Chapter 12: The Closest Kin!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Princess Zhaoyang’s residence was actually the Crown Prince’s residence that Li Yuanqing used to live in.

They had not seen each other for four years. The two stone lions in front of the crown prince’s residence and the fake mountain made of Taihu stone in the courtyard had not changed at all. If Li Yuanqing had not noticed that the Acacia Tree in the courtyard had become thicker and taller, he would have thought that he had merely gone shopping in Xi City for the past four years.

Zhaoyang did not live in his original courtyard. Instead, she used the previous guest room as a place for her to rest and cultivate. When Li Yuanqing saw his sister, Zhaoyang, she had lost a lot of weight and was staring blankly into the mirror.

Zhaoyang, who was originally high and mighty, was now like a flower that had been scalded by boiling water. She no longer had any spirit. Her eyes were no longer as bright as before, and her better face was covered in layers of gray aura.

Zhaoyang’s soul seemed to have been sucked out.

When Li Yuanqing saw his sister, he felt that he had come at the right time.

“What’s wrong? I’m here, yet you don’t even have a cup of tea?”

A familiar chuckle stunned the dazed Zhaoyang for a moment. She thought that she was hallucinating because she was too sad, until she saw Li Yuanqing.

All of a sudden, she dashed towards Li Yuanqing in surprise and hugged his waist. At this moment, Zhaoyang, who was about 1.65 meters tall, was slim and elegant while she stood before Li Yuanqing. Just nice to reach his shoulders.

Zhaoyang, who did not like incense, was clean and fresh. She did not speak as she hugged Li Yuanqing. She only buried her head into Li Yuanqing’s shoulder. Suddenly, she raised her head and said firmly, “Brother, this is my life, the life of the royal princess. Father has promised me that after my wedding, you can return to the princess’ residence…”

Zhaoyang wiped her tears and forced a smile. However, she saw that her brother did not say anything and only stared into her eyes. He kept looking into her eyes, causing her heart to panic. Even though she could be extremely strong in front of everyone, when she looked into her brother’s eyes, she could not hide anything.

“Silly, you are not a fish; how do you know what constitutes the enjoyment of fishes? I chose to go to the Wilderness myself. I’m willing to go there. Did Father force you to marry Prince Zhongyi?”

“Prince Zhongyi is already the number one expert in the Northern Kingdom. He has the hope to become a Martial Saint. Actually, he doesn’t look much older than you. He treats me very well too. He was the one who proposed marriage to Father…” Zhaoyang was explaining to her brother, but when she saw that Li Yuanqing did not say anything and only stared into her eyes, she was a little flustered.

“When Prince Zhongyi was in the Wilderness, he treated me very well. He-he even got someone to send a cart of gifts yesterday! Father is very happy!”

“Father forced you to do this, didn’t he? Did you listen to your heart? I want to know what you think and how you choose.”

The more Zhaoyang explained, the more Li Yuanqing stared at her, wanting to hear her original intentions. However, as he was talking, Princess Zhaoyang suddenly lowered her voice and said sadly, “Father said that the Holy Grandmaster has not appeared for twenty years. His foundation in the Northern Kingdom is unstable…”

At this point, Princess Zhaoyang could no longer hold back her tears. Although she was a proud daughter of heaven, how could she just sit by and do nothing when the Northern Kingdom was in danger?

Prince Zhongyi was asking to marry the princess. It would not be impossible for him to snatch the position of the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom if he really broke through to the Martial Saint realm.

Her father held her hand and cried in front of her. He blamed himself and finally made Zhaoyang agree to marry Prince Zhongyi. It was because the foundation of the Northern Kingdom was unstable and the status of the Northern Kingdom’s Martial Saint was unknown.

Who would be able to control him if Prince Zhongyi were to fall out now?

Although Zhaoyang hated him for sacrificing a princess in exchange for the safety of the Northern Kingdom, she still agreed in the end. Thus, she didn’t tell her brother and only made a request to her father.

She could marry Prince Zhongyi obediently, but he would have to pardon her brother, Li Yuanqing, and let him return to the crown prince’s residence. Even if he was just given the title of an idle prince, she would die in peace.

“Even if the foundation of the Northern Kingdom is unstable, that is not a matter for a young lady like you. Tell me, do you love Prince Zhongyi? Are you willing to stay by his side until the end of time, even if he becomes a cripple?”

“Brother, the princess of the royal family doesn’t have the right to talk about love. Father probably wants him to become a cripple even in his dreams. He even mentioned that he wanted me to make a move. However, Prince Zhongyi is at the peak of the ninth-grade and the strongest in the Northern Kingdom. He has countless powerful soldiers under him…”

Zhaoyang closed her eyes. She had never dared to tell anyone these secrets. Secrets that pressed her until she could barely breathe. Now that she was facing her brother, she had no qualms about revealing them all.

That was because her brother was her closest kin. In fact, he was even closer than her father.

“Oh, that means you don’t love him. You’re a young lady. Remember, you’re the princess of the royal family and my younger sister. Be yourself. Marry the person you love if you want to get married in the future, and do whatever you want. The foundation of the Northern Kingdom shouldn’t be sacrificed by a woman…”

Li Yuanqing caressed her head. Her black hair was smooth and soft, giving him a sense of authenticity. He had no intention of protecting anyone other than Zhaoyang in this world. Since he only had this one sister, she should live happily for the rest of her life.

Li Yuanqing left just as suddenly as he did when he arrived. If not for the cup of hot tea on the table, Princess Zhaoyang would have thought that she was dreaming. Because it was too depressing,that’s why she had such a realistic dream.

Outside the Imperial City, Li Yuanqing ordered Hu Jiujiu, who was kneeling on the ground, coldly. “He’s only at the peak of the ninth-grade. How dare he touch my sister? Do not let him see the sun tomorrow. Go…”

For the past half a year, Hu Jiujiu had been consuming the Restore Origin Pills. Her injuries were slowly recovering, and her strength had reached the Martial Saint realm.

No matter how strong Prince Zhongyi was, he was only a ninth-grade martial artist. He has not become a Martial Saint yet. Hence, to Hu Jiujiu, it wasn’t difficult to take his life. So, Hu Jiujiu kowtowed after kneeling down and left without saying anything.

She had been healing for a year since she was being planted with the inner demon seed. But this was the first mission she received from Li Yuanqing.

She was very afraid of this master, so when she went to Prince Zhongyi’s residence, it was midnight. Many people had already fallen asleep, but Prince Zhongyi didn’t. He is currently cultivating!

While he was cultivating, there was a woman with a pained expression on her face opposite him. The strength of that woman at the peak of grade five was not to be underestimated in the Northern Kingdom, but Prince Zhongyi was still dissatisfied.

She was too weak. She was not even qualified to be his cauldron. That was why he could not become a Martial Saint.

Fortunately, he was going to marry the flower-like Princess Zhaoyang a year later.

Within a year, Zhaoyang should be able to advance to the seventh grade. He would lend her a hand and let her become an eighth or ninth-grade martial artist. Then, he would step on Zhaoyang’s corpse and reach the peak of the Martial Saint realm!