Chapter 163: Chapter 163: The Bold Xue Ke
Mu Chen was genuinely startled. He was used to being the one doing the teasing, but now he found himself on the receiving end.
Flustered, Mu Chen quickly pulled his hand back and asked, "Xue Ke, what are you doing? Are you that desperate?"
Desperate?
As soon as the words left his mouth, Mu Chen regretted them. Wasn't he belittling himself with that remark?
"You're blushing," Princess Xue Ke noted with a smile, not angry at all.
"Nonsense!" Mu Chen retorted.
Xue Ke placed her hand over Mu Chen's heart.
Mu Chen took a step back.
"Your heart rate increased!" Xue Ke giggled, clearly amused.
"Is this why you brought me here, just to say this?" Mu Chen frowned, still unable to figure out what Xue Ke was up to.
"Hehe, your body reacted," Xue Ke said playfully, glancing downward.
Uh!
Mu Chen looked down at himself, indeed noticing a bit of a reaction.
Mu Chen raised his head, his gaze displeased as he looked at Xue Ke.
At that moment, Xue Ke was all smiles. As a man, who could tolerate such teasing and mockery? Mu Chen felt a strong urge to pin Xue Ke down right then and there.
"Mu Chen, don't misunderstand."
Seeing Mu Chen's anger, Xue Ke quickly grew concerned and explained, "Every time you meet my brother, you're always so touchy-feely. In the palace, there are rumors that you and my brother are... involved."
"Involved?" Mu Chen's anger dissipated, replaced with astonishment.
"They think you and my brother are like that... you know?" Xue Ke explained, her face turning red.
"Are you talking about... being romantically involved?" Mu Chen asked.
"Yes, exactly. You have no idea, my brother, despite being the crown prince and of age, refuses to take a wife. No matter how much my father or the ministers urge him, he won't do it! Even with the crown princess in his residence, he never visits her," Princess Xue Ke said.
Of course!
Mu Chen understood perfectly.
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe wouldn't visit the crown princess because he was actually a woman.
"So, you thought I had such a relationship with your brother and were testing me?" Mu Chen asked thoughtfully.
"Yes. Every time you meet my brother, you're so touchy-feely. It makes people suspect you're involved. Now, after my test, I can see you're a normal man," Xue Ke said.
"Uh! You did all that just to test me?" Mu Chen was at a loss for words. Xue Ke's actions could hardly be described as merely bold!
"I... I..."
Xue Ke turned her back to Mu Chen, stammering, "I like you and will be yours sooner or later. What difference does a day make?"
Unable to stay any longer, Xue Ke turned and ran out of the grove.
Uh!
Mu Chen was bewildered. Had he just been teased?
He must have been!
But Xue Ke's next words nearly turned Mu Chen to stone.
Xue Ke suddenly stopped, her back still to Mu Chen, and said, "If you really like my brother, I wouldn't mind. If you'd like, I can help you find out his thoughts."
Find out his thoughts?
Mu Chen was baffled. Did Xue Ke think Mu Chen was interested in both men and women?
Mu Chen shook his head, watching Xue Ke's retreating figure, and muttered, "When did this princess start liking me?"
"But she's the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire. If I accept her, wouldn't I also have to help resolve the empire's crises?"
"If I accept her, how will I face Qian Renxue?"
Mu Chen was troubled.
Xue Ke was the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, and Qian Renxue was the lady of the Spirit Hall. In the near future, these two powers were destined to clash in a massive war. By now, the Spirit Hall's leader must have started planning their extermination campaign!
No matter whether Mu Chen chose Xue Ke or his "sworn brother" Qian Renxue, he would inevitably be drawn into the coming conflict.
"Why must there be war? Isn't peace better? Without war, I'd have none of these worries. It seems I need to have a word with that person if I get the chance," Mu Chen thought, gazing in the direction of the Spirit Hall's Pope's Palace.
When Mu Chen returned to the Shrek Academy's camp, Xue Ke was chatting and laughing with Xiao Wu as if nothing had happened. Her eyes occasionally glanced at Mu Chen, but whenever their eyes met, she quickly looked away.
"Mu Chen, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er are here," Liu Erlong said, approaching Mu Chen.
As soon as Liu Erlong spoke, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, who had been waiting, stepped forward.
"Have you made up your mind?" Mu Chen asked.
"Yes."
"Yes."
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both nodded.
"Did your parents agree?" Mu Chen asked again.
"Yes."
"Yes."
They nodded again.
"As the master of Tang Sect, I must remind you. Once you join, you live as a Tang Sect member and die as a Tang Sect spirit. Betrayal will make you wish for death. Are you sure you won't regret it?" Mu Chen asked once more.
"No regrets!"
Shui Yue'er replied without hesitation.
"If I join Tang Sect, can you tell me how to upgrade the Thousand-Year Kill?" Shui Bing'er asked seriously.
"What? You want to learn the upgraded Thousand-Year Kill?" Mu Chen looked at Shui Bing'er, dumbfounded.
Shui Bing'er nodded.
During the preliminaries, Shui Bing'er was repeatedly subjected to Mu Chen's Thousand-Year Kill. She couldn't let go of her grudge without turning the tables on him.
"You want to use it on me, don't you?" Mu Chen asked, watching Shui Bing'er closely.
"How did you guess?" Shui Bing'er asked without denying it.
"Isn't it obvious? You dress neatly and speak politely, not like someone casual. Since you're a proper girl, there's only one reason you'd want to learn the upgraded Thousand-Year Kill: revenge," Mu Chen smiled.
"Will you teach me?" Shui Bing'er asked, not confirming or denying.
"No," Mu Chen shook his head.
"Stingy!" Shui Bing'er pouted.
"The upgraded Thousand-Year Kill is different from the regular one. It requires understanding the essence. Do you know what the essence is?" Mu Chen asked. Seeing Shui Bing'er shake her head, he continued, "The essence is the law, a rule of the world. You can think of it as the elevation of a soul skill. Since it's an essence, you must understand it yourself; it can't be taught."
"Really?" Shui Bing'er looked skeptical. Seeing Mu Chen nod, she believed him. After all, the True Thousand-Year Kill didn't require physical contact, just a point forward to affect the opponent. Such an elusive technique could only be explained by the word "essence."
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