Chapter 156 - Conspiracy

The arrival of the two invitation letters was completely within Qin Wuyou’s expectations. However, what he didn’t expect was that not only did the two invitation letters from the crown prince and third prince arrive at the same time, the appointment was at same time, and were also completely identical.

Yun Che accepted the two invitation letters and quickly browsed through them. The wordings of both invitation letters were very polite and believable. First they spoke highly of Yun Che; they praised him as the dazzling star of the young generation, stated their admiration for him after hearing the results of yesterday’s match with the inner palace disciple, and sought to personally see his grace. As a result, they respectively invited him to the birthday banquet and the beast battle convention, which were at noon in ten days time, and asked him to do the honor of showing up....

Seeing that Yun Che had finished looking through the letters, Qin Wuyou said. “I believe it was also within your expectations to receive invitations letters like these. Every disciple that was able to become a Inner Palace disciple would receive invitations to join the camp of both the crown prince and the third prince. What’s more, with the fight from yesterday, your reputation had increased so much that it’s practically above every one of the Inner Palace disciples. For these two invitation letters to come to fast, it was within my expectations. What do you plan to do?”

“What does Instructor Qin think I should do?” Yun Che put down the invitation letters and asked a question in reply.

Qin Wuyou shook his head. “It is beyond my capability to help you choose. You are weak and have no background; you can not afford to offend either of the two. Originally, the best choice for you to make was to accept both of their invitations, give an ambiguous and tactful attitude to their offers while refusing neither yet not accepting either. However, I don’t know if it’s purposely done or by coincidence, the time for these two invitations are completely identical. If you were to accept, you can only accept a single invitation. However, regardless of whichever invitation you accepted, you would have clearly showed your position and, at the same time, thoroughly offend the party that you didn’t accept. And if you were to go to neither, it could be interpreted as looking down on both parties. If it was me in that situation, I have absolutely no clue as to what to do.”

Yun Che smiled and said. “Whether the birthday banquet or the beast battle convention, there’s still ten days for me to consider. There’s no need to worry. What I am more concerned about... is that I am but a mere disciple of the Blue Wind Profound Palace. It was as you had said, my strength is extremely insignificant in that big circle, so why did the crown prince and the third prince so graciously invite me?”

“Your current individual strength is indeed quite minuscule. However, what they care about is not your individual strength but rather your prestige and your huge potential. Perhaps you are not aware of this, but after yesterday’s battle, your name had already spread through the entire Blue Wind Imperial City. And through the various versions of exaggerated rumors, you have become close to a legend. This was especially true for the younger generations; they had grown a strong adoration and yearn for you. Furthermore, the fact that you have no backing and is born a commoner, gave rise to the approval and support of countless young profound practitioners of common birth. If you join either camp, with the influence that you currently possess, you would surely cause the young profound practitioners to tilt to the side of your choosing. On top of that, your current performance showed that you will certainly become extraordinary in the future. Although the current you is weak, in another five or ten years when you have matured, you’ll certainly become a great assistance. Thus, both the crown prince and the third prince would spare no effort to try to get you into their camp.”

After thinking for a long time, Yun Che slowly nodded. “I understand.”

“How you will choose is completely up to you. However, I must remind you, if you actually join either the crown prince or the third prince’s camp, then no matter how strongly Princess Cang Yue feels for you, she would still sever her relationship with you.” Qin Wuyou firmly looked at Yun Che and then departed with heavy footsteps. Had Yun Che been a mere profound palace disciple, then even if he was ten times more gifted, he would not be this anxious. However, Yun Che’s relationship with Princess Cang Yue had caused him to be unable to take this matter lightly.

The information that Yun Che received invitations from both the crown prince and the third prince was somehow leaked. One person told ten and ten told a hundred; in an afternoon’s time, practically everyone in the Blue Wind Profound Palace knew of the matter. One could hear people discussing the matter from every corner of the Palace.

“Hey! Have you heard that Yun Che received invitations from his highness the crown prince and his highness the third prince at the same time.... So enviable, if one were to be able to join the camp of either the the crown prince or the third prince, regardless of which, he will enjoy glory and splendor for his entire life.”

“Tsk tsk, you can admire all you want. For a genius like Junior brother Yun Che to be noticed by both his highness the crown prince and his highness the third prince at the same time is absolutely reasonable. If you were to be able to crush an opponent seven ranks above you, then I can guarantee you that you’ll also receive this kind of treatment the next day.”

“Say, do you think Junior brother Yun Che would choose the crown prince or the third prince?”

“Hmmm, that’s very hard to tell. I’ve heard that the crown prince and the third prince was completely incompatible. If he chooses the wrong person and his master ends up being defeated in the future, then perhaps he, too, might be done for.”

.......................

Blue Wind Imperial City, Northern Field General’s mansion.

Murong Yi was deeply injured in the battle against Yun Che. On that day, he was carried back into the mansion by Feng Baiyi to recuperate from his injuries. The rumors regarding Yun Che that was spreading like wildfire had led Murong Yi to gnash his teeth and fume with endless rage. In those rumors, he had became that pathetic and ridiculous side character... Or, more accurately, a stepping stone.

“Yun Che, I am going to kill you... KILL YOU!!”

In less than two days time, Murong Yi had already roared those words over three hundred times; each and every time carried an immense hatred. He had grown up with flattery and honor; never had he received such extraordinary shame and humiliation before. It was also the first time he had such an overflowing grudge against someone.

“Brother Murong, there is news that might be unpleasant to you.”

Feng Baiyi walked in, and said with slanted eyebrows.

“What news!” Murong Yi sat up from his sickbed and asked with a steady face. “Is it about Yun Che?”

“That’s right.” Feng Baiyi pinched his chin as his expression became gloomy. “I’ve heard that he received an invitation from both the crown prince and the third prince at the same time today, asking him to participate in the crown prince’s thirty three year old birthday banquet and the third prince’s beast battle convention.”

“Crack, crack....”

Murong Yi did not say anything but a sharp and crisp bone cracking sound could be heard from his hands.

“Both the crown prince and the third price had thrown the olive branch at him and even invited him to such grand occasions; one could tell how much they valued Yun Che. Although they had both tried to entice all the Inner Palace disciples to a certain degree, it was the first time for them to invite someone to such grand and important occasions. In this way, it’ll be a bit hard for us to try to make Yun Che suffer in the open. Even if your father were to personally step in, it is already something that he cannot accomplish because it’ll be the same as not respecting the crown prince and the third prince.” Feng Baiyi said with indifference.

“He must die... MUST DIE!!” Murong Yi violently roared. His violent movements immediately caused his wounds to reopen and made him howl in pain.

Feng Baiyi glanced at Murong Yi and said. “In that case, you can only attack him secretly. Not only that, we have to be quick about it.”

“Baiyi, you must certainly help me with this matter! I have never received this kind of humiliation in my entire life. All the dignity and honor I possessed was trampled into pieces by that bastard Yun Che! How could I restrain my anger? How could I let him use my dignity to bask in the limelight!” Murong Yi’s entire body raged with an immensely deep malice. “Baiyi, you must help me!”

“Rest assured. We have been good brothers for many years now. For you to receive such a humiliation, as a brother, I would naturally not brush it aside.” Feng Baiyi slowly stated. “In fact, you were too anxious in the battle yesterday. You initially fought him with bare hands and were basically evenly matched. His innate talent is indeed astonishing; a true profound second ranker actually managed to exhibit a profound strength of your level. However, the gap between you guys were, after all, an entire seven ranks; while he could exhibit a profound strength on par with yours, if we compare the foundation and the deepness of the profound strengths, his cannot compare to yours. If you had continued fighting him bare-handed, he would slowly become unable to brace your attacks and eventually fall. But when you were unable to successfully land your attacks on him for a long time, you decided to use a weapon instead.”

“To be unable to win against someone who’s seven ranks below me, how can I not become irritable!” Murong Yi clenched his teeth and defended himself. He completely agreed with what Feng Baiyi said, and now that he thought about it, if they both didn’t use weapons, he would, without a doubt, end up to be the victor. Even though the way he’d win would be somewhat unsightly, at the very least, he would not receive such a humiliation.

“In fact, Yun Che’s heavy sword wasn’t even that scary either; it’s just that there are too few heavy sword users and you lacked the experience in fighting against the heavy sword. Otherwise, how would your Silver Dragon Spear get knocked away by Yun Che so easily with his first sword strike, and even sustain internal injuries... With the loss of your Silver Dragon Spear, your mind became disordered and thus, you were doomed to be utterly defeated. I was nearby and what had happened very clearly. Yun Che’s heavy sword attack was indeed outstanding, but a heavy sword is incomparably heavy; its attack speed was very slow and it also leaves a large opening after every attack. With your profound movement skill, you could easily dodge his attacks and strike back at the opening he leaves. If you did that, Yun Che would never be able to win against you. And the first time your weapon met his in a head-on collision, which was the strongest aspect of heavy swords, how could you not lose?!”

“Besides, that Overlord’s Colossal Sword weighs one thousand nine hundred fifty kilograms; even if it was you and I, we wouldn’t be able to swing that sword easily. The three strikes Yun Che had swung, I suspect that’s his limit. Therefore, your defeat yesterday was actually not mostly because of Yun Che, but yourself. I believe that after listening to me, if you were to fight him again, it would be absolutely impossible for him to win against you. On the other hand, if it was me...” A cold light flashed through Feng Baiyi’s eyes. He sneered. “I’ll only need at most three exchanges to have his life.”

When recalling the events of yesterday’s battle, the more he thought about it, the more Murong Yi began to feel that Feng Baiyi’s words were completely reasonable. He immediately began to regret and replied while gritting his teeth. “You’re right. If I could fight him again, it is absolutely impossible for me to lose.... But at the moment, I’m covered all over with injuries. I can’t even get down from my bed. Otherwise, I would most certainly, personally... tear him from limb to limb!”

“Rest assured. I will help you take revenge. In at most five days of time, I will bring you Yun Che’s head. I guarantee that all your anger and resentment will completely fade away.” Feng Baiyi said while beaming.

“Really?!” Murong Yi immediately opened his eyes wide with excitement. But then, he knitted his eyebrows and said. “But Yun Che had received invitations from both the crown prince and the third prince. If we were to take action....”

“Rest assured. I will flawlessly handle this matter, and just to be safe, I even invited another person.”

“Who?” Murong Yi immediately asked.

“Xue Lang.” Feng Baiyi’s eyes narrowed.

“Xue Lang... Seventh rank on the Inner Palace’s Heavenly Profound Ranking, Xue Lang?” Murong Yi revealed a shocked expression. “He really agreed to help?”

Feng Baiyi laughed indifferently and nodded. “You too, know this person’s character. As long as we give him enough profit, he would be willing to do anything. As for this matter, he demanded 800 purple profound coins. After all, Yun Che’s current influence is immense; one must take on a certain amount of risk when killing him. It all depends on whether or not Brother Murong is willing to take out this sum.”

“Absolutely no problem!” Murong Yi’s expression became grim. “As long as you kill him without leaving a trace and dissolve my hatred, don’t even mention eight hundred purple profound coins, even if it was eight thousand purple profound coins, I would still not hesitate!”

“Good!” Feng Baiyi stood up. His voice had also become cold and grim. “Brother Murong, just wait for my good news... Ah, I am also itching to see this person, who dared to act so arrogant in front of me, kneel at my feet while desperately begging for forgiveness. Hahahaha.......”