Chapter 98: The Prince Has Arrived

At night, the golden-eyed eagle descended from the sky like a dark cloud, swiftly diving towards its target: the room of Huo Yuanzhen at Shaolin Temple.

Huo Yuanzhen, who was meditating on a lotus cushion, sensed the eagle's return and reached out to open the window.

With wings retracted, the eagle flew through the window and landed gracefully on the floor.

It wobbled over to Huo Yuanzhen, who gently stroked its large head.

The golden-eyed eagle had been away from the temple for a while, as Huo Yuanzhen had sent it to follow Ning Wanjuan. Without this watchful eye in the sky, he hadn't been able to track the whereabouts of Mo Lan. But now, the eagle had returned with important news.

Huo Yuanzhen sensed the weight of the situation as the eagle shared its observations. Ning Wanjuan was returning, and with her was none other than her fiancé—the second prince, Zhao Yuanqui.

The emperor, Zhao Song, had three sons and two daughters. Zhao Yuanji was the eldest daughter, followed by Zhao Yuanbo, the eldest son, Zhao Yuanqui, the second son, Zhao Yuandong, the third son, and Zhao Yuanying, the youngest daughter. Of all his children, Zhao Yuanqui was the emperor's favorite.

Before becoming emperor, Zhao Song had made connections with various martial artists, one of whom was the leader of the Evil Sect, Mo Tianxie. It was said that Mo Tianxie had played a crucial role in Zhao Song's rise to the throne.

Later, Zhao Song and Mo Tianxie even arranged a marriage between Mo Tianxie's daughter, Ning Wanjuan, and the emperor's most beloved son, Zhao Yuanqui. Initially, it was assumed that Zhao Yuanqui would inherit the throne, but a sudden accident changed that.

While traveling, Zhao Yuanqui had an altercation with the notorious demon, the Demon Slayer, who killed over ten of Zhao Yuanqui's guards and struck him with the Qingming Divine Palm. The poison from the strike slowly spread through Zhao Yuanqui's body, and despite the best doctors' efforts, the illness remained untreated. Zhao Yuanqui suffered daily, unable to escape the painful curse.

This turn of events dashed his hopes of becoming the crown prince. Who would want a sickly heir? Zhao Yuanqui, in his desperation, sought to marry Ning Wanjuan to ensure he would leave descendants before his death. However, Ning Wanjuan had never liked him and refused to marry him, though Zhao Yuanqui's condition could likely persist for another four or five years. Thus, they settled on a three-year agreement.

Now, with the acquisition of the relic, Huo Yuanzhen learned that Ning Wanjuan had gone to Chang'an to secretly bring Zhao Yuanqui back. The reason for the secrecy was clear: the region of Henan, controlled by Guan Tianzhao, could pose a great danger if Zhao Yuanqui's identity was revealed. If exposed, he could become a hostage, a bargaining chip for the royal family in their conflict with the Imperial Court.

The two traveled in disguise, accompanied by only a few servants, and quietly made their way to Henan. The golden-eyed eagle had returned to inform Huo Yuanzhen. With only a few dozen miles left between the temple and their destination, the eagle had reported back.

Naturally, the eagle could not observe every detail, but its report that Ning Wanjuan had arrived with a prince allowed Huo Yuanzhen to piece together the situation. Now, with the martial arts tournament of Songshan looming, Huo Yuanzhen had been quietly training to increase his inner strength, yet he couldn't ignore Ning Wanjuan's return. He would have to meet with her and Zhao Yuanqui.

The next morning, Zhao Yuanqui arrived at the foot of the mountain. However, he did not immediately ascend but rested in an inn for half the day. It was only after noon that he began his journey towards Shaolin.

As they ascended the mountain road, Zhao Yuanqui, accompanied by his servants and Ning Wanjuan with her maid, Xiao Cui, walked slowly.

Zhao Yuanqui appeared pale, with a tinge of green on his face. The poison from the Qingming Divine Palm had weakened him, and his body was thin and frail, though his pride was undiminished. Once they began walking up the mountain, he could not stop talking.

"This mountain is decent, the environment is nice, and the temple gate is well-built. But what a shame, the stairs are of poor quality. Ordinary blue stone, not even worthy of comparing to the palace. Even the Daxiangguo Temple's steps would be far superior. Wanjuan, are you sure this temple has the relics? Will it truly cure... my condition?"

Zhao Yuanqui had agreed to call himself "Young Master Huang" during their journey, but he couldn't help but drop his royal title from time to time, wanting to remind everyone of his identity as a prince.

Ning Wanjuan did not glance at him and replied coolly, "Young Master Huang, I do not agree with this statement. The worth of a temple is not determined by its stairs. Just like a country, on the outside, it may seem prosperous and powerful, but who knows what hidden dangers lie within? I believe Young Master Huang understands this better than I do."

Zhao Yuanqui's face darkened. "That's an unfair comparison. A mere temple cannot be compared to a country."

"Well then, let's talk about people. Young Master Huang, you are of noble birth, respected by all. But your life—do you really think you're living a good one? Whether or not the throne is meant for you is one thing, but if no miracle happens, you may not live long enough to sit on it."

Zhao Yuanqui's temper flared. "Wanjuan, don't speak so harshly. You can refuse me now, but can you guarantee that I won't recover? If I do, the throne will still be mine, and I will not believe that, once I regain my status, you will still refuse me. If you truly want me to recover, why else would you bring me to this Shaolin Temple?"

"Young Master Huang, I do wish to help you heal, but it is not for any position. I've already made my reasons clear. However, if you don't trust the monks here, you may leave now. I will not stop you."

Seeing Zhao Yuanqui repeatedly being humbled by Ning Wanjuan, one of his servants quickly changed the subject, glancing up at the mountain and whispering, "Young Master, these monks are truly impolite. I sent Xiao Chengzi early this morning to inform them that we had arrived, but there's not a single monk to greet us. How disrespectful!"

Zhao Yuanqui, appreciating the servant's words, turned to Ning Wanjuan. "Wanjuan, what he said is right. We sent notice to Shaolin, and yet no one has come to greet us. Isn't this rude? If they do not cure me, I will ensure they pay for this disrespect!"

Ning Wanjuan glanced at the servant coldly and asked, "Did you inform Shaolin?"

"Yes, Miss Ning, we always inform the places we visit beforehand. Whether it's here or the Daxiangguo Temple, our Young Master must be greeted appropriately."

"You told them who your master is?"

The servant nodded. "Yes, of course. Otherwise, how could we expect them to send someone out to welcome us?"

"Foolish!"

Ning Wanjuan spat out the words, causing Zhao Yuanqui's face to change. "Wanjuan, why do you speak so harshly?"

"Young Master Huang, have you forgotten where this is? This is Henan, not Chang'an. In this region, your title holds no weight. If your identity is revealed here, it could be dangerous. Have you forgotten how close you came to being exposed on your way here from Luoyang?"

Zhao Yuanqui's face turned pale at the realization. How could he have been so careless? If Guan Tianzhao found out about his presence in Henan, it would be disastrous.

"And you still dare to criticize Shaolin? If the monks here had greeted you, do you think you could have handled the consequences?"

Zhao Yuanqui wiped the sweat from his brow. "Wanjuan is right. I was too careless. It won't happen again."

He then slapped the servant. "You fool! Do you want to get me killed? If anything happens to me, you'll pay the price!"

The servant, realizing his mistake, groveled and begged for forgiveness.

"Enough. Stop trying to show off your power. It's drawing too much attention."

After being scolded by Ning Wanjuan once more, Zhao Yuanqui remained silent. Despite his royal status, he had never been treated so harshly by Ning Wanjuan, who had been betrothed to him since childhood.

Finally, the group arrived at the entrance of Shaolin Temple, where the temple gates were wide open, with many pilgrims coming and going.

"The incense offerings are quite good. If they succeed in curing me, I'll have Master Lishi from Daxiangguo Temple come and lecture at Shaolin, to help increase their popularity," Zhao Yuanqui said, convinced he was doing them a favor.

But before he could finish, a nearby pilgrim interjected, "You mean Master Lishi from Daxiangguo Temple?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Forget it! Master Lishi is nothing but a fraud. He was publicly rebuked by the Abbot of Fahwang Temple, leaving him humiliated. How could he dare to come here and make a fool of himself?"

Just as the pilgrim finished speaking, another one pulled him away, whispering, "Hurry up, don't waste time talking to these ignorant country folk. If you don't hurry, you won't be able to make it in time for the evening offerings."

The pilgrims stared at Zhao Yuanqui like he was an unsophisticated country bumpkin, causing him to freeze in place.

Was he truly being looked down upon by these commoners? He clenched his fists in anger.