Blasting the Prince Into the Manure Pit

"Fourth Highness is wealthy beyond compare, so of course ordinary things don't catch your eye," Lucia Lu said coolly. "But those 'little trinkets' are rare treasures in the lower realms! Where did they come from? Have you ever traced their origin, Fourth Highness?"

Henry Xiao thought back to the giant pearls in his mother's chambers, the fox spirit fur cushions, the spirit-fat jade wine cups, and the treasures in his own rooms, his brother's, his sister's, his nephews and nieces', and at the Azure Dragon Lord's Manor... His fist clenched slightly as he said, "They're the strongest Divine Race in the lower realm. What's so strange about them having a few rare treasures?"

"So you're just going to keep lying to yourself, huh? Then there's nothing left to say." Lucia replied coldly. "I'll be reporting your little talisman stunt to His Majesty the Celestial Emperor."

With that, she turned and walked away.

"Lucia!" Henry Xiao tried to chase after her.

Luna Lian blocked his way. "Fourth Highness, you do remember the way back, right?"

"Move!" Henry snapped, shoving her aside in his panic.

The field was full of crops, with an irrigation channel nearby, and beside it was an open manure pit brimming with black water—dug out by farmers for easy fertilizing.

Luna Lian's cultivation was still a notch below Henry's, so his shove sent her flying back more than ten meters—she nearly tumbled right into the manure pit.

Luckily, Lucia teleported over and caught her just in time, then soared up into the air.

"Lucia!" Henry chased after her. "Don't tell Father Emperor, I swear I didn't mean any—"

Lucia swept her sleeve, unleashing a surge of Divine Power at Henry. With a loud "thud," he dropped straight into the black water of the manure pit.

Henry shot up immediately, drenched in filthy black water, reeking to high heaven—utterly humiliated.

"You—You—Lucia Lu!" Henry shouted furiously.

"Consider this payback for Serena Tang. You got off easy!" Lucia said coldly, then flew off with Luna Lian.

Henry slapped a Cleaning Talisman on himself, his face twisted with rage. He gritted out, "You—don't—know—what's—good—for—you!"

......

Back at the Southern Xuan Kingdom's royal palace, Sean Shaw had also returned.

Luna Lian told him about the whole Henry Xiao manure pit incident.

Sean looked at Lucia, his eyes smiling. "Did you really blast him into the manure pit?"

Lucia didn't say a word.

She'd just been way too mad at the time.

Now she was starting to regret it a little.

After all, he's the Celestial Emperor's son. Anyone would be angry if their kid got knocked into a manure pit.

She really did care about how His Majesty the Celestial Emperor felt.

Sean seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. "Henry's obsessed with saving face. If you don't tell, and I don't tell, he'll never breathe a word of it to anyone! Father Emperor will never find out."

"Really?"

Sean nodded.

Lucia finally relaxed a little. "How are things on your end?"

"We've already started covert operations," Sean said. "Father Emperor sent the Guardian Drake Lord with Divine Army troops and Sigil Sect talisman masters to secretly infiltrate and pull out illicit talismans."

"What about us?"

"We stay put and wait."

Lucia nodded.

"Where's Adrian Drake? Haven't seen him around," Sean asked.

"He..." Lucia glanced at Luna Lian. "My father needed him for something, so he stayed behind at the Spirit Alliance."

"What for?" Luna Lian asked.

"It's about medicinal herbs. Wasn't he the one who organized the herb vault before?"

......

After Henry came back, he was acting all kinds of wrong.

His aura was dark and furious, like a powder keg ready to blow.

Then, out of nowhere, he demanded in front of everyone: "Sean Shaw! We've been here all this time—are you just going to leave us hanging?"