Chapter 72: Forsaking the Throne

Ou Xinlai took out a Golden Spirit Fruit. Ou Jinju was momentarily stunned by the dazzling radiance of the fruit. “What is this?” Such a small fruit, yet shining so brilliantly—it was clearly no ordinary item.

“I heard it’s called the Golden Spirit Fruit,” she replied. She herself had no powers, so eating it would be a waste. But if Ou Jinju consumed the fruit, who knew what benefits might arise from the stimulation?

“This is the legendary Golden Spirit Fruit!” Ou Jinju exclaimed. He had heard tales of the fruit, but never seen it; it was said to be a sacred item among those who cultivated supernatural abilities. Whether one possessed the five basic abilities or rare talents, consuming a Golden Spirit Fruit was a tremendous boon. It was said that a single fruit could help those stuck at level nine ascend to level ten.

“It should be,” Xinlai affirmed. The fight between Li Chengfeng and Ji Liehuo had involved the fruit, so she was certain.

“As I thought, you stole my Golden Spirit Fruit.” The moment the fruit appeared, the shadow that had followed Xinlai since the Chiyou Ancient Cave finally revealed itself.

“So it really is you.” Xinlai put away the fruit. Back in the Dragon Lair, she’d sensed a shadow trailing her. When the Old Man in Green appeared, the shadow hid, refusing to join the commotion. Clearly, this shadow’s purpose was more valuable than the Old Man’s.

Xinlai reasoned that only Li Chengfeng, whose fruit she’d stolen, could be the one stalking her. So she had deliberately produced the fruit to lure him out—and sure enough, the Golden Spirit Fruit was irresistible bait.

“Hand over the Golden Spirit Fruit!” Li Chengfeng demanded. He knew Ji Liehuo and the others had absorbed spiritual energy in the Dragon Lair, then followed Xinlai to a cave filled with Heavenly Gang energy for cultivation. If Xinlai hadn’t killed Ji Liehuo, Ji’s progress in the cave would have matched his own. Retrieving the fruit from Xinlai would’ve been nearly impossible.

But since entering the Ou family, Li Chengfeng’s nerves had only grown more taut. Moments ago, he nearly got caught by Ou Chenfeng. Ou Chenfeng was stronger than he; if present, he’d have no chance of reclaiming the fruit.

Now, with Xinlai alone with this child, it was his best opportunity to get the fruit back!

“This is the last one—there are none left.” Xinlai pried open Jinju’s mouth and tossed the fruit in. Before he could react, Jinju had swallowed the Golden Spirit Fruit.

“You’ve followed me long enough to know there were three others with me. Including him, that makes five. We’ve already divided the fruit among ourselves.” One each, just enough.

“Impossible!” Li Chengfeng protested. “The fruit is so precious, how could you just give it away?” And, in his view, Xinlai was reckless. The Ou family children had little promise; the three who’d followed Xinlai into the Chiyou Cave, even after all the stimulation, were only at level six. Consuming the fruit now was a colossal waste!

Usually, only level-nine cultivators, on the verge of breaking through, took the Golden Spirit Fruit to ascend to level ten. Below level eight, eating the fruit was pure waste. Li Chengfeng had planned to keep it until he reached level nine.

“I only know that what’s inside my stomach is truly mine. If it’s merely on my person, someone could snatch it away—like you did. With you as an example, I’d rather waste it among my own than let others steal it,” Xinlai said slyly, raising her brow.

Li Chengfeng was nearly apoplectic. When he first acquired the fruit, he couldn’t bear to use it—he hadn’t swallowed it even when cornered by Ji Liehuo and the others. In the end, the fruit he risked his life for benefited someone else.

In this, Xinlai was indeed wiser than the veteran.

“Are you sure there isn’t a single one left?” Li Chengfeng pressed. Even one would do.

“What, planning to search me?” Xinlai teased, amused by his stubbornness.

Her decisive action—shoving the last fruit into Jinju’s mouth—had fooled Li Chengfeng. He’d seen her give away top medicines without hesitation and hadn’t pocketed a single supernatural bead from the Old Man in Green. Her past actions had laid the groundwork for this lie.

Li Chengfeng had reason to believe she was capable of such audacious behavior.

“I advise you to leave and seek other treasures to aid your breakthrough. As for the Golden Spirit Fruit, you have no hope here,” Xinlai said, feigning benevolence.

Li Chengfeng glared at her. “You’re ruthless!” If he acted against Xinlai in the Ou family, he’d provoke the whole clan, which wasn’t worth it. Besides, the fruit had already been consumed; no matter how angry he was, there was nothing to be done. Unlike other medicines, the Golden Spirit Fruit was instantly absorbed by the eater. Drinking blood or similar remedies would be useless—there was no way to salvage it.

“You’d better hurry. If not, my father will come looking for me,” Xinlai warned. Her father was not someone to be trifled with.

“Hmph! I won’t forget this.” Since his debut, Li Chengfeng had never suffered such a setback, and now he’d been bested by a true novice. His resentment was palpable.

“Whew…” Jinju finally relaxed as Li Chengfeng left. “That really was Li Chengfeng?” He was a formidable demon cultist, already at level seven despite his youth.

“He’s not that remarkable. Xuan Ye is also at level seven,” Xinlai retorted, rolling her eyes. “So, now you’ve eaten the fruit—how do you feel? Don’t tell me I wasted it.”

“Watch this!” Jinju was excited. He approached a small boulder and punched it. Instantly, the portion of stone struck by his fist became hollow. The once-solid boulder now had a cavity, yet aside from the affected area, it remained nearly intact.

Xinlai nodded at the result; Jinju’s physical ability had significantly improved. Most people break stones starting from the edge, but Jinju had shattered the core without damaging the rest—a feat far beyond ordinary skill.

“There’s more!” Jinju was thrilled. He’d thought Xinlai’s training was pointless, but after she entered the Chiyou Cave and he had time to practice, he realized his progress was substantial.

With remarkable speed, Jinju traversed the courtyard and returned to Xinlai’s side in the blink of an eye. He’d already mastered five or six levels of Xinlai’s teleportation skill.

Xinlai nodded. “Good thing you’re not a blockhead, or I’d regret it.” Her earlier training—having Jinju jump on jade—was to fundamentally reshape his constitution.

Only by properly conditioning Jinju’s body could his martial training yield twice the results.

“Now, digest the fruit well. With its help, your physical strength will be firmly consolidated.” Though the fruit was a sacred item for supernatural cultivators, its benefits were universal. It enhanced the body, fostering concentration and energy. Its effects were thousands of times greater than self-regulation, which made it so rare.

Thus, ordinary physical cultivators who consumed the fruit also gained tremendous benefit.

Back in her room, Xinlai found Ou Chenfeng waiting.

He seemed unsurprised that Xinlai returned later than he did. “All settled?”

“Father, rest assured—Li Chengfeng knows I no longer have the fruit, so he won’t pursue it.” Five fruits were enough to arouse greed from outsiders. It was essential that Li Chengfeng believed they were gone, or trouble would keep coming.

Of course, Ou Chenfeng and Xinlai could have chosen to kill Li Chengfeng. But Li Chengfeng’s reckless entry into the Ou family meant he’d prepared thoroughly. If they killed him, the news of the fruit might spread even faster—it would be counterproductive.

“Hmm.” Ou Chenfeng nodded. He’d known from the start that Li Chengfeng had infiltrated the family.

He’d wanted to act, but received a signal from Xinlai, so he left the matter to her. “You really obtained the fruit?” Five of them—such temptation was enough to make Li Chengfeng follow Xinlai into the Ou family without hesitation.

“Yes,” Xinlai nodded and handed him a fruit.

Her previous offerings had already made many in the clan envious. If they knew her greatest treasure was five Golden Spirit Fruits, they’d be beside themselves.

Comparisons only breed resentment.

Xinlai was entering the Chiyou Cave for the first time, yet luck favored her—she encountered all the best treasures.

If they also learned that she’d inherited the long-lost Yin-Yang Transformation, they might suspect Ou Chenfeng wasn’t her real father, and that Heaven itself had parented her.

“This is your share, Father.” Only if her father prospered could she prosper—she understood this well. “You’d best swallow it directly—don’t save it. As I told Li Chengfeng, only what’s in your stomach is truly yours. If you don’t eat it, a thousand things could happen.”

If Ou Chenfeng weren’t her father, she’d have been reluctant to part with the fruit.

Ou Chenfeng glanced at her, as if to say: Did you really need to tell me?

If Xinlai understood this principle, Ou Chenfeng certainly did. In his youth, he’d pulled off even bolder stunts.

Back then, after finding a treasure, he’d faced a situation similar to Li Chengfeng’s. But Ou Chenfeng had more resolve—he swallowed the treasure in front of everyone, fusing it with his body. Any further attempts to take it were futile.

That move had infuriated many, making them ill with rage.

“Father, I want to break my engagement with Xuan Ye. It’s time to settle it,” Xinlai said as Ou Chenfeng swallowed the fruit. She didn’t much care about his exact level—he was strong enough.

“Very well—Xuan Lao is looking for you. Change clothes and go see him.” The matter of breaking the engagement with Xuan Ye would require Xuan Lao’s help.

“That old man sure arrived at just the right moment.” Xinlai nodded, swiftly freshened up, and went to meet Xuan Lao.

To her surprise, Xuan Lao’s spirits were not as high as last time.

Clearly, his illness had taken its toll.

“Girl, if you hadn’t returned, I wouldn’t have lived to see you,” Xuan Lao greeted Xinlai as if she were his savior. His health was failing rapidly, seeming near its limit, but he still felt he hadn’t lived enough.

“Don’t worry. With me here, you won’t die.” Xuan Lao’s illness was not particularly complicated for her. After some preparation, she began treatment. Xuan Lao watched in amazement. “You’re starting right away?” He’d expected to persuade her first.

“What, you think I’m too fast? Want to wait a couple more days? That can be arranged,” Xinlai said.

“No, no, the sooner the better.” Xuan Lao shook his head; he was eager to recover. His failing heart could take no more.

Xinlai brought Xuan Lao to the Five Elements Array for treatment, avoiding interruptions. She took a set of golden needles from her room and a small bottle of water from the Yin-Yang Lake, bringing them all to the array. She then began acupuncture on Xuan Lao.

Meanwhile, other events unfolded in the Ou family.

The royal envoys arrived, bearing an imperial edict from the current sovereign of Xuanwu Kingdom, Xuan Yu: in one month, Xinlai and Xuan Ye were to be wed.

During their time in the Chiyou Cave, Xuan Ye had thought carefully. He no longer resisted Xinlai as before; in fact, he felt quite fond of her. If they got along well, he believed their feelings would only deepen.

He was a young man, after all—marriage was marriage, but if he could wed a woman who pleased him, all the better.

So after leaving the cave, Xuan Ye petitioned Xuan Yu for permission to marry.

Xuan Yu, mindful of Xuan Lao’s influence, wanted Xuan Ye to marry Xinlai quickly, lest the assets meant for the Xuan family end up in Ou hands. He never understood how the much-maligned Xinlai had so thoroughly won Xuan Lao’s favor.

Thus, Xuan Yu was glad to resolve this matter; as soon as Xuan Ye requested, he decreed the wedding in one month.

When the edict arrived, many in the Ou family were dumbfounded—especially the daughters, whose hearts shattered. They all cried bitterly, lamenting that Xuan Wangye would now be ruined by Xinlai, the ugly girl.

“Xuan Yu, do you even see me?” Xuan Lao, now robust and energetic, stormed into the palace, ignoring the guards and moving unhindered.

“Xuan Lao, your illness?” Xuan Yu stared in astonishment; Xuan Lao’s complexion had been poor just days before. Xuan Yu had sent the best doctors and healers from the kingdom, but none could cure Xuan Lao.

The doctors had resigned themselves, but the healers were furious—their reputations now tarnished.

“With my granddaughter here, I’m healed,” Xuan Lao declared. Xinlai’s medical skills were far superior to the doctors and healers. After a few needle strokes and the infusion of something unknown, his heart felt brand new.

“Listen, my granddaughter cannot marry Xuan Ye—it would be a disgrace.” Xuan Lao was blunt.

“No, my edict stands.” The more Xuan Lao valued Xinlai, the less Xuan Yu would agree. If the engagement was to be broken, Xinlai would have to relinquish all inherited from Xuan Lao, returning it to the Xuan family.

“You really think my assets must go to the Xuan family, unless given to Xinlai?” Xuan Lao was angry. Xuan Yu’s insistence was clearly about the wealth and benefits behind him, which Xuan Lao especially disliked.

“Believe me, I’d rather destroy it all than let it fall into the hands of those I dislike!” Though he had once agreed to certain Xuan family demands, he still had one move left.

“You!” Xuan Yu was infuriated; he never imagined Xuan Lao would defend Xinlai so fiercely. “Xuan Lao, we honor you with that title. Don’t forget, your surname is Xuan—you are Xuan family. No matter how good Xinlai is, she’s not one of us.”

“You like Xinlai so much, why not have my brother marry her? Then she’d be part of the Xuan family, and call you grandfather. Why refuse to let her marry my brother?” Xuan Yu was furious, his eyes blazing.

He thought marrying Xinlai would be a concession for his brother, but Xinlai’s reluctance—backed by Xuan Lao—made him more determined. The more she resisted, the more his brother was set on marrying her.

“I said it: Xuan Ye is not worthy of the Ou family girl.” If Xuan Ye truly married Xinlai, the Xuan family would be in even greater trouble. The Ye family boy was no pushover.

Though the Ye family had lain dormant for five hundred years, their strength remained. Otherwise, Ye Zifei wouldn’t have attained the title of Young Marquis without effort.

If Ye Zifei learned that the Xuan family, in his absence, planned to marry Xinlai, he would cause endless trouble.

Xuan Lao frowned, realizing that from every angle, Xuan Ye could not marry Xinlai.

Xinlai disliked Xuan Ye; if forced to marry, she would never settle down, and if she made a fuss, not just Xuan Ye but the whole family would know no peace. If Ye Zifei got involved, the Xuan family would be even more endangered.

Five hundred years ago, it was the Ye family who were the rightful heirs to the throne of Xuanwu Kingdom; they only withdrew, leaving the Xuan family to assume the imperial name.

“Not worthy? Who’s not worthy of whom?” Xuan Yu’s brother had been demoted, and Xuan Yu’s eyes darkened, his breath quickening. “Xuan Lao, Xinlai isn’t so exceptional. There aren’t many men willing to marry her. She should count herself lucky for this match.”

He slammed the table. “Xuan Lao, as long as my brother wishes, you need say no more. The marriage will happen in a month—finalized!”

“If you want the Xuan family destroyed, let Xuan Ye marry Xinlai,” Xuan Lao retorted, furious. If he weren’t a Xuan, he wouldn’t waste his breath; if Xuan Yu refused, he’d fight until he agreed.

Ye Zifei had been lured back solely to help Xinlai break this engagement. Clearly, Xuan Yu was no match for him, yet he stubbornly pushed forward. “If you don’t want the throne, let Xinlai become your sister-in-law,” Xuan Lao concluded, turning to leave.

“You…” Xuan Yu, shocked by the harsh words, rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot.