As he listened, King Qi analyzed, "Zu An's strange movement technique should come from Eunuch Mi's Sunflower Illusion. During the time Eunuch Mi was hiding in Bright Moon City, he must have been training him as his successor. However, although the Sunflower Illusion has some merits, it shouldn't be this magical."
Han Fengqiu chimed in, "Now that you mention it, Your Highness, I really do think that kid's movement technique is similar to the legendary Sunflower Illusion, but it's also a bit different. I can't quite put my finger on how it's different."
King Qi grunted in agreement, looked at his son, and said with some dissatisfaction, "Even if the opponent's movements were a bit strange, you are still an eighth-rank cultivator. Why were you beaten so badly?"
Zhao Zhi's face flushed, and he hurriedly said, "I had the upper hand all along, but because his movement technique was too strange, I was too lazy to play hide-and-seek with him, so I used 'Overlord Holy Thunder' to force him to have nowhere to hide with a sea of thunder."
Han Fengqiu nodded secretly. He had the same idea when he unleashed the Rain of Swords earlier. To deal with that kind of strange movement technique, he needed this kind of indiscriminate saturation attack.
"And then what?" King Qi remained unmoved. Seeing his son's current miserable state, he knew that this move was definitely a mistake.
Zhao Zhi then said with a mixture of grief and indignation, "But then a huge water ball suddenly appeared out of nowhere and poured over me, causing all the thunderclouds in the sky to strike me. After my whole body became paralyzed, that bitch Zu'an... and..."
The thought of being trampled underfoot and having his knees broken filled him with grief, and his eyes welled up with tears.
King Qi glanced at him, and only nodded in satisfaction when he saw that he hadn't actually cried: "You've had it too easy these past few years, it's good to have this lesson."
Zhao Zhi dared not refute, and could only reply, "Yes!"
At this moment, Han Fengqiu hurriedly spoke up for the young master: "Judging from this, there must be a water-element expert lying in ambush all around. He ambushed the young master at the crucial moment, otherwise the young master would have already subdued Zu An."
"A water-type expert?" King Qi pondered for a moment and agreed with this statement. After all, Zu An seemed to be an ice-type ability user, so it was impossible for him to use water-type combat techniques. There should be another water-type expert lurking nearby, but who could it be?
He racked his brains for water-based experts in the capital. Anyone who could silently and secretly plot against Zhao Zhi must be at least of Han Fengqiu's caliber or higher. Several candidates came to mind. He subconsciously felt that they were unlikely to do such a thing, but then he thought that everyone had such a motive. His eyebrows furrowed tightly.
At this moment, Zhao Zhi said bitterly, "After I recover from my injuries, I will definitely skin that Zu alive and tear him apart to vent my hatred."
After their analysis, he realized that it wasn't that Zuan was particularly powerful; it was just that a water-based expert was secretly helping him, while he himself was only relying on a set of ghostly movement techniques. In a real fight, how could he possibly be their opponent?
King Qi snorted heavily: "Aren't you ashamed enough? Just focus on recovering from your injuries. Once you're healed, you're not allowed to go anywhere. Don't forget the stupid oath you made to Heaven!"
Zhao Zhi became anxious: "I won't use the power of the Prince's Mansion. Next time, when they are on guard, I can easily wipe out the Zu family by myself."
King Qi glanced at him with some disappointment: "Do you think you only represent yourself? I am at a critical juncture now. The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. Countless eyes in the court are watching me. I have always kept myself clean and honest, and they have never been able to find any fault with me. If you jump out now, wouldn't you be handing them a knife?"
Zhao Zhi finally understood his father's concerns, but he still harbored resentment: "But can this matter just be left like this? They broke both my legs in public. If we don't make them pay a heavy price, everyone will think our Qi Prince's Mansion is easy to bully, and that will be even more troublesome. My loss of face is a small matter, but your loss of face, Father, is a much bigger one!"
King Qi sneered: "Don't try to trick me. Did I say I would let him go?"
Zhao Zhi's eyes lit up immediately: "I wonder what brilliant idea Father has?"
King Qi snorted, stood up again, and exuded an inexplicable aura: "I'll teach you another lesson today. Don't rush headlong into things. No matter how sharp and unstoppable you are, you're just a pawn. You need to step out of the chessboard and become a player."
"A chess player?" Zhao Zhi was taken aback, as if deep in thought.
King Qi smiled and said, "Why do you need to deal with Zu An personally? There are people who want him dead even more than you do. Just make good use of that pawn. Isn't that much better than you charging into battle yourself?"
Zhao Zhi's eyes lit up: "You mean the Shi family?"
He reached the eighth rank of cultivation before he was forty. Although this was due to the vast resources of the Prince Qi's mansion since childhood, it also shows that he was naturally intelligent and was by no means a fool.
King Qi nodded: "A few days ago, Shi Kun died in the Eastern Palace. It's said that the Crown Princess unintentionally injured him. The Shi family is furious. Regardless of whether the Crown Princess did it intentionally or not, the Shi family can't retaliate. But not being able to retaliate against the Crown Princess doesn't mean they can't retaliate against others. The reason Shi Kun's accident happened is ultimately because of Zu'an. The reason the Shi family hasn't made a move yet is either because they haven't realized this or because they have some reservations. What you need to do is give them a push."
Zhao Zhi's expression brightened: "Father is indeed brilliant. This move not only allows the Shi family to deal with Zu'an, but also completely pulls the semi-neutral Shi family into our camp. After all, Shi Kun is the Grand Marshal's most beloved son. He died at the hands of the Crown Princess. If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he is destined to be unable to take revenge. Only by cooperating with us can he possibly avenge himself."
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