Chapter 115: Ye Xiuwen and the First Prince’s Battle for the Top

Translator: Minotauruz

The Soul Acuity Grass was not a difficult herb to find. It was known to grow beside a type of green vine that had leaves shaped like butterfly wings. As long as one managed to locate that green vine, then one would naturally also be able to locate the Soul Acuity Grass growing at the roots of the main vine.

Just a few days ago, when Ye Xiuwen and Jun Xiaomo passed by these woods, they had spotted many of these green vines with butterfly winged leaves. But back then, they had not considered the fact that the Soul Acuity Grass might one day come in handy. Therefore, they had simply turned a blind eye to the Soul Acuity Grass then.

It was the dead of night right now. Ye Xiuwen circled around the woods under the dim illumination of the moonlight, but he just could not locate any traces of these green vines with butterfly winged leaves.

In fact, what Ye Xiuwen did not know was that whenever night fell, these green vines with butterfly winged leaves would fold their leaves down along the stem of the vine. If one did not pause to take a closer look at each vine, it would be easy to mistake these vines for any other normal vines.

The Euphoria-Stimulating Incense’s effects incessantly tormented Jun Xiaomo and made her experience extreme discomfort. She remained in Ye Xiuwen’s embrace while she continued to call out “martial brother” from time to time. These murmurings and mumblings from Jun Xiaomo sounded weak and soft, but each one dealt a heavy blow to Ye Xiuwen’s heart.

Ye Xiuwen’s rationality was also dangling at the edge of the precipice right now. It was almost as though he had also fallen prey to the effects of the Euphoria-Stimulating Incense.

But no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not locate the Soul Acuity Grass. Dejected, Ye Xiuwen carried Jun Xiaomo as they returned to their original location.

By now, Jun Xiaomo’s head had grown incredibly hot to the touch. The only thing running through her dazed mind was that the tighter she embraced this man, the more comfortable she felt. She wanted more. Therefore, she suddenly pushed Ye Xiuwen towards a nearby tree, before tangling her arms and legs around his. She even began to make light moaning sounds.

Ye Xiuwen immediately placed his hands onto Yao Mo’s shoulders, intending to harden his heart and shove Yao Mo away. However, his arms remained frozen on Yao Mo’s shoulders and he could not bring himself to do it.

Jun Xiaomo’s clothes that had been soaked through with her sweat was now plastered to Ye Xiuwen’s body. Ye Xiuwen’s fingers curled up stiffly, and his lips stretched out into a long, painful grimace. It was evident what kind of struggle Ye Xiuwen was going through right now.

By this point, Ye Xiuwen’s clothes had been thoroughly ruffled up by Jun Xiaomo’s unrestrained actions. The collar of his garbs flared outwards, revealing his snow-white inner shirt.

Just as things were about to escalate even further, the first prince who had been lying unconscious on the floor began to stir. His fingers twitched, and moments later, he opened both of his eyes.

His eyes were no longer bloodshot. They had reverted to their original form – obsidian-black pupils that were so deep and dark that, under the cover of the night, each of them seemed to contain a bottomless abyss.

The first prince had thought that he would awaken inside Yao Mo’s room. Unexpectedly, the first thing he noticed was that he was located deep within a forest. The dense foliage of the overhanging canopy seemed almost impermeable, and the resultant illumination of the stars and moon became thin and sparse.

It was precisely because of this that when the first prince swept his cold gaze towards the other two people nearby, he did not notice that one of them was in fact Yao Mo.

The first prince was extremely sensitive to matters concerning his own safety. Naturally, he kept his vigilance about him and regarded everything as a potential threat to him. Just as he began to put up his guard, intending to deal with the other two around him, he discovered to his surprise that these were not assailants after his life. Rather, they were...two lovebirds that seemed to be getting it on in the woods.

The first prince would never have expected to witness such a “brazen” act in the very first moment that he regained his consciousness. Of the two lovebirds, the slightly shorter one was clambering all over the other’s body, as though that lovebird were impatiently grasping at the other’s chest area. Soft, impassioned moans were even coming out of the shorter lovebird’s lips. That voice was slightly androgynous, albeit pleasant and even slightly ticklish to the ears.

It was no wonder that the other lovebird found it difficult to resist that shorter lovebird’s advances and decided to carry out their act so brazenly in these woods. The first prince chuckled softly as he castigated them in his heart. He personally found this type of inability to control one’s carnal desires extremely detestable and vulgar.

In the first prince’s eyes, those who were unable to control their own primal urges were no better than beasts who only knew how to procreate – just like that dear brother of his.

The first prince stood up and patted off the dried grass and leaves from his body. Just as he was about to dive in between the lovebirds and break up the “fun”, he suddenly paused in his steps.

The few steps that he had just taken had changed his visual perspective of the two lovebirds. As a result of this, he finally noticed the identity of the shorter lovebird –

Who would have thought that it was actually Yao Mo? And as for the slightly taller man, who else could it be besides Yao Mo’s dear friend, Ye Xiuwen?

The first prince couldn’t believe his eyes! They quivered in shock. Then, the demonic energy within his Dantian which Jun Xiaomo worked so hard to suppress began to roil once again. If he did not quickly address this issue and keep his demonic energy in check, the next outburst of demonic energy was only going to be a matter of time. At that time, his rationality might very well be consumed once again.

Rong Ruihan knew that he should leave this place without hesitation right now. After all, he and Yao Mo were no more than acquaintances who mutually benefited from the others’ existence. It was hardly his business who Yao Mo decided to physically entangle himself with.

However, his feet refused to move. It was as though there were a strange force coming from deep within his heart that was preventing him from leaving right now.

“Have you seen enough? If so, I invite your highness to take his leave.” Ye Xiuwen coldly uttered as he swept a frigid gaze towards Rong Ruihan.

Even though Ye Xiuwen was currently looking quite disheveled, he had never once let his guard down at all. In fact, he was even aware of the first prince’s stirring when he had first come to his senses.

Ye Xiuwen found his predicament extremely unbearable. He was unsure whether he would once again lose his restraint and force his lips onto Yao Mo’s once again. Nevertheless, he wished that the first prince would leave them be. The first reason was that he did not want the first prince to witness Yao Mo’s vulnerable state any longer; while the second reason was that the manner in which the first prince was staring at Yao Mo thoroughly displeased Ye Xiuwen.

The first prince picked up on Ye Xiuwen’s intentions to drive him away. However, the first prince felt extremely reluctant in his heart. Even though he could hardly put a finger on what made him feel reluctant this way, he was absolutely certain that his heart did not want to let Ye Xiuwen have his way that easily.

Therefore, the first prince folded his arms and curled his lips wryly as he remarked, “You clearly had no issues ignoring me earlier when you began tangling with each other while I laid on the floor completely unconscious. What’s the matter? Are you two feeling shy now that I’m awake and conscious?”

Ye Xiuwen squinted his eyes as he thought about how he could best rebuff the first prince.

Just at this moment, Jun Xiaomo tugged firmly at Ye Xiuwen’s arms once again as she cried out, “Martial brother!” This resounding cry was crisp and clear, and even the first prince heart exactly what Jun Xiaomo had said.

Martial brother? The first prince had learnt several things about Yao Mo from his clandestine agents. In particular, he knew that Ye Xiuwen and Yao Mo had only encountered each other in the midst of their travels, and they were not from the same sect.

Since that’s the case, why would Yao Mo cling onto Ye Xiuwen and address him as ‘martial brother’?

The first prince furrowed his brows. Then, he took a closer examination of Yao Mo and discovered that Yao Mo’s present condition was rather peculiar.

In the next moment, a cold realization washed over the first prince’s body as he straightened his stance in shock. Then, he coldly exclaimed, “You’ve poisoned Yao Mo!”

Ye Xiuwen glanced back at the first prince with indifference as he clarified, “The one who poisoned Little Mo isn’t me, but your dear brother, the second prince.”

“It’s him?” The first prince’s face was immediately filled with expressions of hatred and contempt as he chuckled sardonically, “Who knew that the Heavenly Peak’s First-Seat Disciple from the righteous and upstanding Dawn Sect would take advantage of others in their moment of weakness? The person that Yao Mo is calling for is obviously not you, huh? What’s the matter? Are you trying to take advantage of the situation and have a casual, liberal fling?”

The first prince’s words successfully provoked Ye Xiuwen’s exasperation. He had never intended to take advantage of Jun Xiaomo’s moment of weakness. Rather, it was just that he had been unable to find the Soul Acuity Grass, while Yao Mo had inadvertently been enticing him all this while. Unless one was a celibate or a saint, how could any man remain unmoved in the face of the temptations of someone whom he had feelings for?

Truth be told, it was already a miracle that Ye Xiuwen had held out until now.

Ye Xiuwen hesitated for a moment, before he responded simply, “Little Mo is under the effects of the Euphoria-Stimulating Incense, and he needs Soul Acuity Grass in order to dispel it.”

Without the Soul Acuity Grass, Yao Mo would have no other choice but to copulate with someone in order to dispel the effects of the Euphoria-Stimulating Incense.

The first prince possessed keen senses. He immediately connected the dots with the piecemeal information that he had gleaned, and he roughly understood what had happened. In particular, he understood that Ye Xiuwen had brought Yao Mo out at night in order to look for the antidote.

As to why the he had awakened in these woods, the first prince knew that he had to shelf this thought until Yao Mo aroused from his stupor.

A glint of darkness flashed across the first prince eyes as he lowered his head in deliberation for a moment. Then, he retrieved a small pill bottle from his Interspatial Ring and tossed it over to Ye Xiuwen.

“This is a Soul Acuity Pill. Its main constituent ingredient is the Soul Acuity Grass. Perhaps it might be of some use. You can feed it directly to Yao Mo.”

Ye Xiuwen caught the small pill bottle with gratitude, “Thanks.”

As Ye Xiuwen thanked the first prince, he poured out a pill and fed it directly to Jun Xiaomo’s mouth.

Jun Xiaomo initially resisted the medicinal taste emanating from the Soul Acuity Pill. She prodded the Soul Acuity Pill with the tip of her tongue and tried to push it out. However, Ye Xiuwen resolutely pressed the pill down past Jun Xiaomo’s tongue and into her mouth.

Jun Xiaomo finally gave up resisting. She curled up her tongue and swallowed the Soul Acuity Pill.

Her nimble tongue had earlier touched Ye Xiuwen’s fingertips, and that warm and soft sensation lingered on Ye Xiuwen’s skin.

Ye Xiuwen was once again reminded of that kiss they shared earlier. He was willing to erase that memory from his mind entirely. However, he discovered that this memory would seem to resurface in his mind without notice and cause his emotions to roil without restraint.

The first prince noticed that Ye Xiuwen’s index finger was still pressing on Yao Mo’s lips despite Yao Mo having already swallowed the pill. Immediately, the first prince’s eyes darkened, and a smirk crept up the corner of his lips as he remarked, “What’s the matter, brother Ye? Are you still unwilling to let go of his lips even after the effects of the Euphoria-Stimulating Incense had been dispelled? Or are you just trying to deal with that sudden sense of loss? Do you regret dispelling the poison from his body now?”

Ye Xiuwen finally retracted his hand. He retrieved a large mat from his Interspatial Ring and set it on the floor. Then, he carried Jun Xiaomo over and sat her down gently.

The Soul Acuity Pill took effect almost instantaneously, and Jun Xiaomo managed to calm down very quickly. She no longer experienced her earlier shortness of breaths, and she now breathed with a much calmer tempo. Her tendency to gravitate towards Ye Xiuwen’s bosom had also dwindled substantially.

At this moment, Jun Xiaomo’s eyes suddenly shut, and her body slumped limply. However, Ye Xiuwen managed to catch her before she fell onto the ground.

Ye Xiuwen used his palm to check on her temperature once again, and he discovered that her originally burning temperature had also subsided. Evidently, the medicine had been effective.

At this moment, Ye Xiuwen’s roiling emotions which had earlier resulted in the intense heaving and sighing of his breath had finally begun to calm down. He shut his eyes slowly and collected his thoughts – he had no intention of ever revealing these memories to anybody.

Seeing that things had come to some form of conclusion, the first prince also restrained himself and ceased to mock Ye Xiuwen any further. Truth be told, he was also unsure why he had offered that Soul Acuity Pill to Ye Xiuwen earlier.

After all, even though the main constituent of the Soul Acuity Pill was Soul Acuity Grass, its usage was not limited to dispelling the effects of the Euphoria-Stimulating Incense. It had other important functions, including nourishing and soothing one’s meridians, and pacifying the chaotic or clashing spiritual and demonic energies within a person’s body. It had similar effects to a Heart Purging Pill. The only difference was that it had the additional function of strengthening and soothing one’s meridians.

Therefore, using the Soul Acuity Pill in such a manner was almost tantamount to a complete waste of a precious resource.

Yet despite fully appreciating this fact, the first prince didn’t find in his heart any form of remorse or reluctance.

He leaned against a nearby tree trunk and shut his eyes. As he regulated and sorted out the chaotic demonic energies within his body, he reflected on his own, peculiar actions tonight as well.

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On the other side, Qin Lingyu and the others had been alerted to the incident by the guard commander, and they hastily ran out of their rooms towards the second prince’s courtyard.

Earlier that night, the second prince had hosted all of them with a grand banquet reception. After the banquet, most disciples were slightly tipsy from having drunk too much. Therefore, they all decided to retire for the night and stay at the second prince’s residence.

The guard commander had not apprised them about how menacing and ferocious the first prince had been when he fought his way into the second prince’s residence. He only informed Qin Lingyu and the others that the first prince had appeared, while the guards in the second prince’s residence were unable to resist his onslaught given their limited abilities. Therefore, he invited the experts Qin Lingyu and the others to make their appearance to capture the first prince.

Qin Lingyu roughly understood the first prince’s abilities. He knew that before the first prince had disappeared, he was at the twelfth level of Qi Mastery – just like himself. As a result, Qin Lingyu assessed that capturing the first prince was not going to be too difficult given the collective abilities of the Dawn Sect disciples put together.

Therefore, Qin Lingyu hardly gave it any thought when he heard the guard commander’s report. He immediately led the rest of the Dawn Sect disciples and followed closely after the guard commander. Even though Qin Lingyu noticed that the guard commander was running with an unstable footing, he shrugged it off, attributing it solely to this guard commander’s anxiety.

The rest of the Dawn Sect disciples followed behind Qin Lingyu’s back, including Yu Wanrou. Today, Yu Wanrou had finally opened her eyes to the second prince’s world when she marveled at the grandeur of the second prince’s residence. She was completely mesmerized and dazzled by the lavish lifestyle of the second prince. She had been rescued from a life of hardship ever since she had stepped foot into the Dawn Sect. However, “not facing hardship” and “enjoying life” were two completely separate concepts. The second prince’s lifestyle was exactly the lavish lifestyle that Yu Wanrou had always dreamed about!

This trip to the second prince’s residence once again convicted her that she absolutely had to find a way to subjugate the second prince and make him her own. She even began to fantasize about the day when the second prince would ascend the throne and take her as his queen. At that time, all the resources belonging to the Inferno Kingdom would be at her disposal, including this lavish residence and the assemblage of servants.

In fact, Yu Wanrou had managed to achieve all of this in Jun Xiaomo’s previous life. At that time, the second prince had been so completely captivated by the effects of her dual cultivation technique that he was even willing to pledge himself to Yu Wanrou and be one of her lackeys.

As for how things would pan out in this life...who knows?

Just like that, the guard commander led the Dawn Sect disciples to the courtyard in fear and trepidation. Yet in the moment that they arrived at the courtyard, they were greeted with a blood-curdling sight. The entire courtyard was covered with piles and piles of dead bodies and dismembered parts. A thick, nauseating stench of blood filled the air.

The guard commander’s legs immediately buckled, and a sense of dark foreboding washed over him.

This sight also sent chills down the backs of the Dawn Sect disciples. After all, was this the type of destruction that could be caused by a single cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Mastery?!

Then, they began to step over dead body after dismembered part as they made their way into the heart of the courtyard.

“Se-...second prince!!!”

As soon as he noticed the identity of the person lying unconscious in the middle of the courtyard, the guard commander was frightened out of his wits. He cried out the second prince’s name as he hobbled over towards him.

The guard commander placed his finger under the second prince’s nose to check his breathing. In the very next moment, his knees buckled again, and he collapsed to the floor in despair.

It’s over. It’s all over. The Grand Vizier’s dearest disciple is dead! How is he going to let us off?!

Then, as though sealing the fate of the guard commander, a Teleportation Array connecting the second prince’s residence to the Grand Vizier’s residence glowed brightly in the courtyard...