Chapter 444: Unconventional Means

Yun Yuqing shook her head slightly. "That fellow is too cunning. The task wasn't completed."

The King of Wu was furious, "How is that possible! With Zu An's cultivation, no matter how cunning he is, how could he escape your grasp? Do you have any idea how much effort and heart I put into this opportunity?"

Watching her usually gentle and refined husband roar at her, Yun Yuqing was stunned. She had never seen him lose his composure like this before; in all their years of marriage, he had never even raised his voice at her.

The King of Wu paced restlessly around the room like an ant on a hot griddle. "It was so hard to get Prince Liang and Liu Yao to come, and I used all my strength to keep them here. Now you're telling me it was all for nothing, all for nothing!"

Yun Yuqing's face was pale, and she said nothing in response.

Just as the King of Wu was about to continue venting his anger and dissatisfaction, he suddenly noticed a faint trace of blood at the corner of his wife's mouth. He paused, "Are you injured?"

"Just a minor injury, it's nothing serious," Yun Yuqing replied calmly.

Sensing his wife's resentment, the King of Wu quickly explained, "I was just anxious a moment ago. I didn't mean to blame you. You know how long I've been biding my time, preparing for this opportunity for so many years."

"I know," Yun Yuqing hummed.

The King of Wu knew she was probably still upset, but he couldn't dwell on it now. "Let time calm things down," he thought. "By the way, how were you injured? Did some master intervene?"

Yun Yuqing shook her head. "No, everything went smoothly. I was just injured by Zu An."

"How is that possible?" the King of Wu asked, perplexed. "According to our intelligence, Zu An's cultivation is at most fourth or fifth rank. How could he injure you? I also specifically observed him before; his cultivation was even sealed by the Embroidered Uniform Guards. It should have been impossible for him to fight back."

"While his cultivation was sealed, his spiritual power was not. I couldn't control him with my Demonic Eye of Illusion and was instead injured by his counterattack." Yun Yuqing took out a white handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. The image of that bright red, strange bird filled her with an involuntary sense of fear.

"Does Zu An have some sort of magic artifact or trump card?" the King of Wu asked, shocked. "For the Demonic Eye of Illusion to be ineffective, and for something to injure you, that's truly unimaginable."

"It should be a skill from the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra," Yun Yuqing said. She didn't fully believe Zu An's words, but the strange red bird shared some similarities with a phoenix. Confirming both, she made her judgment.

A hint of excitement appeared on the King of Wu's face. "The Phoenix Nirvana Sutra is indeed miraculous! Zu An has only practiced it for a few months and can already injure you. I must obtain it!"

However, his expression suddenly darkened. "Unfortunately, this attempt failed. Prince Liang and the others will be leaving tomorrow, and there will be no more opportunities."

Yun Yuqing hesitated. "Actually, it's not entirely without hope. If we could keep them here for just one more day, I could try to negotiate with Zu An again."

The King of Wu frowned. "If you keep going back, the Embroidered Uniform Guards might become suspicious."

"It's fine," Yun Yuqing said with a slight smile. "Those people, Huang, Hui, and Hong, have spiritual imprints placed by my Demonic Eye of Illusion. As long as I activate them, they will obey my every command, so there's no need to worry about them."

"But won't Father Emperor discover it? Given his cultivation, these methods probably can't hide from him." The King of Wu's face paled at the thought of his father's formidable power.

Yun Yuqing shook her head. "Don't worry, such imprints disappear automatically after three days, leaving no trace. They won't be able to return to the capital within three days, surely."

The King of Wu finally burst into laughter. "My dear wife, you truly are my capable assistant! You've solved my problem so easily. Very well, I'll figure out a way to keep Prince Liang and Liu Yao for one more day. Tomorrow, you absolutely must handle Zu An!"

Yun Yuqing's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "But there's a problem now. Zu An is proving difficult. My Demonic Eye of Illusion can't control him, so I have to resort to conventional methods. However, he's someone specifically requested by the Emperor; we can neither kill nor harm him. He's aware of this, which is why he's making all sorts of exorbitant demands."

"Exorbitant demands?" the King of Wu said. "I'm not afraid of him making demands, only of him making none. Whatever he wants, as long as our Prince of Wu's residence can provide it, give it to him. After all, once I obtain the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, I'm confident I'll secure the throne in the future. By then, the entire world will be mine; what could I possibly be unwilling to part with?"

Yun Yuqing's face instantly flushed. "But what he wants is... not ordinary."

"No matter how unusual, I'll be willing to give it," the King of Wu chuckled, clearly already fantasizing about what would happen after he obtained the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra.

"Can't you just let me finish!" Yun Yuqing said, both embarrassed and angry. "He wants *me*!"

The King of Wu: "???"

"Wants you?" The King of Wu was momentarily stunned, not immediately grasping the meaning. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you're thinking," Yun Yuqing said, turning her face away, her neck flushed. "That's why I came back specifically to discuss with you, to see if there's anything else we can find to persuade him."

"This scoundrel is going too far!" the King of Wu burst out in rage. "He's just a street ruffian! It's already a blessing from his ancestors that he could even get involved with Miss Chu, and now he dares to set his sights on my queen!"

Rage points from Zhao Yan +666!

As he spoke, he began to cough violently.

Seeing her husband so angry, Yun Yuqing's heart swelled with tenderness. She quickly rushed over and gently patted his back. "My dear husband, don't let anger harm your health. That fellow is just a vulgar hooligan who has no concept of reverence. He's simply making outrageous demands with his nonsense. Let's think again about what we can use to persuade him."

"Alright!" The King of Wu nodded, his eyes gleaming, lost in thought.

The couple then began to discuss what might persuade Zu An, listing many suggestions, but quickly dismissing them one by one.

Finally, only two or three of the most promising options remained.

The King of Wu expressed some concern, "Do you think Zu An will accept these terms?"

Yun Yuqing shook her head. "I don't know. From our recent interaction, he's quite strange, and I can't quite figure out his way of thinking."

The King of Wu huffed indignantly, "Hmph, if I weren't so wary, I'd throw that fellow into prison and torture him until he talked. But now, I'm being led by the nose."

Yun Yuqing, standing by, also furrowed her brows, evidently sharing the same thought.

The King of Wu hesitated, then suddenly asked, "Yuqing, what if he rejects all these last few options?"

Yun Yuqing fell into thought. "Then we'll keep Prince Liang and the others for one more day, and I'll talk to him a few more times. We're bound to find a solution."

The King of Wu shook his head. "Prince Liang and the others are tasked with escorting a royal prisoner. Keeping them here for even one more day is my limit; there's absolutely no way I can keep them for three days."

Yun Yuqing sighed deeply. "Then perhaps we'll just have to give up. After all, plotting for the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra carries the risk of offending the Emperor. Giving up might not be a bad thing after all."

"No!" the King of Wu refused emphatically. "Absolutely not! Just because I wasn't born of the Empress, I was banished to a remote vassal state, while my elder brother, a complete good-for-nothing, became Crown Prince simply because of his connection to the Empress. Why should that be? That's why I've been secretly planning all these years to get what I deserve!"

"Unfortunately, the resources at my disposal are limited, and I've never seen much hope until now. This Phoenix Nirvana Sutra is an opportunity Heaven has granted me; I absolutely cannot miss it!"

Yun Yuqing tried to comfort him. "But we've already done our best. Some things just can't be forced."

"No, we haven't done our best," the King of Wu said, gazing at his wife's exquisite face. "What I mean is, if those options we just discussed don't get Zu An to agree, then you must accept his terms."