223: Chapter 221 Name Your Price

Yun Ming looked at the Princess Royal, his lips curling slightly.

"Anything?"

The Princess Royal lifted her chin slightly.

There was no hesitation or retreat in her eyes, only a condescending and natural confidence.

She was the Princess Royal of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, a Cultivator at the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage, and her collection of Spirit Beasts was unrivaled in the world; there was nothing she wanted that she could not obtain.

She nodded. "Anything."

Yun Ming laughed. He leaned back in his chair, hands crossed over his abdomen, looking at the Princess Royal, and spoke slowly.

"I want the throne of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty."

Shen Yizhi stumbled upon hearing this, almost losing his footing.

Xue Ji stood behind Yun Ming, head bowed, the corner of her mouth twitching.

She was secretly smiling.

She had originally been worried that Yun Ming wouldn't be able to withstand the Princess Royal's pressure and would sell her out. Now, she wasn't worried anymore. This man, Yun Ming, was not afraid of trouble at all. Daring to ask the Princess Royal for the throne meant there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do.

The Princess Royal's Face darkened.

"What?" he said. "Is that not possible?"

The Princess Royal did not speak.

Yun Ming shrugged. "Forget it then." His tone was casual, as if he were talking about the weather. "Let's change to something else."

The Princess Royal's eyes softened slightly.

She thought Yun Ming was going to ask for Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Magic Treasures, or something of that nature. She thought, as long as he named it, no matter how much, she would agree. She waited.

"I want Void Refining Realm cultivation," Yun Ming said.

The Princess Royal's Face darkened again.

Void Refining Realm cultivation. That was the Realm of the old Emperor of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, a height that countless Cultivators could never reach in their entire lives.

Yun Ming, a Loose Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage, just opened his mouth and demanded Void Refining Realm cultivation.

He wasn't negotiating; he was humiliating her.

"Yun Ming," her voice turned cold, "are you toying with me?"

Yun Ming looked at her, his gaze calm. "I am seriously negotiating terms with Your Highness," he said. "Your Highness said anything would do. The throne won't work, and Void Refining Realm cultivation won't work either. Then let's change to something else."

The Princess Royal took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in her chest. "Speak."

Yun Ming thought for a moment. "A Lunar Crystal Core or a Solar Crystal Core. Either will do. Give me one, and I will give you Xue Ji."

The Princess Royal's Face was no longer dark; it was livid.

Lunar Crystal Cores and Solar Crystal Cores were legendary Innate Spirit items born when the world was first created.

The Lunar Crystal Core was produced in the depths of the Moon Core, and the Solar Crystal Core was produced in the depths of the Sun Core; both were impossible to obtain.

In the tens of thousands of years since the Zifu Immortal Dynasty was founded, no one had ever heard of anyone possessing such items.

The Princess Royal stared at Yun Ming for several breaths.

Then, she stood up abruptly and slapped the stone table. The stone table made a muffled sound; it didn't shatter, but the teapot and teacups on the table jumped, and tea splashed everywhere.

"Yun Ming!" Her voice was loud and filled with anger. "You are just toying with me!"

Yun Ming did not stand up. He leaned against the back of his chair, watching the Princess Royal, that faint smile still on his lips.

"Your Highness," he said, "it was you who toyed with me first."

"You didn't even say hello, ran into my courtyard, and demanded to take my people without a word." Yun Ming's tone was calm. "You asked me how much money I wanted, I told you, and you couldn't afford it. You couldn't afford it, and then you accused me of toying with you. Your Highness, do you think you have any Face to speak of here?"

The Princess Royal's Face turned from blue to white.

She had thought that a Loose Cultivator, an Alchemist at the Late Golden Core Stage, would bow his head obediently, feel terrified, and offer Xue Ji with both hands in the Face of her prestige and power. She didn't expect to meet someone who wasn't afraid of her.

Shen Yizhi stood to the side, watching this scene, his palms full of sweat.

He wanted to say something to smooth things over, but he was afraid of saying the wrong thing and making matters worse.

The Princess Royal took a deep breath, suppressing her anger.

She did not speak to Yun Ming again but turned her head to look at Xue Ji.

Her gaze had changed; it was no longer the high-and-mighty, scrutinizing look from before, but a serious one, carrying a touch of sincerity.

"Xue Ji," she said, her voice softer than before, "I ask you, are you willing to come with me?"

Xue Ji raised her head and looked at the Princess Royal.

She did not speak.

The Princess Royal continued: "I can let you Cultivate the Frost Brilliance Fox clan's Innate Cultivation Technique. You have great talent, but your path of Cultivation has gone astray. I can correct it for you, allow your cultivation to advance further, and even breaking through to the Late Nascent Soul Stage is not impossible." She paused. "If you have any other requests, you can bring them up. Anything I can promise, I will."

Xue Ji looked at her for a breath, then spoke.

"Like it?" She pointed to the Treasure-Spitting Mouse on the table.

The Princess Royal was stunned. "What?"

"Like it," Xue Ji said, "wearing a collar, being held by you, eating and drinking every day, acting cute for you, and propping up your image. When you're happy, you pet it a few times; when you're unhappy, you pinch it twice." Her tone was calm, as calm as if she were talking about a very ordinary matter. "Your Highness, I am a demon, not a pet."

The Princess Royal's expression changed.

It wasn't anger, but surprise.

She hadn't expected Xue Ji to say that.

In her eyes, being a pet was the best outcome. With her protection, her resources, and her affection, it was ten thousand times better than drifting outside.

She didn't understand why Xue Ji wouldn't want that.

The two parties did not reach an agreement.

The Princess Royal stood there, silent for a long time.

Then she turned and walked towards the courtyard gate.

The courtyard quieted down, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the sound of tea sloshing in the cup.

Yun Ming leaned back in the bamboo chair, looking at the mess, not thinking about the Princess Royal's anger, the Third Prince's reaction, or Xue Ji's departure.

He was thinking that this courtyard had been damaged today.

The stone table was cracked, the teapot was broken, several floor tiles were lifted, the leaves of those Spirit Medicines in the corner were scorched, and there was a hole blasted into the courtyard gate by a Spell.

He sighed.

"This Princess Royal," he muttered, "if she dares to come again, I must make her pay for the damages."

Xue Ji stood behind him, looking at him, the corner of her mouth moving slightly, wanting to say something but swallowing it back.

She turned and went upstairs, the door closing very softly.

Shen Yizhi stood at the courtyard gate, watching all this, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Mr. Yun," he said, "do you know who you offended today?"

Yun Ming didn't even look up. "I know. The Princess Royal of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty."

Shen Yizhi sighed. "Then why did you speak to her like that?"

Yun Ming looked up at him. "If I spoke to her nicely, would she listen?" He dusted off his hands, walked to the bamboo chair and sat down, picking up the repaired teacup, but the water inside was gone. He put the cup down and looked at Shen Yizhi. "She wanted to take Xue Ji without even saying hello. Did she give me any Face? If she doesn't give me Face, why should I give her any?"

Shen Yizhi was silent for a moment, then nodded. He knew Yun Ming was right. The Princess Royal was a good person, but she was too arrogant. She felt that everyone in the world should yield to her, that she should get whatever she wanted. Running into Yun Ming, she had hit a wall.

"Regarding the Third Prince," Shen Yizhi said, "I will go and explain. Don't worry, it won't affect your cooperation."

Yun Ming waved his hand. "Whether it affects it or not doesn't matter. I practice Alchemy for whoever comes, and I sell to whoever pays. If the Third Prince doesn't pay, and someone else does, I'll sell to the other person."

Shen Yizhi gave a bitter smile and said nothing more. He cupped his hands, turned, and walked away quickly. He had to report the situation here to the Third Prince, explain clearly, appease the Princess Royal, and stabilize Yun Ming.

In the courtyard, Yun Ming was cleaning up the mess.

He cast a few Spells, and the stone table joined back together—the cracks remained, but at least it didn't fall apart. The teapot shards flew up and pieced themselves together; the cracks remained, but at least it didn't leak. The floor tiles were re-laid, the lifted ones pressed down, and the broken ones replaced with new ones. He trimmed the scorched leaves of the Spirit Medicines in the corner and watered them with some Spirit Spring; they should survive. He patched the hole in the courtyard gate with wooden planks and painted it; if one didn't look closely, it wasn't noticeable.

He clapped his hands, looked at the refreshed courtyard, and nodded with satisfaction.

On the other side, the Princess Royal's Phoenix sedan was flying in the sky, at a steady pace.

The Princess Royal sat in the sedan, holding the Treasure-Spitting Mouse in her arms, her fingers gently stroking its back.

Her Face was expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger. Her gaze fell on the sedan curtain, looking through the gap in the pearl curtain at the sea of clouds outside.

"Go to the Second Prince's place," she suddenly said.