I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 384 - 159: Assassination, Enhancement (Part 2)

Shen Bai was actually quite pleased with this.

Building a good relationship with a prince while making his way in the Great Zhou Country would certainly help him flourish.

Besides, the Third Prince had a way of carrying himself that put people at ease, as if he wasn’t just driven by ulterior motives.

"The rewards will be announced tomorrow."

The Third Prince said, placing a jug of wine on the table.

Shen Bai casually shut the door, sat down beside him, and said, "I wonder what the rewards will be."

He had always been extremely curious about the rewards for the internal examination.

The rewards were supposedly different for every examination; he just didn’t know what this one would bring.

The Third Prince filled a bowl with wine for Shen Bai and clinked it against his. After draining his own bowl in a single gulp, he wiped his mouth and said, "They’re different every time. Sometimes the reward is a variety of Weapons, other times it’s Elixirs. This time, however, they’re rumored to be Deceitful Objects."

Deceitful Objects?

A flash of surprise crossed Shen Bai’s face at those words, but he quickly concealed it.

"Why is it so different this time?" Shen Bai asked.

The Third Prince shook his head. "I’m not sure myself. This was all my imperial father’s idea. Perhaps he wants to invest heavily in nurturing the younger generation."

Giving out Weapons and Elixirs was one thing. After all, while valuable, they weren’t exactly unique.

But Deceitful Objects were a different matter entirely; they were extremely rare.

If even one Deceitful Object were to find its way into the Jianghu, people would be fighting to the death over it.

For the Great Zhou Country to use these as rewards for the examination participants... there was more to this than met the eye.

Shen Bai thought about it for a moment but couldn’t figure out the reason.

Perhaps it was just as the Third Prince said—a major effort to cultivate the younger generation. In any case, it had little to do with him.

However, the reward of Deceitful Objects would be of immense use to Shen Bai.

The Third Prince continued drinking with Shen Bai, saying, "I’ve heard that based on rank, only the top half of the participants will receive Deceitful Objects. My imperial father is being quite generous this time. Of course, the other half will still be given resources like Weapons and Elixirs."

"The one who takes first place, I hear, gets to choose five Deceitful Objects."

"Five Deceitful Objects?"

Shen Bai stroked his chin. He was ecstatic on the inside, but his expression remained perfectly calm.

He currently had seven strands of Evil Qi, which wasn’t enough for another transformation; the second one required ten strands.

The chance to obtain five Deceitful Objects was a massive boon for him.

"By the way, Brother Shen, you should be fully prepared when you return this time."

The Third Prince changed the subject.

Shen Bai asked, "Prepared for what?"

The Third Prince smiled mysteriously. "A detailed report of the examination will be sent to my imperial father, and then forwarded to the Observatory headquarters. My father has a great appreciation for talent. He might just summon you for a royal audience and, depending on your performance, grant you a title and a promotion."

Shen Bai raised an eyebrow. "To be regarded highly by His Majesty would be my great honor."

The Third Prince poured another bowl for Shen Bai and studied his expression. "Brother Shen, you seem a little stiff," he said with a smile. "I must admit, I’m curious. Most people crave titles, promotions, and the peak of power, yet you seem so indifferent to it all."

Shen Bai shook his head. "Everyone’s ambitions are different, that’s all. Your ambitions, Third Prince, are certainly not the same as an ordinary person’s."

"You’re right. Silly me," the Third Prince said, drinking another bowl with Shen Bai. "Brother Shen, you’re a fascinating person, not bound by worldly matters." He didn’t pursue the topic any further.

Some topics, if pursued too far, could lead to trouble.

The Third Prince knew Shen Bai didn’t enjoy such conversations, so he changed the subject to interesting tales from the Jianghu.

He had always been recruiting talented individuals, so he had met many Jianghu People.

Relying on his eloquence during his daily interactions, the Third Prince had managed to learn quite a lot.

The two of them chatted like this for a full hour.

Only after they had finished two whole jugs of wine did the Third Prince stagger away.

Watching the Third Prince’s retreating figure, Shen Bai shook his head and thought to himself.

’He really is a formidable character. If all three Princes are like this, then the struggle for the throne is going to be quite a show.’

With that thought, Shen Bai closed the door again, returned to his room, and once more drew Cold Moon from his waist.

And so, Shen Bai practiced relentlessly for another full day.

...

He didn’t leave his room with Amber until the next day.

His Anti-Demon Blood Sword Dance was just shy of reaching Level 6. Shen Bai wasn’t in a rush, though; he planned to collect his reward first.

According to the Third Prince, this meant a full five Deceitful Objects. For Shen Bai, that was a massive windfall he had no reason to refuse.

Filled with this excitement, Shen Bai made his way to the nine-story building.

At that moment, four builders were gathered in a circle, whispering amongst themselves.

Shen Bai happened to be passing by.

When they noticed him, the four builders immediately looked over, their eyes filled with awe.

"Tearing it down?" Shen Bai asked.

One of the builders nodded. "Yes, Lord Shen. These are all high-quality materials that can be used for next year’s internal examination. However, before we dismantle it, we’ll have to ask specialists in the trade to move all the scenery and vegetation out. Otherwise, the moment we take it apart, the landscape inside will be ruined."

Reusing materials had always been the builders’ specialty.

That was precisely why the Great Zhou Country had them handle the construction; it saved the most time and trouble.

Shen Bai nodded, said nothing more, and continued on his way.