Chapter 51
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my sister," Xia Che said, staring at Xiu Si and transmitting his voice through spiritual energy.
Xia Che gritted his teeth and said, "Even communicating remotely won't work!"
Judging from what just happened, it's clear that if he hadn't been there, who knows what Hughes might have done to his sister.
What do you mean, "good boy/girl"?
That's something only his older brother can say.
The hall fell silent. Neither Hughes nor Xia Che spoke, but what no one knew was that they had already begun a conversation.
No one else heard it; only the two of them knew.
"Although you've helped Xiaxia a lot, Xiaxia is a princess!"
"So I will pursue it seriously."
Xia Che clenched his fists. He could deny Hughes, but he couldn't stop Hughes's pursuit.
Moreover, princesses from other kingdoms in the galaxy were already engaged at Xia Qian's age.
It's perfectly reasonable for Hughes to pursue her, but so what?
"Xiaxia is still too young."
"Yes, that's why it's so cute."
"Hughes!" Xia Che clenched his fist. "Cute" is clearly a word of praise, but the affection in his eyes was more than just a little bit.
It's obvious they want to possess it.
He truly liked her, and he truly doted on her; it was so much that it seemed to overflow. So much so that he felt like he was superfluous.
The boy loved the girl and had taken care of everything for her.
But he had nothing.
A surge of anger rose from the depths of his heart—Xia Che's anger towards himself. His clenched fists had never loosened from the beginning, and his chest felt as if it were burning with rage. "Hans cannot be spared! Nor can the Holy Maiden."
Xia Che paused, his voice clear in the hall, "Since you want to cooperate, how do you intend to cooperate?"
Before he could finish speaking, Xia Che continued, "But before all that, we should figure out how to settle Xia Xia. Which place is the safest? How many people will be sent to protect her? Have you thought about all of this?"
Xia Che looked at Hughes with complicated emotions. He didn't have an answer yet, but it seemed that he already had one in his heart.
Hughes likely had already thought it through long before him.
Xia Che lowered his eyes, his long bangs covering them so that no one could see his gaze.
He lowered his eyes, and although nothing seemed amiss, a sense of unease flickered in Xia Qian's heart. "Brother?"
She glanced at him instinctively. Xia Che didn't say anything, but an instinctive feeling told her that her brother wasn't very happy.
Just then, the sound of the Saintess and Hans arguing came from the monitor, clearly audible in the hall, and Xia Qian looked over.
They were looking at the monitor that they had been ignoring all along.
Looking at the two people on the monitor, Xia Che's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You called me over, you must have a plan, right?"
His tone was affirmative.
They absolutely believed that Hughes already had a plan, otherwise they wouldn't be sitting here.
Meanwhile, on the monitor, Hans questioned the Celestial Maiden, "Where did you put the King's crystal core?"
He sneered, "The Royal Forest is so vast, do you expect my men to go out and search everywhere right now?"
"Heavenly Maiden," Hans said through gritted teeth, "I really don't know if you're here to help me or to harm me? The action you're asking me to take now is to call upon those elders who already suspect me to come and arrest me!"
"Your imagination is too vivid. Why would we let you go out to find it? The crystal core is hidden right here!"
Having seemingly grasped the extent of the other party's foolishness, the Celestial Maiden spoke again, "I said, the crystal core is hidden right here. It's hidden in this very villa of yours!"
She sneered, a rare hint of mockery appearing on her usually calm and aloof face. "Do you still want me to keep trying to find a solution for you?"
This is a fool with great ambition but little ability, who dared to dream of taking the throne from Hughes!
"So what if there are elders and people sent by Hughes to guard the villa?" The saintess was extremely arrogant and didn't care about anything.
"As long as you get the crystal core, Xia Che will do whatever you say! Would he let anyone arrest you? You hold his father's life in your hands!"
"If he orders your arrest, then you should declare that you'll crush the crystal core! If the crystal core shatters, the entire galaxy will condemn him for patricide!"
Every word she spoke seemed to weave a huge web of temptation, bewitching Hans.
The celestial maiden smiled gently, "So what are you afraid of?"
Once you find it, you can become the king!
So what if they're unhappy and want to arrest him?
How has he managed all these past ten years or so?
Hans's eyes seemed to turn red. "Find it!"
"I'll send someone to look for it right now!"
Outside the monitor, Xia Che clenched his fists, his powerful arms bulging with veins.
Before Xia Che could react, Hughes's voice fell softly, "Don't worry."
"The real crystal core is with me."
Xia Che was taken aback, looking at Hughes with genuine surprise in his eyes. Xia Qian, standing beside him, did not react.
Recalling the conversation, she couldn't help but think back to the plot of the book.
It gradually matched up little by little, exactly the same as in the book.
This plot point is in the book, but Xiao Yaoyao didn't describe it in detail; she just glossed over it in a single chapter.
In the original book, the crystal core was indeed in Hughes's hands. Hans got a fake one and, in a fit of rage, told everyone that the real crystal core had long been destroyed by Hughes.
However, those who heard it at the time were all Hughes's men, and they took Hans's words as a joke and laughed it off.
Only Yu Si was serious!
Not only was he serious, but he also rescued the Celestial Maiden who was involved in the incident.
For the sake of the Celestial Maiden, she was willing to turn against Hughes.
Under the deliberate influence of the saintess, Yu Si, who had lived in the shadow of Hughes and Hans since childhood and was like an invisible man, finally erupted at this moment. Everything after that was logical. Whether it was Yu Si's corruption or his plot against Hughes, it was all a joint scheme between Yu Si and the Pope.
However, the saintess did not like Yu Si. She orchestrated all of this for her own benefit, because only in this way could she help Xiu Si, and only when she stood beside him would the young man even glance at her.
Only when the entire galaxy opposes him and the whole world betrays him will he notice that she is the only one who dares to stand behind him.
Only in this way will she appear special enough!
But the world is different now.
The Celestial Maiden was not present this time, and Yu Si didn't even know that the Celestial Maiden existed.
"Your Highness." An aged voice reached Xia Qian's ears. Elder Gao stood at the entrance of the hall, bowing respectfully. "The people are all ready."
"We can take down Hans anytime!"
Hans, who frantically sent people to search for the crystal core, probably never imagined that the moment he thought victory was in sight and that he could crush Hughes under his feet would turn into the moment he himself was crushed under his feet!
It wasn't just being stepped on once or twice, but an even harsher outcome—his end!
Could Hans have imagined this?
He couldn't imagine it.
He is still trying to find a way to drive out the people stationed in this house so that he can carefully search for the crystal cores hidden here. The saintess said that they were originally hidden in the roof because the most dangerous place is the safest place. No one would touch that place, and even if it was accidentally discovered, so what?
It doesn't involve their Church of Light, and the Pope would be happy if they found out, so that the Empire would be completely suspicious! They simply can't explain why the King of the Source of Life's crystal core would appear in their possession; there's only one explanation: someone in their Empire is the murderer!
If it weren't for the people here, including the guards and servants in Hans's house, who were all their people, they would have fallen into this trap and wouldn't know how to clear their names. They might even have been led by the nose by the Pope.
Fortunately, they have a wise prince!
"Make your move!" Hughes said to his men through their wireless earpieces. His command was clearly heard in everyone's earpieces. In that instant, everyone's eyes changed, but Hans seemed not to have noticed yet. Just then, Hughes's voice came through, "Take down the Holy Maiden too! Capture her alive."
As soon as Hughes finished speaking, the people on the monitors moved. The guards grabbed Hans and before he could react, he was pinned to the ground. Hans stared in astonishment, "What are you doing!"
As the second in line to the throne, how could he possibly be an ordinary superhuman!
He glared and gritted his teeth, about to unleash his supernatural power, when suddenly a sharp scream rang out—it was the voice of the Heavenly Maiden!
She was caught too!
What was originally a standoff between the two sides in the villa instantly turned into a situation where everyone was suppressing them, all weapons were pointed at them, and it seemed that as soon as they moved, they would be shot!
What, what's going on?
How could this be!
Hans couldn't believe it!
"What have you done!" Hans angrily questioned the Celestial Maiden, then turned his gaze to those who were suppressing him.
These people are clearly his men! Just a second ago they were obeying his orders, this...this is...
"What on earth are you doing?!"
A bad feeling rose in his heart. Just then, a mocking voice suddenly came from somewhere in the study, "Hans! Look here."
Hans was startled and subconsciously looked in that direction. Suddenly, the previously blank electronic screen displayed several faces. He couldn't help but...
His eyes widened in disbelief, and just as he was about to speak, the Heavenly Maiden's voice preemptively questioned, "What is this?!"
"Do I even need to ask? It's a surveillance camera." Xia Che sneered. "I heard your entire conversation."
The Heavenly Maiden and Hans both froze. How could this be!
But the facts were right in front of them!
Hans was clearly still not giving up. He glared angrily at the person holding him. "What is this?! What are you doing! Let me go! Have you forgotten who you are?"
He's the master!
Why are all these people pointing weapons at him now?
The angrier Hans became, the more gentle Xia Che's smile became. "Well, you'll have to ask Hughes about that. Why would he send his men into your hands?"
Did he send his men into his hands?
So all these people are Hughes's men!
They're in cahoots!
impossible!
How is that possible!
This is outrageous!
These were all his carefully cultivated confidants, and now he was being told that they were all Hughes's men! Did that mean all his actions and conspiracies over the years had been uncovered by Hughes...?
"impossible!"
But Hans's body slumped to his knees, and he subconsciously looked toward Hughes on the screen, but the other man wasn't looking at him at all. Just like his attitude over the past ten years, he didn't take him seriously at all.
Even in this situation, the long-haired boy still didn't look at him.
Hughes's eyes were elsewhere, on the girl.
"Aren't you hungry?" Hughes asked. "Dinner has already been prepared."
"I..." How could I possibly eat at a time like this!
But Hughes's expression remained calm. He sat opposite her, his handsome face clearly visible, though his dark eyes were fixed on her. "I'll go eat with you."
“You always eat very little,” Hughes said.
Like a spoiled kitten, it's particularly picky about food.
If he weren't there to look after it, I don't know if this little cat would even eat.
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