Chapter 424 Reaching a Cooperation

Chapter 424: Reaching an Agreement

Ji Yuntang raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Isn't it just a piece of cake?"

Hua Feixue: "..."

It had only been three months since they returned from Mount Liumang, and she had already developed explosives of such power.

And she called that a piece of cake?

He seriously suspected Ji Yuntang was just trying to get under his skin.

Hua Feixue composed himself and looked at her with a complicated expression.

"How many more of these explosives do you have?"

Ji Yuntang raised her eyes slightly. "As many as I want."

Hua Feixue: "..."

Hua Feixue: "!!!"

The calm he'd just managed to recover was blown to bits by her words.

"What? Do you have any clue how hard saltpeter is to come by? I had assassins from the Blood Rain Sect scour the entire Dongchen Kingdom, and all they came back with was one big basketful."

"And even then, I burned through a ton of it on failed experiments. The gunpowder that actually worked? I used it all last time trying to blow up that Dog Crown Prince, and it didn't even kill the bastard. It damn near broke my heart."

Every time Hua Feixue thought about it, he wanted nothing more than to beat Luo Jingshen within an inch of his life.

He knew he couldn't get his revenge through manpower alone—most of the power in Xishu Kingdom was in Empress Dowager Yuan's hands, and she had the Chu clan completely under her thumb.

So he decided to take a shortcut—crush his enemies with superior firepower.

Hua Feixue had spent two whole years on Mount Liumang tinkering with gunpowder, all for the day he could finally get his revenge on Empress Dowager Yuan.

The result was predictable—his gunpowder could at best knock people on their asses and make a racket, and only if the enemy wasn't expecting it. It couldn't kill a fly.

At that moment, Hua Feixue's heart turned to ash.

He realized that with his own skills, he might never rescue his father or avenge his mother in this lifetime!

So he threw in the towel and figured he'd just find a place to coast through life.

But now, the explosives Ji Yuntang had just shown him reignited the fire of revenge in his chest.

How could his heart not race?

Ji Yuntang felt creeped out by the intensity of Hua Feixue's stare. The corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Don't look at me like that. I just stumbled onto the fact that the whole mountain behind our manor is packed with saltpeter, so I figured I'd turn it into explosives."

That statement sent Hua Feixue's heart racing all over again.

"Wait—you've got a whole mountain of saltpeter?"

Ji Yuntang nodded. "Yeah, what's the big deal?"

If she didn't spin it that way, she couldn't explain where the explosives came from.

Besides, it wasn't a lie—the mountain behind the Night Prince's manor really was full of saltpeter. Ji Yuntang just hadn't figured out how to mine it yet.

So it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Sect Chief, I, this Princess, have already shown you my cards and laid all my cards on the table. So are you in or not?"

Hua Feixue was tempted, but he was the type to hold a grudge. The fact that Ji Yuntang had pulled one over on him more than once still stung.

He thought for a moment and said, "I'm not saying I won't work with you, but you've got to do one more thing first. Pull it off, and I'm in."

Ji Yuntang: "..."

She knew it—this guy was finicky and high-maintenance. Of course he wouldn't say yes that easily.

But what choice did she have? She was the one begging for a favor now!

"Fine. As long as it's within this Princess's power, I'll walk through fire and wade through water without batting an eye."

Hua Feixue raised an eyebrow. "It's not that dangerous. All you gotta do is swipe the Dog Crown Prince's betrothal gifts, and then I'll agree to cooperate with you."

He wanted to see just how Ji Yuntang could lift that much gold and jewelry without a soul noticing.

The ransacking of the Blood Rain Sect's treasury had become a thorn Hua Feixue couldn't pull out of his mind. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't crack how she'd pulled it off.

Truth be told, on this one, Ji Yuntang and Hua Feixue were on the exact same wavelength!

Even if he hadn't brought it up, she'd already been planning to clean out Luo Jingshen's betrothal gifts.

Word was, he'd gone all out this time to marry Ji Qingqing!

Like Ji Yuntang would ever let Ji Qingqing have it that easy.

"No problem. But swiping the Crown Prince's betrothal gifts is my signature move—I can't have you watching."

The disappointment on Hua Feixue's face was plain as day, but then Ji Yuntang added, "But I can cut you in for twenty percent of the loot."

Hua Feixue's eyes lit up. "You're not messing with me?"

He didn't have many hobbies, but he was crazy about money.

Ji Yuntang looked at him. "Of course I'm serious. But I need you to stick around the Marquis Yongning's estate and play along with my plan."

"Tomorrow, the marquis's estate is gonna be hopping. There's no way Ji Qingqing will invite me, this Princess, to the ceremony. Whether she gets to be Crown Princess depends on how well you play your part!"

Hua Feixue didn't hesitate. "Deal!"

Twenty percent of the betrothal gifts was nothing to sneeze at. He knew when to quit while he was ahead.

Before she left, Ji Yuntang made a point of reminding him about the "hobbies" of Father Wu and Mother Chen, and Hua Feixue filed every last one of them away.

By the time he got back to the Marquis Yongning's residence, it was already the hour of the rabbit (5–7 AM). Even though he hadn't slept a wink all night, Hua Feixue wasn't the least bit tired.

He replayed everything that had gone down that night. He was shaken to the core, but also buzzing with excitement.

Ji Yuntang—everyone had seriously underestimated her!

Take those explosives, for instance. The moment they saw the light of day, all four nations would lose their minds over them.

Clearly, she'd laid all her cards on the table just to work with him.

Hua Feixue was willing to throw caution to the wind and gamble with her.

Dawn broke, and the eastern sky turned a pale fish-belly white, as the entire capital stirred awake from its slumber.

The two most discussed topics among the citizens of the capital today were the Crown Prince's betrothal ceremony and the massive explosion from the previous night.

At this very moment, the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace was in complete disarray.

Luo Jingshen lay in bed, frowning at the imperial physician examining him, and roared through gritted teeth.

"Physician, what the hell is wrong with my dick?"

The senior physician lowered his head and stammered nervously, "To answer Your Highness, during your intimate encounter last night, your dragon root suddenly went limp from fright. I'm afraid you'll need to abstain from sex and desires and rest for a good while."

Luo Jingshen pressed further, "Can it be cured?"

The senior physician wiped the sweat from his brow, "Well... this humble one cannot say for certain... It also depends on Your Highness's own care. You must not touch any woman during this time, or else I fear you may become impotent..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jingshen flew into a rage, "Useless! Get the hell out of my sight!"

"And mind your tongue. Don't let me hear any word of this."

The senior physician knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, "Rest assured, Your Highness. This humble one will not breathe a single word to anyone."

After the physician left, Liu Qingya entered from outside and reported, "Your Highness, this subordinate has followed your orders and had Second Miss Ji sent back. She was crying the entire time."

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