Chapter 592: Poisonous Scheme

“Great, great!” the fat Crown Prince clapped his hands, cheering.

Zu An was speechless. This guy was truly heartless. He had even been forced to consider Zu An a friend, yet for the sake of fun, he completely disregarded his friend's safety.

It was Shi Kun again, who, instead of quietly accepting his punishment, was still agitated and talking incessantly.

Shi Kun's face was contorted with malice. Not only had he failed to harm Zu An today, but he had also completely disgraced himself. How could he possibly let it go?

He didn't understand why the Crown Prince, after being drenched in urine, would still let the other party off. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to propose another plan.

The incident with the Crown Prince being splashed was merely a spur-of-the-moment improvisation. This new plan was the one he had meticulously prepared to deal with Zu An.

He took out the prepared throwing knives and handed them to the Crown Prince. These knives were specially retrieved from the Shi family's treasury. They were Heaven-grade divine weapons, known as 'Immortal-Slaying Flying Knives,' specifically designed to shatter cultivators' defensive shields and injure their souls.

Cultivators injured by these knives would suffer soul damage, which would likely take decades to heal. Losing decades of cultivation time compared to others would cripple even the most gifted genius.

If the injury was severe, they might never make any further progress in cultivation.

Not to mention fifth or sixth-rank cultivators, even eighth or ninth-rank cultivators would be unable to withstand a hit from these knives if they were unlucky enough to be struck—though, of course, lower-level cultivators couldn't even hit eighth or ninth-rank masters with them.

Zu An frowned. He could faintly sense the threatening aura from the throwing knives. They looked unremarkable; could there be something extraordinary about them?

Naturally, he didn't want to fall into Shi Kun's trap. He cupped his hands toward the fat Crown Prince and said, "Your Royal Highness, I am not invulnerable to blades or spears, so there's no need to try."

The Crown Prince hesitated. He didn't know why, but deep down, he considered Zu An a friend. If his friend wasn't willing, then so be it.

At that moment, Shi Kun immediately spoke up, "Everyone knows that Young Master Zu astonished all with his skills at the Moonbright City family competition, made a name for himself in the academy's secret realm, and later defeated various masters on his journey to the capital. He even learned the method of immortality, which has piqued the Emperor's curiosity. Why should such a person be modest?"

The Crown Prince's eyes lit up. "Big Brother, so you're that amazing!"

"It's not that exaggerated," Zu An said, speechless. Shi Kun's flattery clearly had malicious intent.

As expected, Shi Kun immediately added, "Your humble servant knows that Your Royal Highness is always benevolent. However, this man possesses the method of immortality; even if he gets injured, he will surely recover immediately. Therefore, Your Royal Highness need not worry."

Zu An almost laughed. "Benevolent," he thought sarcastically. From their brief interaction, the Crown Prince was clearly simple-minded, with no connection whatsoever to benevolence.

He said coldly, "Brother Shi, have you forgotten the Emperor's clear decree: 'Those who presumptuously discuss immortality shall be executed'?"

Shi Kun's expression became solemn. "Of course, I know that. But I wasn't discussing immortality; I was merely expressing how powerful your cultivation techniques are. Even the Emperor admires them and has granted you the title of commoner baron. Now that you're serving as the Crown Prince's attendant, it's only natural to give His Royal Highness a demonstration."

"Yes, yes, I want to see too!" The Crown Prince gesticulated wildly, his eyes full of anticipation.

Zu An frowned. "What's so difficult about witnessing the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra'? How about Young Master Shi steps forward and demonstrates by sparring with me for the Crown Prince?"

Shi Kun's expression subtly changed. Back at Moonbright City Academy's back mountain, Zu An had nearly killed him even when his cultivation was higher. Although his own strength had improved, Zu An had managed to survive various pursuits by the Mosquito Daoist of the demon race, the Eight Rogue Cultivators of the Demonic Sect, and the Night Elves. He absolutely wouldn't dare to spar with him. What if Zu An seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack? He wouldn't even have anyone to complain to.

He reacted quickly and immediately said, "Young Master Zu's might shakes the world; naturally, I wouldn't dare to make a fool of myself."

"If you're not going to participate, then what's the point of all this talk?" Zu An snorted, a look of disdain on his face.

Shi Kun's anger flared. "He's truly a vulgar ruffian from the streets, speaking so crudely," he thought. "How did Young Miss Chu ever fall for him?"

Rage points from Shi Kun +456!

Shi Kun took a deep breath. "It's not about me wanting to test you now; it's the Crown Prince who wishes to see your abilities. He will be the one throwing these knives. The Crown Prince is only slightly better than an ordinary person; do you mean to say you're afraid even of that?"

Zu An said with a smile, "Is Young Master Shi implying that the Crown Prince has low cultivation and is a fool?"

"Shi Kun, what do you mean by that?" The fat Crown Prince glared at him indignantly.

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Shi Kun. "That's not what I meant! As the heir to the throne, Your Royal Highness doesn't need to cultivate himself. You only need to command us cultivators. We will handle all matters requiring charge and battle."

Only then did the Crown Prince nod with satisfaction. "That's more like it."

Zu An had to admit that Shi Kun's quick wit and eloquence were top-notch; he could easily smooth things over like that.

Shi Kun, worried that Zu An might say something else, quickly interjected to take the initiative: "The Crown Prince merely wants to witness your divine skills. What's the meaning of your constant evasiveness? Are you looking down on His Royal Highness?"

"Exactly!" The Crown Prince's chubby face crumpled, clearly showing his displeasure.

The other guards stood ready, prepared to apprehend Zu An the moment the Crown Prince gave the order.

Knowing there was no avoiding it now, Zu An spoke, "It seems rather uninteresting for me to just catch the throwing knives alone. How about we make a wager? Let's see who, Young Master Shi or I, can withstand more knives?"

The Crown Prince's face lit up with excitement. "Excellent, excellent! Shi Kun, you join him!"

Shi Kun's face turned green. He hadn't expected to shoot himself in the foot.

However, he reacted quickly. He immediately thought that Zu An probably didn't know the true power of the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knives. He could use a time differential, letting Zu An go first. That way, once Zu An was struck by an Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, he would be severely injured instantly, his soul gravely wounded, rendering him unable to protect himself. Then, he could just casually fool the simple-minded Crown Prince with a few words, and the matter would be resolved.

On the contrary, if he kept dragging it out, something unexpected might happen later. Thinking this, he immediately agreed. "Alright, Young Master Zu, as a guest from afar, please go first!"

Zu An didn't refuse. Catching a throwing knife wasn't too difficult, and he possessed the powerful recovery ability from the Primordial Chaos Scripture, which gave him a significant advantage over Shi Kun.

He pondered how to completely resolve the problem of Shi Kun.

Soon, a eunuch came and led Zu An to a wall behind the door, instructing him to spread his arms wide and press his hands against the wall. An apple was placed on his head, one on each hand, and one between his legs.

Shi Kun, with a look of successful cunning on his face, handed the throwing knives to the Crown Prince. "Your Royal Highness, when you shoot, aim for these apples. With your skill, you're guaranteed to hit them every time."

"Of course, I've always been good at throwing knives since I was a child," the Crown Prince said, eager to try with the knives in hand.

At this point, Shi Kun added, "This time, it's not just about cultivation; it's also about courage. If anyone dodges or causes an apple to fall, they lose. The loser must then kneel down, lick the winner's shoes, and bark like a dog. How about that?"

He sneered inwardly. Once Zu An did that, he would publicize the matter for all the world to know. "Then, how will you ever face Young Miss Chu again?" he thought. "No, not just Young Miss Chu, you won't be able to face anyone!"

"Barking like a dog, fun, fun!" The Crown Prince was so excited he nearly jumped, having not encountered anything so amusing in a long time.

Zu An secretly sighed. This Crown Prince was indeed heartless. Nevertheless, he nodded and said, "It's a deal!"

Shi Kun hadn't expected him to agree so readily. However, he quickly realized that Zu An probably intended to resist forcefully, likely overconfident in his defensive and recovery abilities. But how could Zu An know the might of his Immortal-Slaying Flying Knives?

Although it was a slight regret that the other party wouldn't kneel and bark at his feet, seeing him completely crippled would still achieve his objective.

He knew the Crown Prince's situation best. He wasn't truly a cultivator; the Emperor had simply provided him with rare treasures and arranged for people to force-feed him some primal energy. While he was stronger than an average person, he had no idea how to utilize it.

Forget hitting every single apple; it would be a miracle if he even hit one. That Zu fellow could just wait to be riddled with arrows like a hedgehog.