Chapter 328: Words from the Heart

Hoo.

Li Luo slowly exhaled a breath, the resonant force surging within his body gradually settling down. He opened his eyes and looked at the frail back of the little king before him, where the green lotus woven from blue meridians seemed to have a wisp of black qi dissipating along with it.

"It really does have some effect..."

Li Luo muttered, then said to the drowsy little king: "Your Majesty, it's over."

The little king was startled awake. He looked at his bare upper body, hurriedly grabbed the clothes beside him and put them on in a fluster, then said to Li Luo with some amazement: "Li Luo, you're really amazing. Every time you treat me, I feel much more relaxed afterward."

"You're much more amazing than those Marquis Realm powerhouses."

Li Luo couldn't help but laugh. This little king really was still a child. If I were more amazing than Marquis Realm powerhouses, would I still be here playing with you? I'd have gone to the academy long ago and slapped that dog Shen Shen Jinxiao to death.

And Manager Pei Hao can't be let off either—might as well stomp him to death in one kick.

And while Li Luo was fantasizing over here, the Eldest Princess walked in gracefully. She looked at the little king, whose expression was clearly much more relaxed, and a joyful smile couldn't help but appear on her cheeks.

Clearly, Li Luo's treatment had once again produced some effect.

"Sister." The little king called out.

The Eldest Princess gently helped the little king button up his clothes, then said to Li Luo: "Junior Li Luo, thank you so much."

That voice actually seemed somewhat soft, which was slightly different from the Eldest Princess's usual composure and elegance. One could tell that Li Luo treating the little king had indeed touched the Eldest Princess somewhat.

It wasn't romantic affection—merely a kind of gratitude born from the heart, like a person dying of thirst in a desert who suddenly sees an oasis appear before their eyes.

The little king's congenital defect had always been a worry in the Eldest Princess's heart. It caused his condition to be less than ideal on a daily basis, and his body would also affect the power transfer in Great Xia half a year from now. But if someone used the king's health as a pretext at that time, it was bound to create some complications.

Even if Li Luo couldn't completely cure the king within these six months, being able to ensure he got through it smoothly without incident would actually already put the Eldest Princess's mind at ease considerably.

"Your Highness is too kind."

Li Luo smiled and said: "Luo Lan Mansion also needs a friend like Your Highness."

The Eldest Princess nodded slightly. She understood what Li Luo meant, gestured for him to leave the great hall, and the two walked side by side. She smiled and said: "Speaking of which, we and your Luo Lan Mansion are somewhat in the same boat."

Li Luo laughed: "Your Highness is too modest. What kind of situation our Luo Lan Mansion is in, leaking from all four sides—don't you know? So many eyeing us hungrily, impossible to guard against."

"Are there fewer eyeing me hungrily?" The Eldest Princess laughed.

Li Luo was slightly stunned. This was the first time the Eldest Princess had spoken to him about these secrets within the Wang Zu. Although he knew a little about them, the fact that the Eldest Princess was bringing them up on her own initiative proved she regarded the relationship between the two sides as more important. At the very least, in the past, she would absolutely never have mentioned these things to outsiders.

"Half a year from now, whether for your Luo Lan Mansion, or for me and the king, will be an extremely important point in time."

"Luo Lan Mansion sits on a great treasure, surrounded by wolves. Once it can't hold them off, the mansion will be destroyed and its people killed. There will no longer be a Luo Lan Mansion in this Great Xia."

The Eldest Princess looked at Li Luo, whose expression was gradually turning cold and fierce, and said: "And similarly, half a year from now, Wang Ting will hold the coronation ceremony. The king will truly ascend the throne and take control of the great power of Wang Ting."

"According to the agreement, my royal uncle will retire. But who knows whether he'll do so willingly. After all, those who have tasted the flavor of power probably won't give it up easily."

Her eyes were deep, but her voice was as calm as still water.

Li Luo listened with some heart palpitations. He was, after all, an outsider, and Luo Lan Mansion had never been involved in some of Wang Ting's struggles, so he hadn't expected that the two seemingly harmonious factions within Wang Ting had gradually reached the point of imminent collision.

His expression grew serious, because he understood that once it truly reached that point, Great Xia would surely undergo a drastic upheaval.

After all, the Regent had held power for many years, and his influence in Great Xia had long become deeply entrenched. If the power transfer encountered any discord at that time, that great upheaval would sweep across all of Great Xia.

No wonder the Eldest Princess was so anxious about the little king's congenital defect. After all, if anything happened to the little king, the coronation ceremony half a year later would also be affected. And once this legitimate opportunity was lost, as the Regent continued to grow in power in the future, the Eldest Princess's side would lose all opportunities.

"Li Luo, I'm telling you this not because I want Luo Lan Mansion to take sides, because to put it bluntly, the current Luo Lan Mansion doesn't even have the qualifications to take sides." The Eldest Princess smiled at Li Luo and said.

Li Luo nodded upon hearing this. Though the words were unpleasant, they were very true. In struggles at this level, a force without a Marquis Realm powerhouse holding the fort was merely cannon fodder to be consumed.

The two sides would have deeper contact, first because the Eldest Princess was optimistic about Jiang Qing's potential, and second because Li Luo had suddenly displayed a special ability to treat the little king.

That was why the Eldest Princess was now speaking these words to him.

However, although there was no taking sides, both sides knew it well. After this series of contacts, they had established some foundation of relationship between them. So from a personal standpoint, Li Luo was of course more inclined toward the Eldest Princess's faction winning.

As for that awe-inspiring Regent, Li Luo had always harbored some wariness. Such an overlord figure was too troublesome and dangerous. If Luo Lan Mansion were to come into contact with him now, Li Luo suspected they might be devoured down to the very bones.

"The calamity your Luo Lan Mansion will face half a year from now will probably be even more difficult than you imagine. Although I don't know what contingencies Mansion Lords Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan left behind, Luo Lan Mansion's great treasure is too alluring. At that time, you may face more than one Marquis Realm powerhouse." The Eldest Princess said slowly.

"When that point comes, although you and Jiang Jiang Qinge are both valued students within the Holy Phoenix Star Academy, the wolves are already ravenously hungry and probably won't easily give up this chance to break into Luo Lan Mansion's headquarters. Combined with the fact that Dean Pang hasn't stepped out of the Dark Cave for many years, the prestige of the Holy Phoenix Star Academy has still suffered some weakening, so the protection on you will be greatly reduced."

Li Luo's gaze turned sharp, and he nodded lightly.

"Could Your Highness perhaps guess which forces will actually make a move against Luo Lan Mansion at that time?" he asked.

The Eldest Princess shook her head and said: "That depends on how many forces are tempted by Luo Lan Mansion's great treasure."

Li Luo sighed. Beyond the five great mansions of Great Xia, there were also numerous noble families. These families were deeply entrenched with profound foundations, so trying to guess how many wolves there would be at that time was truly no easy task.

The Eldest Princess didn't continue on this topic. She directly shifted the conversation and began chatting with Li Luo about amusing happenings in the academy, and the atmosphere instantly became relaxed and cheerful.

Afterwards, the Eldest Princess personally saw Li Luo out of the royal palace, and thoughtfully dispatched a carriage for him.

"Your Highness."

Before boarding the carriage, Li Luo smiled at the Eldest Princess and said: "Although Luo Lan Mansion's situation is very difficult, this is the legacy left by my parents. I won't let it be easily destroyed by others."

A captivating, radiant smile appeared on the Eldest Princess's beautiful cheeks. Li Luo's words seemed to strike right at her heart, making her gaze toward the latter grow even softer.

She nodded gently.

"Mm, me too."