Chapter 234: Chapter 209: Displaying Divine Might, Slaying a High-Rank with One Slash

If he still couldn’t figure out what was going on by now, he would be a true fool. This was clearly a setup.

This also explained why he’d run into a fake Prince of the Wood Elves on the road.

To put it bluntly, that guard who had been impersonating the Prince of Wood Elves was just a shill the Dark Night Elf Clan had prepared for today’s matchmaking ceremony.

And now, he had become that shill.

’So, what should I do?’

’Play along and follow the path set for the shill?’

’It seems like a good idea, but it’s actually a dead end. Once this whole affair is settled, my mission will basically be complete.’

’And then?’

’I can die.’

’As for the supposed wedding tonight and consummating the marriage... I can only dream. If everything goes according to their plan, I’ll be taken into custody and then secretly killed.’

’So, my only way to survive is...’

’I haven’t figured it out yet.’

’But for now, I need to cause a scene. Or at least take a few of them down with me. Otherwise, the moment I enter that bridal chamber, I’m a dead man.’

Gao Neng didn’t speak too loudly.

But his words hit the other Princes like a massive tsunami, leaving them reeling. For a moment, they were all completely stunned.

It wasn’t just the Princes. The Elf Queen, the hosting Great Elf, and even the Great Elf standing behind Gao Neng were all frozen in place.

"Not willing?!"

"He actually said he’s not willing?"

"..."

Silence. A profound silence.

Finally, the hosting Great Elf recovered, a smile blooming on his face. "Excellent! The Thirteenth Prince says he is very willing!"

"No, I said I am not willing!" Gao Neng repeated.

"..." The hosting Great Elf was speechless. He was seething with rage, but in front of so many Princes, there was nothing he could say.

"Since this is an open matchmaking, everyone should compete based on their own merits. Why should I take a shortcut? It’s unfair to the other Princes! As the Thirteenth Prince of the Wood Elf Race, I would never do such a thing!" Gao Neng shouted.

"Well said!" the Beast Race Prince immediately shouted in response.

"Prince Jami is right! We are all competing for the Seventh Princess’s hand based on our own merits. Anyone who dares speak of marrying into her clan is making an enemy of all us Princes!"

"That’s right, Prince Jami! We all support you!"

"Absolutely no marrying in!"

Soon, the other Princes began to chime in with their support.

’As expected,’ Gao Neng thought, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. ’My brilliance can’t be hidden, even under a mask. No matter where I go, I’m always the most dazzling one here.’

’See? This is what it means to have everyone rally to your call.’

’This is it!’

As Gao Neng was having these thoughts...

...the expressions on Elf Queen Una and the hosting Great Elf turned as black as thunder.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Their gazes, both as cold as ice, fell upon the Great Elf standing behind Gao Neng.

The Great Elf behind Gao Neng was filled with bitterness. ’What’s going on? The elf I found was supposed to be reliable! What the hell happened?’

’Could he have been bribed by one of the other Princes?’

’Yes!’

’He must have been bribed.’

The Great Elf suddenly remembered. ’When I found him, Gao Neng wasn’t outside the city, but inside. What does that imply?’

’It means he probably entered the Elf Royal City ahead of schedule!’

"Damn you! You dare betray the Dark Night Elf Clan? Aren’t you afraid your whole family will be exterminated?" the Great Elf hissed, his voice low enough for only Gao Neng to hear. "If you dare spout any more nonsense, I’ll kill you right now!"

"You dare threaten me?!" Gao Neng immediately pointed at the Great Elf. "Her Majesty the Queen! A Great Elf from your Dark Night Elf Clan just threatened me!"

"What?!" The Great Elf’s face paled.

He truly hadn’t expected Gao Neng to dare turn on him at a time like this.

And it wasn’t just him.

The expressions of the other Princes, Elf Queen Una, the hosting Great Elf, and even Seventh Princess Wu Dingxiang changed completely.

"Her Majesty the Queen, is this how the Dark Night Elf Clan does things?" Gao Neng shouted, pointing directly at the Great Elf behind him. "You knew I was robbed by the Human Alliance and left without any guards, so you decided to threaten me? To force me to marry into your Dark Night Elf Clan as a way to control my Wood Elf Race?!"

"So that’s what happened!"

"No wonder that Great Elf claimed the Thirteenth Prince was willing to marry in!"

"Dark Night Elf Clan, you’ve got some nerve! How dare you threaten a Prince of the Wood Elf Race?"

"Prince Jami, rest assured! We will ensure you get justice for this!"

The Princes, who hadn’t quite understood the situation, now finally grasped what was happening.

To force the Thirteenth Prince to marry into their clan, the Dark Night Elf Clan had resorted to such underhanded tactics. How could they possibly tolerate this? This was blatant cheating!

"Her Majesty the Queen, we demand an explanation!" the Beast Race Prince declared, stepping forward.

"Nonsense! How could our Dark Night Elf Clan possibly do such a thing?" the hosting Great Elf said, his face pale. "This must be a misunderstanding! Esteemed Princes, do not listen to his baseless accusations!"

’This is a mess. A complete mess.’

’Things have gotten completely out of hand!’

"I am the Thirteenth Prince of the Wood Elf Race! Would I really stoop to falsely accusing one of your Great Elves?! Do you think a Prince like myself would frame you? Answer me!" Gao Neng shouted again.

"You..." The hosting Great Elf gritted his teeth.

"’You what? Are you going to kill me?" Gao Neng shot back. "If you have the guts, go on! Kill me right here in front of all these Princes! My Wood Elf Race will never forgive you!" He paid the Elf no mind. ’If my guess is right, the entire Dark Night Elf Clan knows I’m just a shill.’

’Trying to get back on the Dark Night Elf Clan’s good side?’

’That would be a real death wish!’

’I have to latch onto these Princes for support!’

"Prince Jami, rest assured!" the Beast Race Prince declared, stepping forward and setting Gao Neng’s mind at ease. "With us here, the Dark Night Elf Clan won’t dare touch a single hair on your head!"

Following his lead, the other Princes also stepped forward.

"Let’s all compete fairly! Anyone who dares harm Prince Jami or threaten him into marrying in will become an enemy to all of our races! Does the Dark Night Elf Clan dare to commit such an act?"

"That’s right! As long as the Hill Giant Race stands, anyone who harms the Thirteenth Prince makes an enemy of us!"

"..."

One by one, the Princes stood up for him.

They were all certain that after such a commotion, any chance of a marriage between the Thirteenth Prince and the Seventh Princess was completely gone.

He was no longer a rival, which made him a potential friend.

Besides, taking a step back...

...the Wood Elf Race had a Strongest among their ranks.

If they truly had to choose sides between the Dark Night Elf Clan and the Wood Elf Race, they would much rather befriend a Prince of the Wood Elves.

At that moment, the situation had well and truly spiraled out of the Dark Night Elf Clan’s control.

Elf Queen Una’s face was frosty.

’She was absolutely seething.’

’Where in the hell did they find this moron? I told him to act like a Prince, and he’s actually method acting? Does he not know who he really is?’

’Something’s wrong...’

’There’s definitely something wrong here!’

However, her thoughts were no longer on the Thirteenth Prince’s identity. Instead, she was focused on how to get the matchmaking ceremony back on track. After all, she had already coordinated everything with the Celestial Race.

If anything else went wrong...

...she feared that even the Celestial Race might withdraw their support.

"This Great Elf dared to threaten me, a Prince. Is Her Majesty the Queen going to give me an explanation?" Gao Neng asked. He clearly remembered this was the same Great Elf who had just manhandled him like a helpless chick.

’This grudge... must be settled!’

"Her Majesty the Queen, I didn’t threaten the Thirteenth Prince! I really didn’t!" the Great Elf behind Gao Neng pleaded, sensing the tide had turned against him.

"Take him away!" Elf Queen Una commanded with a wave of her hand.

"Wait," Gao Neng interjected. "Why is Her Majesty the Queen having him taken away? Is this an attempt to protect him? Or perhaps... he was acting on your orders? If that’s the case, then this matter is far more serious. Are you planning to declare war on all the other races?!"

"This matter requires further investigation!" Elf Queen Una stated, her expression chilling.

"Investigate what? A moment ago, every Prince here heard him shout that the Thirteenth Prince was willing to marry in. On top of that, he kicked me off the wooden platform! That alone is irrefutable proof! For a Great Elf who has committed such an act of insubordination... what should his punishment be? Surely Her Majesty the Queen doesn’t need me to spell it out for you?" As Gao Neng spoke his final words, his gaze turned piercingly sharp.

"He’s right! The Thirteenth Prince is correct!"

"Her Majesty the Queen, you owe the Thirteenth Prince an explanation! We all saw with our own eyes as your Great Elf kicked him off the platform!"

"Insubordination is a crime punishable by death!"

The other Princes were more than happy to add fuel to the fire.

"You... you actually want me dead?!" The Great Elf behind Gao Neng was incredulous. The very guard he had hand-picked now wanted him killed?

How laughable!

"What? As the Thirteenth Prince of the Wood Elves, am I not permitted to have you executed?" Gao Neng asked, tilting his head back arrogantly.

"If you were really the Thirteenth Prince of the Wood Elves, then of course you could have me killed. Unfortunately for you, you’re—"

BOOM!

The Great Elf never finished his sentence.

Because Elf Queen Una had already acted.

The Dark Night Elf Clan had no Strongest among them.

But they did have those at the King Realm.

And she...

...was at the Tier Nine King Realm!

This was the first time Gao Neng had witnessed someone at the King Realm take action, and it was happening right before his eyes. The immense power, though not directed at him, still made his heart pound in alarm.

She drew her bow and nocked an arrow.

The motion was seamless.

It gave no one any time to react.

It was too fast!

An arrow flashed through the air.

The Great Elf’s skull was pierced by the arrow.

A look of utter disbelief was plastered on his face, his eyes bulging. But it was all over. His body was rapidly being encased in ice.

It spread from his head down to his legs.

CRASH!

The ice shattered.

An almost-solid bird burst forth from the Great Elf’s body.

"Trying to run from me, a Prince? Do you think you can escape?!" The moment Gao Neng saw the bird, he acted. He merged his Soul Mark with his Spiritual Power, forging it into a blade.

SWISH!

A single slash struck the bird, shattering it into motes of light.

(The last Chapter didn’t have a title. Did Fang Tangtang eat it? Damn it!)