Chapter 309 - Fools Bargain (1/2)

”I apologize but people here do not have the capacity to learn such skill...” Monk Du curtly explained.

Prince Houyi immediately glared at Chun Hai as he asked through gritted teeth, ”He has the capacity to learn it and I don't?”

”I did not teach him either-”

”Then how?!”

”I simply gave him some objects that allowed him to temporarily use the skill...” Monk Du explained and then kindly offered, ”I can give you the same objects if you want.” He said, then he slowly reached into his sleeves and held out his palm to reveal little round blue jewels sitting there.

Prince Houyi frowned at his hand, trying and failing to scrutinize the objects from the distance. He then motioned to his right-hand man to go over to bring them to him but then Monk Du went on to say, ”It has to be you. To be able to use them, you need to drip your blood on them for me to go on to activate them... It has to be done between me and you.”

Prince Houyi frowned and scrutinized Monk Du, skeptical of this requirement. But then he remembered that Chun Hua had told him about how Chun Hai was the only one who could use the orbs because Monk Du had them to his blood or something like that. So he found the requirement to be credible, but at the same time, he was still wary.

Prince Houyi knit his brows and after hesitating for a while, he ordered, ”Stay where you are...no movement.” Then he glanced at his right-hand man and motioned for him to follow as he walked through to the front of the protective circles, his guards clearing a path with their eyes and swords still trained on the trio.

Prince Houyi of course moved chun Hua forward with him with his sword still at her throat. Once they reached the front and his men, Prince Houyi then ordered, ”Come forward...”

Chun Hai and Bao Zhun stepped forward with Monk Du, clutching their swords and Prince Houyi quickly ordered, ”Stop! Just him.” Narrowing his eyes at them.

”What? Are you scared your elite group of guards can't handle two extra people?” Bao Zhun said with a disgruntled snort, raising a mocking eyebrow at Prince Houyi.

Prince Houyi scoffed, ”You greatly overestimate your relevance...”

Monk Du glanced at Bao Zhun and lightly nodded, ”It's alright...” Then he resumed walking and the other two still followed along, keeping a few paces behind and Prince Houyi did not protest anymore and simply ignored them, keeping his eyes on Monk Du.

”That's far enough.” Prince Houyi said once Monk Du got within fifteen feet from him, ”Show them...” He ordered.

And Monk Du held out his hand, where five blue little balls rested. Prince Houyi scrutinized the five objects and then frowned, ”Is that all you have?”

Monk Du nodded, ”This was an unexpected encounter, and as you can imagine they are not easy to come by...”

Prince Houyi quietly contemplated for a bit until Monk Du went, ”Now you just need to drop your blood onto them and I can connect them to your mind and you can use them as you wish...”

Prince Houyi narrowed his eyes and then warned, ”You better not be trying to do anything stupid...I will kill her.”

”I assure you, it is what you need...” Monk Du said with a slight bow of his head.

”Huayan, is that it?” Prince Houyi quietly asked Chun Hua, still feeling skeptical of going over. Since Chun Hua had been the one to tell him about the blue orbs and because he trusted her more than he did the other three across from him, he asked her to get some sense of confirmation.

Chun Hua knit her brows and looked to Monk Du's palm, the objects were blue, but they definitely did not look like the ones Chun Hai had shown her. Although perhaps it was because she was too far to see clearly. Moreover, she actually did not know what the orbs looked like before the process was complete since she was not there. So she honestly could not tell if they were real or not.

And given Prine Houyi's current somewhat erratic behavior, he would probably give the order to kill them if she said they it seemed fake. Not to mention, his hand on the sword at her neck seemed to be itching for blood. He had not released the pressure even by a bit the entire time, it only seemed to be pressing more and more, digging into her flesh.

He did not even care.

She should have realized something was weird with his behavior back at the inn. It all made sense now, he was keeping her at his side so he could keep watch over her and not because he cared for her. Perhaps he was worried she would escape or that her brother would come for her and he could lose the precious hostage that would give him power beyond his imagination.

She had thought they could be a partnership, a power couple that would rule the world but obviously, in his eyes, she was a simple pawn. If he had told her, she would have helped him.