Chapter 581 - 283: Chen Sheng, Are You Very Pleased With Yourself Now?

Chapter 581: Chapter 283: Chen Sheng, Are You Very Pleased With Yourself Now?

Yu Nanzhi was horrified, her face a mask of shock.

The finger she pointed at Chen Sheng trembled uncontrollably.

’That Chen Sheng is truly despicable!’

’To think he’d use such a method to get leverage over me.’

’I was so foolish. How could I have trusted him like that?’

At this moment, the heart of the Princess Consort Xiangyang was filled with bleak despair.

"If I don’t use this, how can I prove the innocence between myself and the Princess Consort?"

Chen Sheng asked with a smile.

Yu Nanzhi took a deep breath. Seeing that Chen Sheng was about to channel Magical Power to activate the Memory Stone, she quickly and sternly interrupted him.

"You... what is it that you really want?"

During their ’spar’ just now, although Yu Nanzhi had inadvertently opened her eyes once, she had kept them tightly shut for most of the exchange with Chen Sheng.

And now, she had no desire to relive it.

She could only grit her teeth and accept this loss.

But if Chen Sheng tried to push his luck...

...and demand that she help him with Entering the Dao...

...she would absolutely never agree to it again.

That was her bottom line!

Chen Sheng’s expression was unhurried. Now that he held a chip that could threaten her, he naturally wasn’t going to beat around the bush. He stated solemnly:

"Actually, what I want is very simple. As long as the Princess Consort can lend me a hand and have Prince Xiang give up the Three-Color Treasure Lotus in exchange, then as for the matter of the Chen County armaments and those contraband materials..."

"...I can pretend I never saw them. What do you think, Princess Consort?"

"The Three-Color Treasure Lotus?"

Hearing Chen Sheng’s demand, Yu Nanzhi could hardly believe her ears.

"That’s right."

Chen Sheng nodded with a serious look.

"Just the Three-Color Treasure Lotus??"

Yu Nanzhi stared at him intently.

"Just the Three-Color Treasure Lotus!"

"No other demands?"

Yu Nanzhi asked again, unwilling to accept it.

"Of course not. From start to finish, this has been my only goal."

Chen Sheng met her gaze with an open and frank expression.

From the very beginning, his target was only the Three-Color Treasure Lotus.

Everything else was just a bonus.

BOOM!

Hearing Chen Sheng’s words, the Princess Consort Xiangyang felt as if her mind had exploded.

She staggered, nearly falling to the ground, her face a picture of bewilderment and confusion.

’If Chen Sheng’s goal was only ever the Three-Color Treasure Lotus...’

’...then what was all that just now?’

’Was I just... thirsty?’

At this moment, Yu Nanzhi was about to go mad with rage!

She never imagined that she’d been played!

"You... you... Why didn’t you say so earlier?"

After an unknown amount of time passed in a daze, Yu Nanzhi took a deep breath and glared at Chen Sheng, her face flushed with anger.

’If Chen Sheng had stated everything clearly before the spar...’

’...how could I possibly have compromised?’

"A moment ago, it seems the Princess Consort didn’t ask, did she?"

Chen Sheng seemed to have anticipated her reaction, asking with narrowed eyes.

"No, I did ask! I asked!"

Yu Nanzhi couldn’t accept it. Recalling their earlier conversation, she said sharply:

"I clearly asked you, ’what is it that you really want’?!"

Then, her tone shifted as she continued:

"And another thing! Why didn’t you stop me then?!"

"At the time, I had no idea the Princess Consort was willing to make a move, and so decisively at that. I thought you were doing it intentionally, so of course it wouldn’t have been right to stop you. After all, I truly do want to be friends with the Princess Consort."

"It seems now that perhaps there was a bit of a misunderstanding between us."

Chen Sheng sighed.

This statement was half-truth, half-lie.

In the beginning, he truly hadn’t expected the Princess Consort Xiangyang to be so daring.

It was only after she used her Divine Technique and completely absorbed his spiritual root that he fully understood. But in that kind of situation, how could he possibly have spoken up and clarified things?

After all, the ’spar’ just now, especially the sight of the Princess Consort’s tear-streaked face and unwilling expression, was quite a pleasing spectacle for Chen Sheng.

Furthermore, given the advantage brought by the four words ’Prince Xiao Zhao Zhen’, Chen Sheng’s heart was not inclined to refuse.

"You... you..."

Yu Nanzhi was so angry she was speechless.

She knew Chen Sheng had done it on purpose.

’How could he not have known?!’

"Princess Consort, what’s past is past. Why continue to dwell on it? Rest assured, since it was a misunderstanding, I will absolutely not use it as leverage or as a topic of conversation."

"What happened today is known only to heaven, earth, you, and I!"

Chen Sheng promised with a straight face.

Yu Nanzhi looked at Chen Sheng, her heart filled with extreme resentment.

She knew.

’This matter could never be so easily brushed aside.’

’Chen Sheng would definitely use this to blackmail her in the future.’

For a moment, Yu Nanzhi fell silent.

After a long while, she finally raised her head, looking at Chen Sheng and speaking word by word:

"Chen Sheng, are you feeling very pleased with yourself right now?!"

"The Princess Consort misunderstands. It’s just a trivial matter, what is there to be pleased about? You shouldn’t overthink it, Princess Consort. People of the Jianghu should not sweat the small stuff," Chen Sheng said, attempting to console her.

Then, Chen Sheng raised his hand and tossed the Memory Stone to her.

"As a show of good faith, you can take this, Princess Consort."

Catching the Memory Stone, Yu Nanzhi paid it no mind, casually tossing it into her Storage Treasure. She clenched her fists, a war raging within her.

At this point, it was too late for regrets or resentment.

If she recklessly made a scene, not only would her previous ’sacrifices’ be for nothing, but if she angered Chen Sheng, the matter of Chen County would remain unresolved.

Right now, handling it coldly was the best approach.

’At worst...’

’...I just won’t come to Ning’an to see Chen Sheng ever again!’

"Are you certain that just the Three-Color Treasure Lotus is enough to suppress the Chen County matter?"

Yu Nanzhi repeated.

Chen Sheng nodded.

"That’s right. I only want the Three-Color Treasure Lotus. Of course, if Prince Xiang’s Mansion is willing to offer a little something extra, I wouldn’t mind. Consider it a token of our new friendship."

Yu Nanzhi was silent for a few breaths.

"The Three-Color Treasure Lotus is the Prince’s most cherished treasure. I can only say I will do my best to mediate on your behalf. Give me seven days. Within those seven days, I hope... that nothing about the Chen County affair gets out."

As the mistress of Prince Xiang’s Mansion, she was well aware of the Three-Color Treasure Lotus’s importance.

It was no exaggeration to say that it was a rare find even for a Golden Core Grandmaster.

Moreover, the item was an heirloom left behind by Prince Xiang’s mother.

Therefore, Prince Xiang treasured it greatly; she herself had only seen it a few times.

She wasn’t very confident she could persuade the Prince to agree.

But right now, her mind was consumed with what had happened. She felt dazed and didn’t want to haggle, only wanting to leave this place—to get away from this bastard Chen Sheng as quickly as possible.

"Fine. As you wish, Princess Consort. Seven days it is!"

Chen Sheng was quite satisfied with this.

Seven days wasn’t long.

It was even shorter than the ten days he had given the Heir of Prince Xiang, Zhao Chengxiang.

"Remember what you said. I will do everything in my power to persuade the Prince."

The Princess Consort Xiangyang stared at Chen Sheng.

"Of course. As everyone knows, I... am a man of my word."

Chen Sheng replied without flinching.

Yu Nanzhi snorted coldly. Without another word, she turned and walked away, her movements sharp and decisive. But just as she reached the door, she paused, turned her head back to Chen Sheng, and said sternly:

"What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding. I hope this is the end of it. Otherwise, it will not be good for either of us."

She was the Princess Consort Xiangyang.

He was the son-in-law of the Nie Family.

If word got out that the two of them had a private ’spar’, she wouldn’t be the only one affected.

But she was afraid Chen Sheng didn’t understand this point.

So, she had to repeat it.

"Rest assured, Princess Consort. I understand."

Chen Sheng nodded slightly.

Yu Nanzhi gave Chen Sheng one last deep look, opened the Restriction, and left directly.

Watching the graceful figure of the Princess Consort Xiangyang retreat into the distance, he recalled the scene of their ’spar’, especially her many changing expressions. A smile unconsciously crept onto Chen Sheng’s lips.

Then, as if a thought occurred to him, with a flicker of his will, a CLICKING sound came from above in the Golden Spring Cave Mansion. A palm-sized Memory Stone dropped into his hand.

That’s right.

Chen Sheng never fought a battle he wasn’t sure of winning.

Therefore, he had prepared more than one Memory Stone.

Channeling his True Essence, realistic images quickly appeared on the Memory Stone. Chen Sheng watched and mused:

"Prince Xiang’s Mansion has someone skilled in vocal mimicry..."

......