Chapter 32

The so-called "turning darkness into light, turning the guest into the host" is actually very simple. It means not to continue hiding the matter, but to turn it around completely, making it public, and even causing a big stir.

Niu Lao kidnapped Ling Ziling merely to present her, the Ling Sect's Holy Maiden, as a gift to the Empress, in order to gain favor. However, the existence of the Netherworld Pearl is too sensitive. Apart from the current emperor, the Mystic Emperor, who would dare to privately touch the Netherworld Pearl without being suspected of plotting rebellion? Even if the Empress intended to get her hands on the Netherworld Pearl, she would definitely do it in secret, not openly announce it to the world.

Now, Prince Xian's plan is to simply take Ling Ziling to meet the Empress, explain that the Netherworld Pearl is about to be successfully refined, and offer it to the court. This way, it would cut off any possibility of anyone trying to do something underhanded in secret. Ling Ziling's personal safety would also be guaranteed.

Moreover, the current emperor, the Mystic Emperor, has not been seen in public for a long time. The political power is entirely in the hands of the Empress. The court is almost equivalent to the Empress herself. Therefore, to avoid suspicion, the Empress would most likely not want to get involved with the Netherworld Pearl, a troublesome thing.

However, even if the court does not accept the Netherworld Pearl, it cannot let it fall into the hands of the common people. The most likely scenario is to choose a loyal and reliable person to entrust the Netherworld Pearl to, for them to keep it on behalf of the court.

But who is this loyal and reliable person? The most likely candidates are the other four of the Five Dukes of the Eastern Wasteland, apart from Niu Lao. That is, Duke Jin Yu Huangfu Yu, Duke Jin Lin Sima Tianxia, Duke Hu Sha Wen Dahan, and Duke Yi Liu Jiuben. The Netherworld Pearl comes from the Eastern Wasteland and should return to the Eastern Wasteland, which is a reasonable and acceptable outcome for everyone.

However, there is only one Netherworld Pearl, and it cannot be divided into four parts. Therefore, deciding who should keep the Netherworld Pearl is another problem.

This is where Prince Xian comes in. He will suggest to the Empress a martial competition to win the Netherworld Pearl. Each of the four Dukes of the Eastern Wasteland will send a representative to compete. The winner will be the one to keep the Netherworld Pearl. To ensure fairness, Prince Xian and Prince Xiao Sheng will act as judges appointed by the court to oversee the competition.

After the competition, Ling Ziling will hand over the Netherworld Pearl. From then on, she will have redeemed her mother's past sins. She will be free and at ease, truly able to soar in the sky and swim in the sea.

In fact, all these steps were already planned by Jade璇玑 (Yu Xuanji) beforehand. She and Prince Xian could be said to have similar ideas. When discussing the details, Xiao Sheng often said a few key sentences, intentionally or unintentionally guiding Prince Xian to think in the direction he had planned. In the end, the entire plan was almost identical to what Yu Xuanji had originally proposed.

After the two brothers had planned everything, Prince Xian stood up again and said with a smile, "Fourteenth Brother, that's settled. I will arrange everything now. We will go to court together in the future and report everything to Mother. However, there are still many complications to resolve. It seems we brothers will have to be closer and work together." As he spoke, he lightly patted Xiao Sheng's shoulder, his expression and tone full of deep meaning.

Xiao Sheng smiled and said, "Of course. Brothers united, their strength is like cutting through metal. We should indeed be closer. It's getting late. I will see you off, Eighth Brother." He bowed deeply. Prince Xian chuckled, turned, and pushed the door open to leave.

Xiao Sheng returned to his study, sat down, and tapped the desk, lost in thought.

Once, in a parallel universe, Xiao Sheng heard a saying: "A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier." Although this is an artistic exaggeration, the principle is still correct. Therefore, a prince who doesn't want to be an emperor is not a good prince.

The current emperor, the Mystic Emperor, is only in his forties, in the prime of his life. Moreover, he is a martial practitioner, and living to be over a hundred is easy. In theory, there is no need to urgently establish a crown prince.

However, since the death of Empress Mu years ago, the Mystic Emperor has retreated to the inner palace to convalesce, refusing to see anyone except the Empress. The court officials have not seen the emperor for years, leading to various speculations. In the common people, many rumors have been flying around. In such a situation, it is inevitable that the princes are restless and have various thoughts.

Having thoughts is one thing. To compete for the throne, one needs strength, legitimacy, connections, and reputation, all of which are essential. Among the nine sons of the Mystic Emperor, in terms of legitimacy, the second prince, Prince Chu, Xiao Mao, has the strongest claim. He is the Empress's eldest son and, according to court etiquette, is the undisputed heir to the throne.

However, in terms of strength, the fourth prince, Prince Jian, Xiao Yu, is the strongest. He is one of the three greatest swordsmen of the Great Hao Dynasty, with unfathomable sword skills. In this era, where martial prowess is highly valued, the influence of Prince Jian cannot be underestimated.

In terms of connections, the eighth prince, Prince Xian, Xiao Chang, is known for his affable and respectful nature, and his management of the Inner Treasury and the Ministry of Justice has earned him a good reputation in the court. While he may not have a hundred followers at his beck and call, he certainly has eighty or ninety.

As for reputation, the thirteenth prince, Prince Xia, Xiao Jing, is known for his sense of justice, generosity, and willingness to help the weak. Many people who have received his help even set up long-life altars in their homes to worship him daily.

Each of these four princes has their strengths and weaknesses. As long as the Mystic Emperor does not officially announce the heir, the position of crown prince remains uncertain. Therefore, those with ambitions are preparing in secret to increase their chances.

Prince Xian is definitely not the type of person who is indifferent to the throne. To increase his chances, he will spare no effort to gather all useful talents to support him.

When Xiao Sheng was still a deposed prince, he had no value to be courted. But now, Xiao Sheng has revealed a glimpse of his true strength, making him very valuable to Prince Xian. To court Xiao Sheng, Prince Xian will certainly do his best to help with the current matter.

Prince Xian himself, along with the officials around him, is a formidable force that cannot be underestimated. Therefore, when he presents his case to the Empress, she will certainly give him some face. The most important thing now is...

How to produce a Netherworld Pearl to present to the court?

Thinking about this, Xiao Sheng struck the desk forcefully, stood up, and called out, "Sister Ziling, come in, I have something to ask you."

After a short while, Ling Ziling entered. She casually pulled a chair and sat down opposite the desk, swinging her legs irritably. "What do you want to ask? Go ahead. Humph, no matter what you do, I, a weak woman, can't resist."

Xiao Sheng smiled and said, "Why speak like that? Everything I'm doing is for you."

"For me? Humph!" Ling Ziling snorted, "Your Eighth Brother is not a good person. I can tell at a glance. He is a smiling tiger who eats people without leaving bones. Cooperating with him? Humph, be careful you don't end up with nothing left."

Xiao Sheng smiled confidently. "I have my own plans. You don't need to worry. The question is, how is the Netherworld Pearl refined? Why does it make you unable to grow? And can you take it out after the competition among the four Dukes of the Eastern Wasteland?"

Ling Ziling's face changed, and she clenched her fists, hesitating for a long time. Finally, she bit her lip, looked up, and said firmly, "The method of refining the Netherworld Pearl is the greatest secret of the Ling Sect and cannot be told to others. However, I can explain the principle of refining the pearl. Do you know how pearls are formed?"

"Pearls?" Xiao Sheng pondered, "They are produced inside clams. I've heard that clams originally do not have pearls. Later, when sand accidentally enters their bodies, the clams secrete a liquid to wrap the foreign object, and over time, it turns into a pearl. Uh... Could it be!"

As he spoke, Xiao Sheng suddenly realized something, slapped the desk, stood up, pointed at Ling Ziling, and his face showed disbelief and astonishment.

Ling Ziling snorted, "You're right. The principle of refining the Netherworld Pearl is similar to how clams form pearls. That's why only a virgin Ling Sect Holy Maiden can refine the Netherworld Pearl. Moreover, the pearl continuously draws vitality from the refiner. The reason I'm still this way at eighteen is entirely due to that cursed pearl."

Xiao Sheng was increasingly amazed and couldn't help but say, "There are such strange things and methods in the world. The universe is indeed full of wonders."

Ling Ziling said resentfully, "Do you think I wanted this cursed thing? It was my dead mother who did this. I don't know what methods she used, but she placed the pearl core inside me while I was still in the womb. After I was born, the pearl fused with me, and no method could remove it."

Not only could it not be removed, but the Netherworld Pearl continuously draws vitality from the mother. Therefore, there is no real distinction between success and failure in refining. The longer it stays in the mother's body, the more powerful the pearl becomes. But the longer it stays, the more vitality it draws, and the mother will eventually die. When the mother dies, the pearl becomes useless.

Xiao Sheng frowned and said, "Can't be removed? That's not right. When Ling Zhiling tried to assassinate my father, she had a Netherworld Pearl. It was just destroyed by two Daoist experts on the scene."

"Using external force, it absolutely cannot be removed," Ling Ziling shook her head, her face suddenly blushing. "There is only one way to remove it. Through the union of yin and yang, it will naturally fall off. Back then... my dead mother's Netherworld Pearl was removed this way."

However, since the mother carries the pearl from a young age, the pearl becomes part of her body. Removing the pearl means losing vitality, damaging the root, and the mother will inevitably wither and die. Throughout the generations of the Ling Sect, no Holy Maiden has lived more than a year after the pearl is removed.

Ling Ziling looked up and smiled bitterly, "This is the fate of the Ling Sect's Holy Maiden."