I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 504 Settling Affairs

Princess Chaxi did not have the talent of a Star Martial Warrior; she was just an ordinary person, yet she possessed a beauty that could overturn cities and topple nations. Her looks, a blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics, had no flaws that any man could find.

Not only was Princess Chaxi extremely beautiful, her figure was also perfect. Manai had repeatedly said in public that Princess Chaxi was a masterpiece from heaven, a treasure bestowed upon him by the gods.

If Manai were not Chaxi’s biological father, he definitely would have been unable to resist Princess Chaxi’s charm. And Manai believed that no young man in the world could resist Chaxi’s charm, even though she was just an ordinary person.

"Chaxi, Father has a task for you, and I hope you can... help your father."

"Father, what task?"

"Tonight, I will invite two young people from Jade Country to have dinner. You and Father will accompany them. One of them is the son of the Flame Emperor from Jade Country, Wang Lan, and the other is Princess Yu Ruoyun from the Jade royal family."

"Uh..." Although Chaxi was naturally innocent and carefree, how many children of the royal family were truly naive? She instantly understood her father’s meaning. To befriend Princess Yu and the son of the Flame Emperor? If that was all there was to it, her father surely wouldn’t have put it that way.

The key must be the son of the Flame Emperor, right?

"I understand. I will get along well with them," Princess Chaxi serenely responded, her expression revealing nothing unusual.

"I know you have admired heroes since you were a child, and your tastes are incredibly high. Not one hero from our Vine Country could catch your eye. However, this son of the Flame Emperor... he truly is extraordinary."

"Oh?" It was only then that Princess Chaxi’s face showed a change. "Is he that formidable? More so than King Arthur?"

"Even more so! The son of the Flame Emperor is only two years older than you, but he is already a Titled Strongman from Jade Country, a Major General. His strength is such that even our State Preceptor might not be his match."

A smile appeared on Chaxi’s face. "That impressive? Then I really do want to get to know him well."

「 」

At night, the Vine Country palace bustled quietly yet warmly. An inconspicuous sedan arrived from the darkness, slowly coming to a stop at the front gate of the royal manor.

As the car door opened, a man and a woman in military uniforms stepped out under the guidance of Envoy Liu and entered the manor with the escort of attendants.

"Envoy Liu, welcome. These must be Major General Wang Lan from Jade Country and Princess Yu, yes? I’ve heard so much about you."

"Wang Lan, Ruoyun, this is the King of Vine Country, Manai," Liu Yun introduced with propriety.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Truly youthful prodigies. I envy the people of Jade Country for their spirit-filled land, capable of nurturing such eminent figures as yourselves. How great it would be if Vine Country had people like you."

"Your Majesty flatters us. People like us are not considered prodigies in Jade Country. We are merely considered somewhat outstanding, somewhat excellent," Wang Lan modestly said with a smile.

Though he spoke with humility, it also served as a gentle snub.

Manai’s face shifted slightly, then he quickly returned to a full smile. "This is my daughter Chaxi. She is eighteen years old and close in age to you. She will be keeping you company, as you young people will have more in common to talk about. Envoy Liu, please come this way."

"I shall follow the host’s lead," Liu Yun responded with a smile, then turned to Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun. "Don’t wander off, okay?"

"Alright."

Chaxi was very beautiful, not only in Wang Lan’s opinion, but also in Princess Yu Ruoyun’s. She could be said to be the most beautiful girl they had ever seen, breathtakingly so.

And yet, this girl was naively romantic, fluttering around Wang Lan like a sprite, constantly asking if he was very formidable, if he was very strong, if he was stronger than the superheroes of White Eagle Country.

If it were any other man, they would have been utterly bewitched by Chaxi by now. They would certainly brag about their strength profusely and then enjoy Chaxi’s admiring and astonished gaze.

But Wang Lan... was quite troubled.

He really found this woman a bit annoying; her questions were too childish. Chaxi simply didn’t understand the torment of what was called ’childishness,’ something a person who’d had an adult’s soul since infancy had to endure throughout their development.

One could say that Wang Lan had developed a fear of childishness, consciously staying far away from children in general. Except for Song Jia and the heart-wrenching Hu Feifei, Wang Lan did not wish to be near children.

"Lan, are you already a top-tier expert in the Star Sea Realm? At only twenty years old, have you already reached the pinnacle of the world? The State Preceptor said that it is not possible to break through to the Star Sea Realm before thirty-five. You are amazing."

"If one cannot break through to the Star Sea Realm by thirty-five, they won’t have the chance in their lifetime. Moreover, the Star Sea Realm is far from being the world’s pinnacle."

"It isn’t? Isn’t the Star Sea Realm the highest level in Star Martial Art?"

"Perhaps it’s just the highest in Vine Country."

"Lan, you’re so outstanding, many girls must like you, right?"

"Hmm, there are also plenty of boys who like me."

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH—"

Wang Lan, heeding Envoy Liu’s instructions, absolutely did not wander off. Princess Chaxi’s invitation to tour the palace was declined, as was the offer to visit her bedchamber; even a stroll in the garden with her was rejected.

Chaxi felt like Wang Lan was just a stone sculpture, unmoved by anything she did. She even started to doubt her own charm—was it exaggerated? Was she not as beautiful as she thought?

Meanwhile, as Princess Chaxi was persistently engaging Wang Lan, on the second floor of the royal manor, the gaze of a middle-aged monk seemed to pierce through the void, observing Wang Lan’s every move.

Of course, Manai had never truly planned to use Princess Chaxi to ’capture’ Wang Lan. Though, if Wang Lan had been that easily swayed, it wouldn’t have been bad. Manai had indeed done his homework on Wang Lan, and while he did not know everything, he had a fair understanding.

Wang Lan’s exploits were currently being hyped in Jade Country as the new generation’s hero, a leader among the youth. Therefore, Manai was somewhat aware of his deeds: the bane of the Demon Clan, the nemesis of the Paradise Bird, the top genius of the younger generation, a figure even more extraordinary than Princess Yu.

Such a person was definitely the future of Jade Country, and likewise, Jade Country would nurture Wang Lan for the future. This young man was not simple. If Wang Lan, surrounded by so many accolades, could be mesmerized by Chaxi’s beauty, then he was not worth fearing.

Jade Country sending Wang Lan and Princess Yu to Vine Country was a strong statement. Two Titled Strongmen—a Major General and a Colonel—both supreme figures of Jade Country, had arrived. Their resolute attitude made Manai very apprehensive.

It was very likely that the fate of Vine Country rested in the hands of these two. If they could not be convinced morally, Manai hoped to at least win Wang Lan’s personal favor towards Vine Country.

This was the reason behind offering his precious daughter. He believed that no matter how excellent Wang Lan was, fundamentally he was a normal man. And what man doesn’t love beauty?

Having the State Preceptor observe was to discern Wang Lan’s depth, to see if there were any flaws in his character that could be exploited. The Vine Country was presently teetering on the edge of a cliff. It was necessary to use everything available to slow the fall.

However, the State Preceptor had been watching Wang Lan for nearly an hour. Within that time, Wang Lan showed no indication of being charmed by Chaxi, not even glancing at her once.

Was it Chaxi’s lack of charm? Certainly not. It was Wang Lan’s temperament that was so terrifyingly composed and stable.

"Your Majesty, I suggest you stop hoping to find a weak spot in Wang Lan. He’s even more difficult to deal with than Liu Yun. This young man doesn’t seem to be in his twenties at all; his mind has reached a state where he is unperturbed by gains or losses, honor or disgrace. It’s not that he’s resisting Princess Chaxi’s charm; it’s that her charm truly has no effect on him."

"Is that so? Jade Country has come with fierce momentum, and this investigation is, in name only, nothing more than a formality. Once it’s over, Jade Country will have the Five Constancies impose sanctions on Vine Country. What are we to do?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"We didn’t do it. If Jade Country really presses us, we’ll just fight back."

"Can we win that fight?"

"We can’t. But either way, we face destruction. To resist is at least to die with some dignity." The State Preceptor slowly closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Don’t waste time anymore. Let’s have an honest discussion with the two of them. Whatever decision Jade Country makes, we can’t intervene."

"Alright then!"

If relying on Chaxi to buy some time and space for Vine Country was hopeless, there was no point in delaying anymore. It would be better to have an honest conversation and decide their fate sooner rather than later.

A servant approached slowly. "Respected Mr. Wang Lan, and Her Highness Princess Yu, our King requests an audience with you. Please follow me."

"Alright!" Eager to escape Chaxi’s annoyance, Wang Lan quickly stood up, while Chaxi seemed somewhat reluctant for him to leave.

Following the servant into the royal palace, they soon encountered Envoy Liu. Then, under the servant’s lead, the three entered the King’s reception room, where Wang Lan also saw a monk dressed in red kasaya robes, presumably the State Preceptor of Vine Country.

"Please, have a seat," Manai hurried to receive them, inviting Wang Lan and the other two to sit on the sofas in the living room, a tinge of envy in his eyes at the sight of their military uniforms.

"This is the State Preceptor of Vine Country, Master Chenghai, whom Jade Country suspects to be behind the Cloud Sea dimensional tragedy. But I can assure you, with the fate of Vine Country at stake, that tragedy has nothing to do with Vine Country."

"Whether it has anything to do with you or not can’t be determined by empty words. I apologize for my bluntness. I am a warrior, and also a soldier, so I speak quite directly." Wang Lan, upon hearing this, didn’t mince words as he retorted, "The Six-winged Golden Cicada is a divine creature of Vine Country and has always been a crucial bargaining chip in negotiations. But now, the Six-winged Golden Cicada has invaded the Cloud Sea dimension and even killed tens of thousands of Jade Country’s Star Martial Warriors.

"Honestly, Jade Country sending just us instead of warplanes already shows great restraint. I hope Your Majesty understands our feelings. Jade Country is quite outraged now."

"Of course, I understand. If the situation were reversed, I believe I would have already declared war. Chenghai, please explain to the two special envoys from Jade Country the history of the Six-winged Golden Cicada."

"Yes!" Mage Chenghai responded and then slowly began, "The Six-winged Golden Cicada was an accidental discovery by my ancestor in a secret realm more than a hundred years ago. It is a divine insect created by an ancient Gu-craft master. After receiving the inheritance, my forebear then became the keeper of these seven divine insects."