With the Language of the Heart, Xia Wuyang could communicate via Telepathy and even understand the cries of insects, birds, and beasts. It was still a support-type talent.
"SQUEAK SQUEAK... The elder Crown Prince slept with another batch of new Palace Maids!"
"COO COO... They’re all saying the elder Crown Prince is about to die!"
...
Xia Wuyang’s face darkened. He wanted to kill the birds outside his window.
’If used properly, this talent could have some amazing effects. For example, I could use it to investigate everything happening in the Imperial Palace, or to tame various beasts and make them serve me.’
A Martial Artist who mastered the Language of the Heart was a natural-born Beast Master, able to easily command all sorts of beasts. Whether for travel or combat, they could be astonishingly useful.
If one day he could command hundreds or thousands of High Level Demon Beasts and Demons, he could simply overwhelm his enemies with a tide of beasts.
’With a Companion Talent like this, infiltrating Yufu Hall should be much easier.’
With a faint smile, Xia Wuyang waited until the dead of night when everyone was asleep. Dressed in Night Clothes, he used the Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique to silently slip out of the Eastern Palace, stealthily making his way toward the nearby Yufu Hall.
He activated his Mental Force Field, constantly observing his surroundings. If he detected anything unusual, he was ready to hide at a moment’s notice using the Dragon Storage Skill.
After all, having been the Crown Prince for so many years, while he might not have known the Imperial Palace like the back of his hand, his understanding of it was crystal clear. He knew exactly where the experts were stationed and which areas were safe.
With his current strength and stealth capabilities, even a Martial Artist of the Upper Three Grades would have a hard time detecting him. Thus, he could act with far fewer reservations.
’Princess Ling Yi "borrowed" so many things from him and never returned them. How could Xia Wuyang possibly let her off the hook?’
’Of course, he wasn’t going to kill Princess Ling Yi this time. Her offenses weren’t severe enough to warrant death, and she hadn’t been targeting him specifically. She’d "borrowed" from many of the Princes and Princesses in the Imperial Palace without returning their things.’
’If she had only targeted him, he might have had to "send her away" tonight, just like he did with Princess Yun Shu.’
’Xia Wuyang just wanted to get his things back. If he had the chance in the future, he’d get some extra compensation, too. He couldn’t just kill Princess Ling Yi like this.’
Even in the dead of night, Princess Ling Yi was surprisingly still awake. Luminous Pearls illuminated the Sleeping Palace of Yufu Hall as brightly as day. The princess was lying on a Purple Sandalwood Couch, idly scraping the lacquered surface of a small table with her Gilded Armor.
She wore a carmine, cloud-patterned nightgown. The firebird embroidered with gold thread on her collar seemed to come alive in the candlelight, as if it might take flight at any moment.
"It’s all that bastard Yan Jiuge’s fault. Otherwise, I would have gotten at least half a bottle of Celestial Water Essence. I refuse to believe that waste Wei Xianren could have absorbed all of it."
She suddenly smashed the Glazed Cup down, splashing the scarlet wine inside across the gold-threaded carpet.
"Since I can’t ’borrow’ a Miracle Treasure from the Eastern Palace, where else can I get one? I need to break through to the Fourth Grade Realm in a few months, so I have to ’borrow’ a Middle Level Miracle Treasure before then."
Princess Ling Yi hesitated for a long time before her expression hardened with resolve.
This made Xia Wuyang, who was hiding nearby, light up. ’Once Princess Ling Yi "borrows" a Miracle Treasure, I can just take it for myself to help raise my Cultivation Realm.’
A Middle Level Miracle Treasure was not only incredibly effective for Martial Artists of the Middle Three Grades, but it also had a significant effect on those in the Upper Three Grades, saving them a vast amount of Cultivation time.
’I can’t kill Princess Ling Yi for now. I still need her to go around "borrowing" treasures for me.’
Seeing that Princess Ling Yi showed no signs of going to sleep, Xia Wuyang grew a little anxious. He couldn’t just wait here for her all night.
After observing for a moment and checking the surroundings with his Mental Force Field, he confirmed there was no one else around. Only then did he silently land behind Princess Ling Yi.
THUD...
A single punch knocked the sleepless Princess Ling Yi unconscious, ensuring she’d get a good night’s sleep. At the same time, he used the Soul Capturing Technique to alter her memory, making her believe she had fallen asleep naturally rather than being knocked out.
After dealing with Princess Ling Yi, Xia Wuyang began to search the room.
He quickly found a hidden compartment on an Antique Shelf in the Sleeping Palace. Behind the books on the third shelf lay Princess Ling Yi’s most precious treasures.
The Fire Wind Glazed Cup!
It was a Top Level Artifact. Legend said that if fine wine was placed inside it, the cup would absorb special substances and, after a period of time, transform the wine into a medicinal liquor that could rapidly raise one’s Cultivation Realm.
Although it wasn’t quite a Miracle Treasure, it was still an extremely rare treasure.
Xia Wuyang took down the completely transparent cup. The Phoenix Pattern coiling around its body shimmered with a crimson radiance under the light of the Luminous Pearls.
He put it away with satisfaction and continued his search.
The Star Meteorite Iron in a Profound Iron Box, a thousand-year-old ginseng in a Jade Box, and a hundred Dragon Elephant Blood Coagulation Pills from a hidden compartment under her dressing table... In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the bundle in Xia Wuyang’s hands was already full.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have a Storage Ring. It was said that in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, only Emperor Xia and the Old Ancestor possessed one. No one else did.
’If I could get my hands on one, taking things wouldn’t be so troublesome in the future.’
Helpless, he could only pack as many valuable items as possible. He couldn’t fit some of the larger items, so he had to leave them behind, much to his regret.
An hour later, he finally left Yufu Hall with a bag full of treasures on his back.
’As expected of Princess "Borrow-and-Never-Return" Ling Yi. She really has "borrowed" quite a few good things over the years. Many were the prized collections of other Princes and Princesses, and now they all belong to me.’
He even found some of the items Princess Ling Yi had "borrowed" from him. Now, they were finally returned to their rightful owner.
What pleased him most were the thousand-year-old ginseng, the Thousand-year-old Reishi, and the Dragon Elephant Blood Coagulation Pills. While not Miracle Treasures, they were far more useful than ordinary supplementary Elixirs and could greatly increase his Cultivation Speed.
The Dragon and Tiger Elixir was potent, but it was primarily for enhancing male vitality. Its effects on cultivation were average, nowhere near as good as these Elixirs specifically designed to aid cultivation.
The Dragon Elephant Blood Coagulation Pill was arguably the best supplementary Elixir for Martial Artists of the Middle Three Grades. Used for daily cultivation and taken over a long period, its effects were not much inferior to those of a Miracle Treasure.
These one hundred Dragon Elephant Blood Coagulation Pills alone would be enough for Xia Wuyang to use for several months, greatly accelerating his Cultivation Speed.
’Princess Ling Yi really is a good person, hoarding so many Dragon Elephant Blood Coagulation Pills. Many Princes and Princesses couldn’t even afford them. I wonder where she got them all.’
’I’ll have to visit her again when I get the chance and see what other goodies she’s managed to get. Joy is better when shared than enjoyed alone, after all. Sharing is the greatest happiness.’
With a small smile, Xia Wuyang hid the treasures in a secret place to avoid them being discovered.
He kept the items he could use immediately nearby, like the Dragon Elephant Blood Coagulation Pills, taking one or two each day to help raise his Cultivation Realm.
The things he didn’t need right away, he hid further away. He could take them out to use later or trade them for resources and treasures he needed.
「The next morning.」 As Xia Wuyang was sleeping in with his arms around a few gorgeous Palace Maids, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from Yufu Hall.