this perilous world, strength and power are fundamental.

Soon, his attention settled on two types of goods: cultivation techniques and bodyguards.

With 5000 reputation points, most of the martial arts techniques that can be exchanged are mediocre, such as "Iron Sand Palm" and "Grass Flying," which are common martial arts techniques and are practically useless to him, who has been taught by Yuan Tiangang.

However, in a corner, a supplementary exercise called "Turtle Breathing Technique" caught his attention.

[Turtle Breathing Technique: A supplementary cultivation method. Those who master it can completely conceal their aura, lowering their heart rate and pulse to extremely low levels, becoming as still as withered wood or stubborn rock. Unless a Grandmaster personally visits and deliberately investigates, it is difficult to discern the depth of their cultivation. Price: 1000 Reputation Points.]

"This is it!"

A glint of light flashed in Li Chengze's eyes.

What he lacks most right now is not the skill to kill, but the skill to survive, and even more so, the skill to conceal his true abilities!

Although he outwardly agreed to Consort Shu's request not to practice martial arts, he would definitely practice if given the opportunity.

Once one cultivates true qi, no matter how weak it is, it is difficult to guarantee that it will not be detected by the experts in the palace, especially the unfathomable Hong Siyang, and Emperor Qing who hides in the palace all day to shoot arrows.

With this "Turtle Breathing Technique," he could cultivate without restraint. As long as he didn't make a move, no one would be able to tell that he possessed martial arts skills!

"exchange!"

As soon as Li Chengze had a thought, 1000 reputation points were instantly deducted, and a mysterious flow of information surged into his mind—the cultivation method of the "Turtle Breathing Technique".

There are 4000 reputation points remaining.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Chengze turned his gaze to the list of secret guards.

[Sixth-Rank Bodyguard: Maximum loyalty, skilled in infiltration, espionage, and assassination. Strength: Sixth Rank. Price: 2000 Reputation Points/person.]

"Exchange for two Rank 6 Shadow Guards!"

[Ding! Exchange successful. Please select the drop location.]

"Place it next to Yuan Tiangang."

Li Chengze calmly issued the order.

He was currently deep within the palace, and the sudden appearance of two living, breathing people by his side was utterly inexplicable. Moreover, with Consort Shu protecting him, his life was not in immediate danger.

On the contrary, Yuan Tiangang, who was outside the palace, although possessing immense power, was ultimately a lone commander. Rebuilding the Bad People required a large number of people to run errands, infiltrate, and gather intelligence.

These two sixth-rank bodyguards, while not impressive enough in high-level games, are still considered minor experts in the martial arts world. They are perfectly suited for handling miscellaneous tasks or acting as liaisons.

"My lord, this is... no, this is the first gift I'm giving you."

Li Chengze's lips curled up slightly, as if he could see Yuan Tiangang's slightly surprised expression behind his mask when he saw the two assassins who suddenly appeared in a dark corner outside the palace.

Li Chengze didn't feel heartache; instead, he felt a sense of pleasure in investing in the future.

He sat cross-legged on the soft couch and began to try to cultivate the "Turtle Breathing Technique" according to the method in his mind.

As his breathing gradually became long and weak, he felt as if he had become an old turtle sleeping in the deep sea, his heartbeat slowing down and the flow of qi and blood in his body becoming extremely subtle.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes, his sharp glint concealed, and he looked like an ordinary, even somewhat frail and sickly, scholar, without any trace of brilliance.

"very good."

Li Chengze nodded in satisfaction, picked up the "General History of Qing Kingdom" again, and began to read it with great interest.

Outside the window, the setting sun cast his long, long shadow.

That year, a strange sight appeared in the royal palace of the Qing Kingdom.

The six-year-old second prince, Li Chengze, became a notorious troublemaker in the palace. He could cite classical texts in front of the Grand Tutor, leaving the old scholars speechless, but he could also make the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, so angry that he would jump up and down.

Or, while the Crown Prince was reciting his lessons, they would loudly recite lewd and obscene songs to disturb his mind; or, in the Imperial Garden, they would deliberately set a small trap so that the dignified Crown Prince would fall flat on his face, and then stand aside clapping and laughing, doing their utmost to mock him.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian looked at his older brother, who was a few days older than him but always looked down on him, and his disgust and hostility deepened day by day.

All of this was observed by Emperor Qing, who sat high on his dragon throne.

Instead of punishing Li Chengze, he often praised the Second Prince for his "true nature" in court, which undoubtedly added fuel to the fire in the Crown Prince's heart.

Consort Shu turned a blind eye to this, and would even occasionally "unintentionally" reveal Crown Prince Li Chengze's whereabouts for the day. The mother and son cooperated tacitly, performing this reverse drama of "brotherly love and respect" to perfection.

……

Late at night, the moon and stars are rare.

Li Chengze dismissed his attendants and climbed onto the bed. In the previously quiet corner of the bedroom, a thick shadow suddenly began to writhe eerily.

Li Chengze's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly relaxed and a smile appeared on his lips: "General, you've arrived."

As the shadows dissipated, Yuan Tiangang's iconic figure emerged. He was still dressed in a dark gold outfit, his face hidden by a bamboo hat, exuding a chilling aura, yet he concealed it to the extreme when facing Li Chengze.

"Your subject greets Your Highness."

Yuan Tiangang knelt on one knee, his voice hoarse yet respectful, "In the past year, I have been fortunate enough to fulfill my mission."

Next, he gave a concise report on the achievements of the past year. During the year, Li Chengze had rewarded the secret guards who appeared around Yuan Tiangang and placed them in the underground gangs of Kyoto. Based on this, the tentacles of the Bad People had quietly extended into the streets and alleys of Kyoto, brothels and gambling dens. There were even a few inconspicuous spies who had infiltrated the outer perimeter of the Imperial Household Department, which was responsible for purchasing for the imperial palace.

Although it has not yet touched core power, the prototype of an intelligence network has already been woven.

Li Chengze nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of admiration: "I naturally trust the Commander-in-Chief to handle things. However, besides listening to the report today, I have another request."

Yuan Tiangang raised his head slightly: "Your Highness, please speak."

"I want to learn martial arts." Li Chengze's eyes were burning. "I want to learn the General's 'Tian Gang Jue'."

A glint of light flashed in Yuan Tiangang's eyes beneath his mask. He did not offer any words of dissuasion, but said in a deep voice, "The Tiangang Technique is extremely powerful and domineering. Your Highness is young and your meridians are delicate, so I am afraid you may not be able to withstand it. But since Your Highness has made up your mind, I am willing to use my own three hundred years of cultivation to protect and guide you."

After saying this, Yuan Tiangang got up and walked to the bedside.

Li Chengze sat cross-legged, his palms facing upwards.

Yuan Tiangang extended a withered hand, which contained terrifying power, and gently placed it on Li Chengze's back.

boom!