Breathing heavily, Hun Yu looked at the bodies of the two assassins. "Cultivation Harvest," he said, raising his hand towards them. Green energy flowed from the bodies into him.
The sensation was intense, a mix of warmth and power surging through his veins.
As the last remnants of energy faded, Hun Yu straightened, feeling more confident and powerful.
"This is just the beginning," he muttered to himself. He glanced around, ensuring there were no other threats before moving on.
{Cultivation Status:
- Realm: Elementary Realm 1
- Experience: 4500/5000 EXP (+)}
"So near to Rank 2," he muttered. The reason why he risked killing an Elementary Rank 9 cultivator was because he had high expectations from it.
However, he needed 500 more EXP points to be promoted to Elementary Realm Rank 2.
And Currently, For Energy Points He has like only 5500 Energy Points, not enough to buy something substantial from the shop.
"System, do you have something that I can afford?" he asked.
{Shop Items:
- Basic Stealth Technique (4000 EP): A technique that allows temporary invisibility for 5 minutes.
- Low-grade Spirit Stone (3000 EP): Boosts cultivation speed for a short duration.
- Healing Pill (2500 EP): Restores health and vitality instantly.
- Basic Combat Skill Book (2000 EP): Increases combat proficiency slightly.
- Temporary Strength Boost (1500 EP): Increases physical strength by 20% for 10 minutes.
- Enhanced Vision (1000 EP): Improves eyesight, allowing better detection of hidden objects and enemies.}
As he read through the list, he found most of the items were useless for him. However, one item caught his attention.
{Special Item:
- Bewitching Branch (5000 EP): Bewitches anyone who inhales its scent.
- Condition: Target should not exceed a 5-rank gap between the host and target. Only effective for 15 minutes.}
"This... thing is good," he thought. Before buying it, he decided to explore more. He entered the map section.
{Maps:
- Empire Map (100 EP)
- Continent Map (5000 EP)
- World Map (50000 EP)
- Important Location Marked Map (500000 EP)}
"Continent map is 5000," he noted. "But it's of no use currently."
"Buy Bewitching Branch," he muttered. His balance dropped from 5500 to 500, and a normal-looking branch appeared in his inventory.
"Well, this item seems too good to ignore," he said. He could always earn more energy points later.
Seven days passed just like this.
Hun Yu looked towards the Imperial Palace, wondering why the princess hadn't returned. He had a Duality Cloak, which could probably allow him to sneak into the palace without alerting anyone.
Maybe he should give it a visit tonight. He also had a mission to complete, gaining the princess's complete trust.
The rewards were unknown, which made him even more eager to complete it.
As night fell, Hun Yu got ready. His face was always hidden behind a mask, but this time he wore clothes that covered every inch of his skin.
Taking out the Duality Cloak, he put it on over everything he was wearing and headed towards the palace.
Soon, he arrived at the entrance gate of the palace. He looked around, assessing the cultivation of the guards:
{Cultivation: Spirit Manifestation 7}
{Cultivation: Spirit Manifestation 4}
{Cultivation: Spirit Manifestation 6}
{Cultivation: Nascent Profound Realm 3}
As he examined the cultivation levels of all the guards, he realized they were all much Much stronger than him.
He would have to watch his steps carefully. Though he could survive with the help of a Helper Card, sneaking into the Imperial Palace was still dangerous.
But he had faith in the Duality Cloak.
It was a Platinum Grade item, so even High Lord Profound Realm cultivators would have trouble detecting him as long as he didn't do anything stupid.
Hun Yu slowly entered through the gate, and the guards didn't detect him. The night time enhanced the ability of the Duality Cloak, making it ten times more effective.
He encountered many guards on the way, all more powerful than him. But after around 30 minutes of sneaking, he finally saw a huge and grand palace in front of him.
"Humpff," he exhaled, steadying his nerves.
"Princess is so stubborn. She is injured. If she doesn't eat anything, her situation will only get worse."
"Yes," another maid replied, sounding concerned.
As Hun Yu silently hid, he overheard the conversation of the maids passing by.
He looked in the direction from which the maids were coming and decided to follow.
He walked towards that direction slowly, making sure not to draw any attention. As he approached the palace, he looked up.
The grand doors were closed, leaving him no choice but to find another way in. Examining the windows, he noticed one was slightly ajar.
With a determined leap, Hun Yu reached the open window and slipped inside the palace.
He landed softly, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light inside. Moving quietly, he navigated the opulent corridors, following the faint sounds and the scent of incense.
After wandering for some time, he arrived at a door. Outside the door, a plaque read "Princess's Room."
He took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door, making almost zero sound.
Just enough for him to enter, he slipped in and closed the door swiftly.
He looked at Huang Yi, who was sitting on the floor, her head buried in her legs beside her bed. Taking off his cloak, he approached her from behind.
Huang Yi, sensing someone in her room, turned around quickly.
Her eyes widened in fear at the sight of Hun Yu in full black, not even a bit of his skin showing. Thinking this might be another assassin, she wanted to scream.
Hun Yu, anticipating this, swiftly moved behind her and sealed her mouth with his hand.
"Mmmpf!" she muffled, struggling against his grip. She suddenly bit down on his hand, causing him sharp pain.
"This is me, you dumb princess," he said in an annoyed tone.
Just as Huang Yi heard his voice, she froze. Seeing she no longer wanted to scream, Hun Yu moved his hand from her mouth.
"...Is this really you?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Otherwise, who?" he replied.
Recognizing his way of talking, Huang Yi knew it was really him. Without warning, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
The sudden force made Hun Yu lose his balance, and they both fell to the ground with her landing on top of him.
"What are you—" he started, but her tight embrace cut him off.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked down at him. "I thought... I thought I'd never see you again."
Hun Yu, momentarily stunned, could only manage a soft chuckle. "Well, I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere."
She continued to sit on top of him, but then she realized the intimacy of her words and position.
Embarrassment hit her, and she quickly moved off him, her face red. Before she could say anything, a knock came at the door.
"Your Highness, are you alright? I heard some sounds, so I wanted to check if everything is alright," a guard's voice called out.
Hearing the voice, Hun Yu quickly wore the Duality Cloak and walked to a dark corner of the room, becoming almost invisible.
Seeing that Hun Yu was hidden, Huang Yi slowly opened the door. "Everything is alright. I just accidentally dropped a book," she made a quick excuse.
Hearing this, the guard had no choice but to walk away.
She closed the door, and Hun Yu stepped out of his hiding spot. He looked around the room, which was furnished with the most expensive items. Even the bed seemed to be made of pure gold.
"Nice place you have here," Hun Yu remarked, his tone light.
Huang Yi sighed, her eyes still glistening with the remnants of tears. "It's a prison more than anything else. I haven't been allowed to leave for days."
Hun Yu slowly sat on the bed, taking in the surroundings. "This room looks good and it also smells good," he noted, his voice calm.
Huang Yi, who had been standing in front of him, sighed deeply and sat beside him on the bed. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.
"Hun Yu, You already know I wanted to talk to my father about canceling my marriage to the prince of the neighboring empire," she began, her voice tinged with frustration.
"I don't want to marry someone I don't know, especially not for political reasons."
Hun Yu listened intently, his eyes never leaving her face. "What did he say?"
She sighed again, this time more heavily. "When I approached him, I thought he might show some sympathy, especially after the recent assassination attempt on me.
I thought he'd understand my fear and reluctance."
"But instead," she continued, her voice growing bitter, "he ordered me to be confined to my quarters.
He said it was for my own safety, but I know it's because he wants to control the situation. He thinks I'm safer here, away from any more potential threats."
"He believes it's for the best," Huang Yi said softly, her eyes downcast.
"He thinks the marriage will strengthen our alliance with the neighboring empire. He doesn't see how much this is hurting me."
Hun Yu nodded thoughtfully. "So, what next?" he asked, sensing the urgency in her voice and knowing that his mission to gain her complete trust depended on his response.
"I don't know," Huang Yi replied, her voice filled with uncertainty.
Hun Yu had an idea. Gaining complete trust is not an easy thing, especially after so many things have happened. He knew he needed to take a bold step.
With a deep breath, he looked at Huang Yi. He suddenly grabbed her wrists, locking them with one hand, and pinned her down on the bed, positioning himself on top of her.
Huang Yi was shocked and surprised by the sudden move. She looked at Hun Yu, who slowly moved his mask just enough to reveal his lips.
"Wha..." she stammered, utterly confused by his actions.
Hun Yu had moved the mask in such a way that his burned side remained hidden. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and connected their lips in a kiss.
Huang Yi's eyes widened in shock. Her Cpu raced, unable to process what was happening.