Chapter 644: The Ninth Prince Goes to Court

Zhang Lie looked Heijie Niu up and down. "Oh, very good. You seem to have recovered in no time at all."

Heijie Niu flushed. "Lord of Renhuang, your potion was miraculous!"

He crept closer to Zhang Lie and whispered, "Lord, if you don't mind, I've told my clan that I was wounded after exchanging a few blows with you, not your cat..."

Whiter let out a hoarse roar before nudging Heijie Niu's body, shocking him so much that he leapt back.

Zhang Lie nodded wearily. "I see..."

The Heijie representatives walked up and proffered their buglike appendages to him. "Lord of Renhuang, it really is you! We were shocked to learn that you had made your way into this world as well. We understand your thoughts, and we're delighted to be working together with you."

Zhang Lie grasped their cool appendages and shook them firmly. As he looked them in the eye, his mistmeld clam soulshard activated.

Zhang Lie gave each of the Heijie a subconscious command: not to betray him.

The Heijie invited him into the capital, warning him as they stepped within, "Lord of Renhuang, there are no humans here. It may be better for you to put on a disguise to save yourself some trouble."

Zhang Lie nodded.

This was the capital of an alien world, and they could very well be in hostile territory. Without any idea of how the ninth prince's enemies might come at them, it was only prudent to take countermeasures. Zhang Lie feared no attack, but the ninth prince might be adversely affected by things he could shrug off.

As he patted his cheeks, his face slowly began to morph into that of another person entirely.

The ninth prince was shocked by the transformation, but this was simply one of the abilities that Zhang Lie had gained access to ever since becoming a disaster-grade lifeform. He was able to control every muscle and bone in his body at will.

Because the ninth prince's status in the palace wasn't particularly high, he was unable to bring Zhang Lie with him. Before he entered the palace, he requested the blade that Wang Jian had left behind. His eyes shone with determination, as though he were about to do something momentous.

.

Despite the fact that the ninth prince had said nothing about the assassination attempt throughout the journey to the capital, he had certainly been threatened and angered by the ordeal.

He had been stopped at the gates to the capital, his man had been seized right before his eyes—did the world think that he didn't exist?!

Zhang Lie estimated that the ninth prince was about to make so large a fuss that others were forced to pay attention to him.

Worried about his safety, Zhang Lie had the ninth prince bring Red Comet with him, who would guard him from harm. Even if Red Comet couldn't fend off his assailants, it was fast enough to run away with the ninth prince and return to Zhang Lie's side.

As a beast, Red Comet was surprisingly easy for the ninth prince to walk around with. After all, a number of the princes had their own pets, but the ninth prince's fourth-level beast was clearly a cut above the rest.

The Heijie invited Zhang Lie to meet with the seventh prince, but Zhang Lie rejected the invitation outright. He would have an audience with the seventh prince when it came time, but given that he had just arrived at the capital, Zhang Lie didn't want to make too big a fuss. ?His current identity was the master of the ninth prince, and it would seem rather strange for him to visit the seventh prince on his first day in the capital.

In truth, Zhang Lie didn't mind the rumors; he simply didn't want to meet the prince. Was he so free an individual that he would agree to such meetings on the seventh prince's whims?

Heijie Niu commented, "The ninth prince is finally safe now that he's within the capital. No prince would be so foolish as to make a move within. If a prince were to do so, the other princes would immediately react."

That the capital was neutral territory was an implicit agreement between the princes. If any of them were to break that agreement, the capital would immediately descend into chaos.

Outside the capital, of course, it was another matter entirely.

Heijie Niu continued, "The Heijie clan have a manor in the capital. Lord, if you need a place to stay..."

"I'm not interested." Zhang Lie did not want to live with these bug-like aliens.

Suddenly, however, he thought of something. He was running out of money. He turned to Heijie Niu. "How were the effects of the healing potion?"

Heijie Niu's eyes brightened. "It was the best potion I've ever consumed!"

"Do you want to buy some for the future?"

"You're interested in selling your stock?"

Zhang Lie nodded.

Heijie Niu bought twenty vials at an extremely high price, using the currency native to this world.

With that money, Zhang Lie found a comfortable inn in which to reside. The inn was clean and spacious, though he had to pay extra for hot water.

Furthermore, White and Whiter couldn't be brought inside the inn and had to remain out in the stables. As Zhang Lie was finishing up a nice, long bath, however, he found a panicked stablehand waiting for him.

White and Whiter's presence in the stables were causing all the horses and animals present to panic. Their legs were shaking, their bodies trembling.

As a result, Zhang Lie had no choice but to pay for a neighboring room in which White and Whiter could be temporarily installed.

The next day, the ninth prince got up bright and early, dressed himself, and attended that morning's court.

Not every prince had the right to participate in court, especially not a powerless prince like him. However, the reason he had left his palace was to survey a particular territory on the king's orders, and he had received special dispensation to report to court. His intention was to display Wang Jian's sword and describe what had happened to him, laying the blame at the other princes' feet and reminding them of his continued existence.

The ninth prince marched into court. The crown, second, and third princes were all present. Only they had a standing invitation to morning court; they were the three princes most favored by the king.

This was why the other princes had tried to trap the third prince and tarnish his reputation—so they could replace him.

The crown prince asked, "Ninth brother, are you hale? I received news that your guards perished on your way back to the capital."

The crown prince was over a hundred years of age, but he still seemed as strong as a hunter in his prime. He had been in the army and had even suppressed a rebellion. Killing intent radiated from his body, which was lithe and muscular. Two long scars marred his face.

The ninth prince bowed. "Thank you for your concern, eldest brother. Unfortunately, I encountered a pack of third-level beasts, though I managed to escape unscathed."

The second prince remarked, "A pack of third-level beasts! You must have suffered greatly, ninth brother."

The second prince's stature was far less intimidating than the crown prince's. Just like the crown prince, he was over a hundred. He looked like a scholar, demure and staid—but the ninth prince knew precisely what kind of cunning man lay behind that cultivated exterior. He was barely weaker than the crown prince himself.

"By a chance encounter, I met a man who saved my life, second brother."

The third prince's eyes flashed upon hearing this recounting. "Oh? What man is this? I must meet him myself to thank him for saving my ninth brother!"