Chapter 51 : Dignity Of A Monarch
While Xu Shan was lying on the bed, waiting for Xinren to appear before him. However, something quite different happened.
An inky-black screen materialized before his eyes once more. Unlike before, it was not accompanied by a message. Instead, it seemed to present a task or challenge, much like a quest in a game.
Xu Shan gazed at the text, which was written in a blood-red hue. The characters seemed to possess an otherworldly force, one that he recognized all too well. Although the system he had obtained was a gift from the Book of Truth, it appeared as though the book no longer possessed any control over the system.
Instead, the system itself was corrupted by his Demonic Nature, changing completely from what it was supposed to be.
[Quest: Dignity of a Monarch]
[Description: A Monarch can't always rely on external help! Kill the three men who came to kill you, without any external help and establish your Dignity before your subordinate!]
[Quest Duration: Three Hours]
[Reward: Celestial Lotus]
Xu Shan went through the quest, only to be intrigued. He was here simply to rest, having no idea that there was someone here to kill him. Even though he was alert, this sudden information was still surprising.
"It looks like Qin Ye is getting impatient..." Xu Shan sat up, stretching his neck, feeling somewhat tired already.
It hadn't been long since he Awakened his Celestial Spirit. He also hadn't learned many offensive skills since he had to leave the Royal City to take care of the Saintess. However, to think that he had to kill enemies personally...
He was sure that Qin Ye wasn't stupid. If he actually knew his route and where he was going to rest, then it was clear that he also knew about Ye Han's existence. It wasn't hard to guess that the people he sent were at least Sky Celestials.
If people knew that he was asked to kill three Sky Celestials while only being a peak Celestial General, they would've certainly called him an idiot or even crazy to even consider this quest. However, it was different for Xu Shan.
He could easily abandon the Quest and ask for Ye Han's help. However, he didn't want to do that! He knew what the reward meant! The Celestial Lotus was something that was impossible to find, even by his family!
It was said that there were none in existence anymore! A Celestial Lotus was something that was able to nourish a person's soul, amplifying their Celestial Spirit. However, its main use was to aid in the awakening of a Celestial Spirit!
This was precisely what he needed! He didn't know when his second Celestial Spirit was going to awaken. It might be a week, or even decades! He didn't want to have to wait for it, especially since every bit of help was useful for him.
Moreover, he was also curious to meet his second Celestial Spirit, wanting to see just which Celestial Spirit it was, that hadn't been devoured by his first Celestial Spirit either!
Another reason he needed the Celestial Lotus was to help his Celestial Spirit of Devouring to grow up. Currently, his first Celestial Spirit only had the intelligence of a two or three year old child... A child who only knew when it was hungry and nothing else.
With the help of the Celestial Lotus, he also wanted to make his Celestial Spirit grow faster, at least to give it more intelligence. Only then could it help him by granting more innate skills.
"This kind of reward is something that I can't miss..." Xu Shan walked to the window, gazing outside. "However, to kill three Sky Celestials is easier said than done."
"Ye Han had killed three peak Sky Celestials at the same time and it instantly made him famous. However, I'm not him."
He opened the window, letting fresh air come in.
Despite the darkness of the night, the moon cast a bright and illuminating light on the land below. Still, it wasn't easy to see outside.
Xu Shan didn't know where the three people were hiding. It was highly possible that they were hiding inside the Palace itself, advancing toward his room. However, he couldn't just wait for their arrival.
He used Cloud Steps and jumped out the window. Even though he couldn't fly or walk in the air with Cloud Steps, it still made it easier for him to jump out from great heights by momentarily making his body lighter.
****
While Xu Shan left the room, Ye Han had no idea about it. Xu Shan had used a privacy treasure, which made it impossible for even Ye Han to see his movements.
However, since Ye Han didn't sense any movements outside the room from strangers, it was clear that nothing was wrong yet.
He sat on the bed, meditating peacefully. No one knew where the Prince was going to go. And even if someone knew, it was impossible for them to do anything at such short notice, so he felt it was safe.
He didn't know that there were people who could predict Xu Shan's movement roughly.
Only half an hour had passed since Ye Han entered meditation but he suddenly opened his eyes, feeling a flurry of footsteps in the hallway. He could also sense some killing intent.
Frowning, he opened his eyes and stopped his meditation.
He didn't know why people wanted to kill them but it didn't matter. Whoever revealed killing intent toward a Prince of the Dynasty had to be killed!
He got off the bed, brandishing his sword that he hadn't revealed before.
He opened the door, stepping outside, expecting to meet assassins. However, as he looked at the people before him, even he was taken aback. They weren't assassins! Instead, they were ordinary people in the castle! Even the King and the Princess were in the group!
All of those people had blank eyes, as if they were lifeless beings who only moved on instinct. It was clear that there was someone who was controlling their mind!
****
Xu Shan walked outside the Palace, trying to make sense of the situation. Since he had a treasure received from his father, even the greatest of warriors couldn't sense his movements through their divine senses, unless they were looking straight at him.
According to the quest, he was to kill three people himself, without asking for help. He knew it was impossible to kill those people while remaining in his room. Moreover, if he moved in the hallways to find them, it was easy to locate him since the hallway wasn't wide enough.
That's why he came up with a new plan. He was to simply leave. Since the quest gave him three hours, that meant those people were going to attempt to kill him soon.
"It's clear. They'll definitely go to my room. And when they don't find me there, they'll probably look everywhere. In the end, they'll leave the Palace in failure. That's when I should be able to know who those three are."
To finish the quest he had to find the enemies and he already planned how to find them. However, while he was walking outside the palace, simply waiting for movement, he noticed someone in the distance. 𝑏𝑒𝘥𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝑛𝘦𝑡
It was a man dressed in black, hiding his face with a mask. However, Xu Shan remembered those clothes!
"Qin Ye's shadow guard!"
The Shadow Guard stood stoically behind a worn flag, keeping watch over the palace without any movement or disturbance.
"What is that black flag?" Xu Shan asked. The flag appeared tattered, but it had an aura of a treasure that wasn't simple.
As he asked the question, a black screen opened up before him.
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Name: Flag of Three Death Ghosts
Description: A divine treasure that contains a three flag set, created by an unknown devil. It can be used to establish a formation that controls people within its range into following the Flag Master's commands!
Limitations: Can't be used to control people with Grade Six or Higher Celestial Spirits.
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Going through the description, Xu Shan couldn't help but reveal a devilish smile.