Chapter 310: Tactic

　　“Inter inhibition?” King An’s prominent brows were locked in a tight knot.

　　Mister Yuan slowly nodded.

　　“She inhibits me?” King An’s voice lowered a few octaves as he asked slowly.

　　Mister Yuan sighed. “The lady’s lifeline is too valuable. Regular people will be unable to handle it.”

　　“So, you’re saying that I am a regular person?” King An smiled coldly.

　　Mister Yuan shook his head. “Although Your Highness is a royal descendant, your lifeline is a tad lower status than that of the lady. If you have a choice, then it would be better not to go ahead with this wedding.”

　　“How dare you, Mister Yuan.” King An was angered to the point where he was grinning from ear to ear.

　　It was the first he had heard such a thing. Someone here actually had the audacity to claim that his lifeline was not noble enough.

　　This Mister Yuan was certain that he did not have what it takes to reach the top!

　　As he thought about this, his face darkened. Meanwhile, the air in the room seemed to become heavy with tension.

　　Mister Yuan looked unbothered by this and continued, “If Your Highness wishes to protect yourself, then it is best not to marry this lady. I hope Your Highness will consider my sincere advice.”

　　“The wedding is set to continue. Do you want me to call it off?” King An snorted.

　　Mister Yuan sighed. “There is no other choice.”

　　“What if I marry her?” King An smiled coldly.

　　Mister Yuan shook his head. “Your Highness may not live out your lifespan to the fullest.”

　　“So, you’re saying that I’ll meet an unexpected death?”

　　“It may not necessarily be an unexpected death – it could also be by illness and fatigue.”

　　“Hahaha, I am a Grandmaster, you know? Illness?”

　　“Your Highness, even the Heavenly Beings have five stages of decay. What more the body of a mortal?”

　　King An flung his arms open in exasperation and growled in a deep voice. “I got it. Basically, an untimely death!”

　　Mister Yuan sighed and replied helplessly, “If it wasn’t for my own principles, then I wouldn’t have said these things which would eventually cause my own downfall.”

　　King An coldly blurted, “Who do you take me for? I will not punish you for being straightforward.”

　　Mister Yuan closed fist saluted and continued in a natural manner, speaking boldly, “I must thank Your Highness’ for your graciousness. Purple clouds hover around Your Highness in a sign of good luck. It’s a shame that this purple aura is so dense it is actually having an adverse effect. It’s truly better to distance yourself from this lady from this point forward.”

　　“What if she dies? What will happen to me?” King An continued.

　　Mister Yuan stroked his beard as he fell deep into thought. Then, he shook his head. “I’m unable to predict its effect! This lady is valuable beyond words. Naturally, the powers of heaven and earth will protect her. She will make narrow escapes from the jaws of death and even be reborn if she does die. There will always be people ready to assist her in order to ward off disaster. Thus, it’s better for Your Highness to distance yourself from her.”

　　King An became glum.

　　He recalled Xiao Shi’s Vitality Sealing Finger and her rebirth. If it had been someone else, he or she would have been long gone. Yet, here she was, thriving with life. Her body was getting better, and after consuming the Longevity Grass her lifespan was actually turning out to be longer than most people.

　　Each little sign only seemed to prove that her great fortune far exceeded the norm.

　　It seemed that she genuinely was untouchable, in which case his countless tactics were all but useless.

　　“So, you’re saying that she can’t be killed?”

　　Mister Yuan shook his head and sighed. “It’s better not to touch her or risk being rejected by the sources of heaven and earth. If you do, expect… an unexpected death.”

　　“Is there any way to work around it?” King An was starting to believe his words and was getting worried.

　　Mister Yuan replied, “Your Highness is on the other end of the spectrum so there really isn’t a way around it. Calling off the wedding would be the best option.”

　　“Are there any other disadvantages to calling off the wedding?” King An asked.

　　Mister Yuan pondered for a while before answering. “External forces may come together to prevent it from being canceled.”

　　King An frowned and recalled Father and Mother.

　　Mother would never allow him to call off the wedding. She was most satisfied with Xiao Shi. If Mother was here to hear what this fortune teller was saying, there was no doubt that the first thing she would do was kill Mister Yuan.

　　“Anything else?” King An prompted again.

　　Mister Yuan shook his head. “Killing that lady will prove to be even more difficult a task.”

　　“Killing with another’s hand? What about that?” Asked King An.

　　He thought about using the Ren Public House to murder Xiao Shi. This act would be killing two birds with one stone.

　　Mister Yuan sighed. “This lady may not be killed – trying to do so may end up having the opposite effect. However, there is one way.”

　　“Speak!” King An blurted.

　　“If Your Highness stops your cultivation, gets rid of your influences, lives in seclusion, rids yourself of your deluded mind, and return to a simple lifestyle, then eventually you will secure a lifetime of riches and power. This lady will then become your savior and provide you with an endless stream of riches and power.” Mister Yuan explained.

　　King An glared at him with a cold smile on his lips. “You sure love to kid!”

　　Mister Yuan sighed. “If that’s the case, then your only choice would be to kill this lady.”

　　King An yawned and ordered in a low tone. “It’s getting late and I am tired. Ding Jian, please escort Mister Yuan back. We’ll discuss this further another day. Please do rush to leave as I wish to seek guidance from you again soon.”

　　Mister Yuan closed fist saluted and flapped his feathered fan. Then, he followed Ding Jian out. His demeanor was as natural and carefree as ever.

　　——

　　Watching them leave, King An turned to look at Xu Ning.

　　Xu Ning was staring blankly ahead and maintaining his position as though he was a Buddha statue. He seemed slow minded, with no hint of a sharp wit.

　　“Revered Sir?” King An called out.

　　Xu Ning greeted with palms pressed together. “This Mister Yuan is from the Li Dynasty.”

　　King An’s facial expression immediately changed. “A spy from the Li Dynasty?”

　　“A person with special powers from the Li Dynasty.” Answered Xu Ning.

　　“So, you’re saying that his words can be trusted?” King An frowned.

　　Xu Ning replied, “True for the most part, but a tenth is not.”

　　“What’s his motive?” King An snorted.

　　He only needed to know his motive. Once that was revealed, it would be easy to tell which words were true and which were not.

　　Xu Ning replied, “He seeks to use Your Highness to weaken the Houses of High Dukes and cause havoc in the world of martial arts. The Li Dynasty could then swoop right in. Li Dynasty’s world of martial arts would act as a vanguard, starting with the Ji Dynasty’s martial arts world before eventually continuing their conquest to the furthest reaches of the land. Without the help of the Houses of High Dukes, the Imperial Court will be powerless to ward off their attack.”

　　King An’s face darkened. If this was true, then the Ji Dynasty was in grave danger.

　　“What a wicked tactic!” King An growled.

　　Xu Ning nodded. “The first emperor truly has unbelievable wisdom to establish twelve the Houses of High Dukes.”

　　King An glared at him coldly. “Is Revered Sir advising against touching the Houses of High Dukes?”

　　“I’m merely stating my view without advising Your Highness to do anything.” Xu Ning replied, “Your Highness may act as you see fit.”

　　King An calmed down and continued. “How could I not know the twelve Houses of High Dukes are the pillars of the empire? The intention of the first emperor when first establishing the twelves Houses was great but people change and now the Houses have proven to be too cumbersome to be effective. Not only do they not suppress the forces of the martial arts world, but they also let them grow and even conspire together with the sects and factions! If even a few of the Houses team up, they could wreck our ancestor’s foundation!”

　　“His Majesty is still around. Your Highness is overthinking this.” Xu Ning replied, “He who is not in the position, is not in the place to comment.”

　　King An coldly remarked. “Now this group of Houses seem to be teaming up. Even if they are not planning anything, they’re still going beyond their responsibilities. As long as a government decree isn’t out, there will be chaos in the long run.”

　　Xu Ning shook his head.

　　King An snorted. “Revered Sir disagrees with me?”

　　Xu Ning calmly closed his palms together and gestured towards the direction of the Imperial House. “His Majesty is wise. What can Your Highness see, that His Majesty cannot? His Majesty is an Enlightened Master, so why hasn’t he made a decision?”

　　King An rebutted, “It doesn’t matter how wise Father is, he could always slip up.”

　　Xu Ning shook his head. “He who is not in the position, is not in the place to comment. Your Highness is looking at the problem from the perspective of a prince and not from the position of His Majesty. How could the Houses of High Duke create havoc with an Enlightened Master around? His Highness is overthinking this!”

　　King An remained silent and snarled. He was speechless against Xu Ning’s bluntness.