Chapter 726: Completely Crippled

Chapter 726: Completely CrippledDong Mingxing's face was serious as she confirmed, "You've finalized all your preparations? Beware—his strength might pale in comparison to the king of the east, but the king of the west has had a long tenure in the western world, weathering all sorts of conflicts and upheavals."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Dong."

"Where are your preparations, at any rate? I don't see anything!"

Zhang Lie countered, "What's there to prepare for? It's not anything major—preparing for nothing is the same as preparing for everything! If I want to be with Qianqian, I have to destroy the world of the west—I don't want to deal with flies buzzing left and right around me otherwise. Only by exterminating their lair once and for all will I get rid of them for good. As for my preparations, I'll just have to sweep through whoever comes at me."

Dong Mingxing laughed. "A lair of flies? Be careful that you don't find a lair of dragons, instead—don't be swallowed up whole!"

Zhang Lie was unruffled. "Dragons and flies are no different to me."

Li Qianlin watched as Zhang Lie and her best friend argued with each other.

"Make a more comprehensive plan," Dong Mingxing suggested.

"There's nothing to plan. I'll deal with whatever comes my way when it happens!"

Dong Mingxing shrugged. "It looks like you don't trust me, do you?"

From her perspective, someone who was so bold as to claim that they would take down the world of the west had to be entirely prepared. Surely no one would head there without any preparation like a fool?

Zhang Lie countered, "Indeed, even if I had a comprehensive plan, I wouldn't reveal it to you, would I, Miss Dong?"

Dong Mingxing clapped her hands together. "Very well, that's settled. I'll head to the western world with you guys!"

Li Qianlin's eyes widened. "You? Why?"

Dong Mingxing rolled her eyes at her. "I'm worried that you'll be kidnapped, of course!"

"I've already been kidnapped..."

Zhang Lie nodded. "Very well. With a skilled fighter like Miss Dong around, I can be much more relaxed. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to protect Qianqian in the heat of battle, but your presence will solve that problem neatly."

"Don't you have your men, too?" Dong Mingxing asked.

Zhang Lie shrugged. "None of them would be as thoughtful as you, Miss Dong."

"Hold it!" Li Qianlin objected. "No, I can't bring Xingxing into this just for me!"

Dong Mingxing patted Li Qianlin on the head. "You didn't drag me in—I chose to participate of my own accord."

"But it'll be dangerous!"

Dong Mingxing rolled her eyes. "You don't fear the danger—why should I?"

"But I don't want to drag you into this!"

Dong Mingxing smiled. "Are you warning me not to steal your man?"

Li Qianlin's face flushed red. "He, that kidnapper isn't my man!"

Dong Mingxing's smile widened. "I don't think I mentioned who your man was, did I?"

Li Qianlin's cheeks turned as red as an apple, and you could almost see the steam wafting out of her head.

Dong Mingxing began to laugh. Zhang Lie finally said, "It's time for us to set off. We can't leave the western king to his own devices for too long."

By then, the king of the east had sent Duan Gen back home. He roared and raged, crushing everything in his room to pieces. His shrill voice penetrated the walls of his estate. Zhang Lie's genetic energy, notably and frighteningly corrosive, had wrecked his body irrecoverably.

"Scram, all of you! I'm not a cripple, I'm the son of the western king! You're all pieces of trash, doctors who don't live up to your reputation! If you can't even heal my injuries, what good are you?!"

Servants and physicians alike were hounded out of his rooms. When they saw the king of the west outside, they knelt down by the floor, trembling and not daring to raise their heads.

Duan Zisuan was standing right outside and calmly watching his enraged, crazed son. Only when his son had slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, did Duan Zisuan walk in and ask, "Are you done making a fuss?"

Duan Gen struck a ghastly figure. The dashing Suanni he had been during the wedding was no more. His eyes were now empty sockets, one of his arms had been sliced away, and one leg wrenched off. Duan Gen was left with one leg, one arm, and no eyes.

Duan Gen, once the prince of the west, the top cultivator after the two kings of the realm—he was now a complete cripple.

Duan Zisuan's face turned ugly. How had a joyous wedding ended up like this? Not only had he lost his reputation, his son had even been turned into... this.

Duan Gen crawled toward his father on one arm and one leg, then clutched onto the hem of his robes tightly.

"Father, as the king of the realm, you must know how to save me! I don't want to become a cripple, and I don't want to lose my masculinity! You don't want your line to end with me, either, do you?"

Duan Zisuan turned to the physicians. "How is the prince?"

One of the imperial physicians stepped forward. "Your majesty, his highness was gravely wounded by a villain. He lost an arm, a leg, and his genitals. Furthermore, his anus was ruptured, and he'll have a hard time controlling his ability to defecate and urinate in the future."

As the physician gave his report, everyone began to smell a truly vile odor—Duan Gen was, as stated, simultaneously defecating and urinating uncontrollably. Blood seeped into his stool.

Everyone knew how terrible Duan Gen looked, but no one laughed at him. They all fell silent.

Duan Zisuan broke the heavy silence. "Master, you're the most famous physician of the west. Are you unable to help my son?"

The old man kneeling on the floor began to tremble. "Your majesty, I'm afraid I'm incapable of doing anything. The prince's body is being ravaged by an unusual energy, one so corrosive that I was barely able to protect his life by amputating his lost limbs. However, that energy has seeped deep into his bones, and it can't be removed by ordinary means.

"Take his highness's eyes for example. Even if we were to excise the corroded flesh and bone around his eye sockets, that energy would still remain, devouring his highness's wounds each and every second."

In other words, Duan Gen had only two futures: one in which he was unable to bear the constant torment and killed himself, and one in which he was unable to bear that torment and went crazy as a result.

Duan Zisuan clenched his fists tightly. The lines of Zhang Lie's face were engraved in his mind; his face flushed red as he considered Zhang Lie anew.

No amount of torture he inflicted on that wretched couple would be able to quench his anger.

The physician shook his head again. "I apologize, your majesty. I would be able to do something against poison, but not this mysterious energy. I regret that I am no expert like you."

"And if I were to assist you?"

The physician pondered the problem for quite some time. "Your majesty, with your strength and all sorts of rare and precious herbs, I might be able to induce the prince's limbs to grow back, but his eyes and genitals were clearly targeted. Even if they were restored, they would never fully function again."

Duan Zisuan pleaded, "Master, I only have this one son!"

"Your majesty, as a father myself, I understand your feelings wholeheartedly. However, I don't believe that anyone else in this world save the culprit behind his highness's injuries would be able to save his life." Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ n0vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.