You said it was a useless body, yet you punched a saint to pieces?

Chapter 21 The Princess's Kindness

With the departure of Wang Long and the others, the once bustling Qianlong Pavilion finally returned to tranquility.

Inside the attic, the carved wooden window was half-open, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of newly planted flowers from the courtyard.

At this moment, Wang Dao showed no trace of the fierce demeanor he had displayed earlier when he trampled on his brother and extorted money.

He was standing behind a rosewood recliner covered with a snow-white fox fur, skillfully massaging Zheng Wanqing's shoulders as she lay half-reclined on it, his face full of a warm and welcoming smile.

"Your Highness, is this pressure appropriate? You've come all this way today for my sake; it must have been tiring."

"I am so moved that I don't know what to say. Without you in charge, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion would be a complete mess. You are truly the pillar of our family!"

While pressing down hard, Wang Dao kept spouting compliments as if they were free.

He knew perfectly well that the reason he could cause so much trouble in the Prince's mansion, even infuriating the ladies to the point of being helpless, was entirely due to the support of the elegant and noble woman before him.

Although it remains unknown what the princess is after, at least for now, he must cling to this powerful figure.

Zheng Wanqing leaned lazily against the recliner, her eyes slightly closed. Beneath her bright red peony and gold phoenix robe, a breathtakingly undulating figure was outlined.

In fact, she was much younger than the second wife, Liu Mei, and the third wife, Ye Ningxiang. Time had not left any marks on her exquisite face; instead, it had given her a unique charm that mature women possessed.

But in the strictly hierarchical royal palace, she was the principal wife and the head mistress. Even the older concubines had to respectfully call her "elder sister."

This is absolute suppression based on status, regardless of age.

"Alright, stop with the nonsense."

Zheng Wanqing slowly opened her eyes, her gaze, seemingly brimming with autumn water, casually sweeping over Wang Dao before her lips parted slightly:

"You've been causing too much trouble lately. Today's outburst may seem like you gained an advantage, but in reality, you've completely offended the second and third wives."

"Those women may not amount to much, but the forces behind them are complex and intertwined. None of the people in the manor are simple."

"If they team up to make things difficult for you and secretly sabotage you, even I can't protect you every moment."

"Hehe, Your Highness, as you said, we still have you."

Wang Dao's hands didn't stop moving, and a shrewd smile appeared on his face:

"With Your Highness's protection, those demons and monsters are nothing more than grasshoppers in autumn, they won't be able to hop around for more than a few days."

"I'm just borrowing your power; I only dare to be so assertive because of your authority."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Wanqing's beautiful eyes revealed a hint of a half-smile as she opened and closed them. She naturally saw through the boy's little scheme.

However, this is exactly what she wanted.

"Let's get down to business."

Zheng Wanqing abruptly changed the subject, her previously languid gaze instantly sharpening as she looked directly into Wang Dao's eyes:

"How did you do that? With your Golden Membrane Realm cultivation, you directly crushed Wang Wu, who was in the Dragon Spine Realm."

"Even if Wang Wu is a good-for-nothing built up with pills, he is still a genuine Silver Bone."

"The gap between us can't be bridged by just talking."

This is what she cares about most.

Originally, supporting Wang Dao was merely a side move in her scheme within the Prince's mansion, intended to annoy those concubines.

But Wang Dao's performance today greatly exceeded her expectations. This chess piece seems to be much sharper than she imagined.

Wang Dao's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm; he had already prepared his response in his mind:

"Your Highness, I have been taking the Yuan Yang Pills you bestowed upon me these past few days, and diligently practicing the 'Thousand Hammers and Hundred Refinements Method' day and night."

"Perhaps it is because I am naturally thick-skinned, or perhaps it is because of the shame and courage I felt after that great defeat. I kept pushing my potential in pain and managed to break through that shackle."

"Now, the golden membrane I possess far surpasses that of ordinary people in both toughness and thickness. Coupled with Wang Wu's underestimation of me, I was able to win by sheer luck."

"Break free from constraints..."

Zheng Wanqing murmured softly, taking a deep look at the respectful-looking young man in front of her.

The entire Prince's mansion was watching Wang Dao closely, and there were even quite a few of her spies. This kid was indeed cultivating day and night, and his almost self-destructive cultivation method even made her feel horrified.

In that instant, a terrifying legend that had long since vanished into the river of time flashed through Zheng Wanqing's mind—a trait possessed only by supreme geniuses found in ancient texts.

But the next second, she shook her head inwardly with a self-deprecating smile.

"How is this possible... How could a monster that only exists in legends appear in this small northern land?"

"It's probably just that he has an exceptionally solid foundation, plus he has superhuman strength."

Zheng Wanqing extinguished that absurd thought and resumed her languid posture.

"Hmm, not bad, you put your heart into it."

Zheng Wanqing tidied her slightly disheveled hair and gracefully rose from the recliner.

Just before leaving, she stopped and, with her back to Wang Dao, said softly:

"Now that your golden membrane is complete and your physical foundation is solid enough, it's time to start working on breaking through to the Dragon Spine Realm."

"In this world of martial arts, no matter how many tricks you have, they are all in vain. Only cultivation is the foundation for survival."

"Take my token and hurry to the armory to choose a superior bone-strengthening technique."

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, and with a flick of her wrist, a warm jade token traced an arc and landed precisely in Wang Dao's hand.

"Also, go pick out a suitable magical weapon."

"Don't let him get beaten to death when he goes out in the future, and then it gets out that it was because his weapon was inferior, which would disgrace the prince."

After saying that, the bright red figure disappeared outside the courtyard gate, leaving only a faint fragrance.

Wang Dao held the still-warm jade token in his hand, maintaining a warm smile until Zheng Wanqing completely disappeared. Only then did he slowly calm down, and his expression returned to its usual calm and profound state.

"Dragon's Spine Realm..."

He looked down at the token in his hand, his thumb gently stroking the phoenix pattern on it.

Now, he not only has the beast essence blood he tricked into getting from Wang Wu, but also the dragon blood grass that Wang Long gave him as an apology. He has more than enough resources to break through to the Dragon Spine Realm.

Everything is ready except for the east wind—a top-tier Dragon Spine Dharma.

"A magical artifact? Heh, this princess has certainly thought things through."

A long-lost, genuine smile, devoid of any calculation, appeared at the corner of Wang Dao's mouth.

Although he knew there was no love without a reason in this world, and that Zheng Wanqing was only nice to him to use him as a tool, he believed that as long as the money was enough, the tool would naturally be sharp.

"If you don't betray me, I wouldn't mind helping you out if you ever fall on hard times."

Wang Dao tucked the jade token into his robes, flicked his sleeves, and strode towards the heavily guarded armory of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

……

Meanwhile, in Tingyu Pavilion, where the Third Madam Ye Ningxiang resided, a completely different scene unfolded.

*Smack!*

A sharp, piercing cracking sound suddenly rang out as a priceless blue-and-white porcelain vase was smashed to the ground, shattering into countless fragments.

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

"A bunch of useless bastards! What are you looking at! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

The maids in the courtyard were terrified, their faces ashen. They knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to breathe, for fear of incurring bad luck.

At this moment, the Third Madam Ye Ningxiang had disheveled hair and a ferocious face, and there was no trace of her usual dignified and noble demeanor.

She was like an enraged lioness, pacing back and forth in the room, her chest heaving violently, the resentment in her eyes almost bursting forth in a tangible way.

"Wang Dao! That bastard born of that lowly servant!!"

Ye Ningxiang gripped the corner of the table tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, cursing through gritted teeth:

"He's just a lowly illegitimate son, yet he dares to bare his teeth in front of me! He dares to trample my son underfoot and humiliate him! Who gave him the guts?! Who gave him the guts?!"

The thought of the humiliation she had suffered at the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, and the precious beast blood essence she was about to give away, made her heart bleed, and her hatred grew wildly like weeds.

"And that bitch Zheng Wanqing..."

Ye Ningxiang abruptly turned her head to look in the direction of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, her eyes flashing with a chilling light:

"Do you think you can protect that bastard forever? We'll see! Once that bastard is alone, I'll show him who's really in charge of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion!"

"As for Liu Mei..."

Mentioning the Second Madam, a sinister glint flashed in Ye Ningxiang's eyes, and she sneered:

"What a fine example of self-preservation! What a fine example of sitting back and watching the tigers fight! You think you can stay out of this? Dream on!"