Chapter 233: It's Time to Take the Medicine

After leaving the forest, Tang Luo first went to the nearby town and found the guards still waiting for them.

Without traveling together, Tang Luo and Charles took a few horses and rode ahead, whipping their mounts to go faster.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the capital, even before truly entering, one could already sense a clear difference.

The pedestrians had no pleasant expressions on their faces, and occasionally one could hear people loudly discussing state affairs.

They were discussing what impact Rudolf's sudden death would have on Toulon.

Some people mysteriously claimed to have obtained insider news, saying that the prince himself had also suffered an accident, and so on.

Inside the capital, a curfew was enforced not long after nightfall.

On the streets at night, only patrols of guards were seen making their rounds.

"I am the prince! I want to openly and righteously——"

Charles hadn't finished speaking when Tang Luo slapped him to the ground: "Openly and righteously my ass! Do you believe that if you just entered the capital and shouted 'I am Prince Charles,' you'd be taken away immediately, and a few days later your corpse would be found in some unknown corner—oh, they wouldn't even realize it's your body?"

He emphasized the word "you" heavily, so Charles would understand.

"Besides, you're carrying a big coffin—are you planning to go to X to appeal for justice?"

"Or are you trying to stir up a big commotion?"

Charles said nothing; he intended to charge ahead recklessly, partly due to his nature, and partly because even a fool, after much thought, might have one good idea—he thought stirring up a commotion might benefit him.

"Give it up. Before you stir up a commotion, Oliana has a hundred ways to make you vanish from the human world. Compared to you, who was born in the capital, she is the true local." Tang Luo said.

"I'll rush to the square..." Charles expressed his disagreement.

He rushed to the capital's square—so many people, yet still unable to stir up a commotion?

"Idiot." Tang Luo said, "Do you think that now, walking down the street and shouting 'I am the prince' once, people will immediately kneel and worship you? From childhood to now, how many times have you left the palace? Do you think the capital's populace can become your allies? Do you think that if you shout once, they'll follow you to storm the palace and slaughter the queen?"

"..."

Charles flared his nostrils twice—clearly angry again.

He found no words to rebut, because that was exactly what he thought.

"Your struggle, and the people of the capital, are actually unrelated." Tang Luo shattered Charles's dream plan.

Water can carry a boat, yet also capsize it—unfortunately, Charles utterly lacks the ability to "control water."

Wanting to incite a mass movement is not something a prince's identity can achieve by saying a few words.

Put it this way: if Charles really did that.

A few days later, news of his death would spread—whether his cover was that of a fraud or a prince, the capital's populace would only cheer, treating it as gossip.

Or if Charles got lucky and succeeded, and it was Oliana who died, the capital's populace would still cheer just the same.

Moreover, Tang Luo had pressed down the coffin lid of Snow White; her astonishing charm had no outlet, and it was impossible to influence outsiders through the crystal coffin.

In terms of personal strength, Oliana is only stronger, not weaker, than Charles.

Even several Charleses combined would not be enough for Oliana to defeat one-on-one.

Don't be fooled by Oliana appearing weak and timid—like a little white rabbit—in front of Tang Luo; that's only because her opponent is Tang Luo.

The entire capital—no sword master, no battlefield warrior—would be a match for Oliana.

Only the deceased Rudolf could suppress her.

Charles also doesn't understand any infiltration methods; he can't even manage stealth assassination, so he can only rely on overwhelming force—unfortunately, he lacks that strength too.

Appearing suddenly is no different from seeking death.

"If you want to fight your poisonous stepmother, the only way is to form alliances—horizontal and vertical." Tang Luo began teaching Charles.

He doesn't understand court intrigue at all.

But as the saying goes, even if one hasn't eaten pork, one has seen pigs run—discussing strategy on paper is still possible.

It's absolutely enough to fool Charles.

In Tang Luo's words, Charles's sole purpose is his royal identity—it's a banner that can unite Oliana's opponents.

Let these people twist into one rope to deal with Oliana.

Once successful, those people will gain the "merit of serving the dragon," and their status will rise greatly.

Moreover, a young king would certainly be far more agreeable than a sinister queen.

Charles can gather those people together—even though they aren't loyal to him, only to their own interests.

But their interests are aligned!

Of course, after dealing with Oliana, Charles will still have to fight those people properly.

Charles felt his blood boil from Tang Luo's words, eager to try, finding endless joy in contending with others.

"Since you've understood, let's go." Tang Luo grabbed Charles's shoulder and shoved him toward the high wall.

Charles held back, not letting out a sound.

At the moment he barely landed, Tang Luo had somehow already appeared beneath him—one hand supporting the crystal coffin, the other grabbing Charles, preventing him from hitting the ground.

It wasn't that he feared Charles would break from the fall, but that he feared Charles would make a noise upon impact.

A living person falling down—no matter how you say it—would inevitably cause some disturbance.

Now the situation is: sneak into the village, no shooting allowed.

"Where are we going now?" Charles adjusted his clothes, looked at Tang Luo holding up the coffin, and asked calmly.

Only a flash of resentment, anger, and ruthlessness passed through his eyes—unconcealed.

"What do you think?" Tang Luo countered.

Charles thought for a moment, then stalled—where to go? He truly didn't know.

Following Xuanzang's advice, we should now seek others who oppose Oliana—but Charles doesn't know any of them!

Those nobles and aristocrats—Charles might recognize a few faces, but that's the limit of his knowledge.

"Who do you know..." Tang Luo asked.

It's really hard to handle these brats.

After thinking for a moment, Charles said: "That—Robert."

The outsiders Charles interacted with most were naturally the teachers summoned to the palace to teach him to read and write; due to Charles's bad temper, he changed them every few days.

It wasn't a hindrance to his studies, but Charles didn't even remember their faces.

Still, Robert, the swordsmanship teacher, taught swordsmanship, which barely suited Charles's taste.

Being a familiar outsider, Charles knew where Robert lived, and a little search would find him.

"Oh?" Tang Luo chuckled, "Fine, then go find him."

Among the Seven Deadly Sins, six have already surfaced; only Sloth remains doubtful, and Tang Luo suspects it's Robert.

After all, that guy is so lazy that seeing someone even lazier than him instantly annoys him—very likely.

Having Charles drag Robert in would also be a good thing.

If Robert is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, then Li Huan must be of the Sloth faction, huh?

"Not bad, not bad."

Tang Luo watched Charles leave unprofessionally and sneakily, then turned and walked toward the palace.

He still held aloft the crystal coffin, inside which lay the sleeping Snow White.

Whether it was feigned sleep, Tang Luo didn't know, but at least on the surface she was very peaceful, causing him no trouble.

The palace, the white tower.

Ouliana's residence; even after nightfall, she would still return here.

Not having seized Rudolf's sleeping quarters—there was no need, for that place wasn't to her liking, and her eating habits were too unsightly.

If she truly became queen, she would indeed stay there for a night, symbolizing her ascent to the peak of Tausent power.

Inside the tower, in the room exclusively belonging to Ouliana, which Rudolf had never entered.

She was brewing the Eternal Youth Elixir, her brows slightly furrowed, not fully relaxed.

The path to the throne was not so smooth.

Rudolf was playing the pig to eat the tiger, fishing, relying on his own strength as the main factor, not caring much about power.

Anyway, with his strength, he could turn his hand to clouds and cover it with rain.

But no matter what, it was still just an "act"—he couldn't really become a pig.

Besides his own strength, die-hard loyalists couldn't be lacking; though their status couldn't be too high, they all occupied key positions.

Otherwise, where would Rudolf's information come from?

Rudolf's remnants in the palace had already been swept clean by Ouliana, and all miscellaneous people were driven out.

Forged into a watertight iron barrel.

But outside the palace, Ouliana was somewhat lacking in strength.

Mainly because those opponents were all secretly plotting to death, even more secretive than Ouliana, hiding behind the scenes scheming.

And they refused to show themselves.

Ouliana couldn't possibly launch a massacre, killing indiscriminately; now she felt somewhat unable to move forward.

However, the longer the delay, the more advantageous it was for Ouliana.

The king died suddenly, the prince and princess eloped, and the sole heir was only Ouliana, the queen.

A state cannot go a day without a ruler.

Those people may delay, but they cannot forever prevent Ouliana from ascending.

Once she ascends successfully, Ouliana "possessing a weapon," will surely seize supreme power in a short time and control this country.

Being puppeteered could never happen to Ouliana, this female sorcerer.

So, although the situation isn't especially favorable for her, the trend is undoubtedly good—put simply, the road is winding, but the future is bright.

Ouliana isn't anxious; on the contrary, brewing the Eternal Youth Elixir is of higher priority.

Last time Tang Luo drank it all dry, Ouliana immediately fell into a "financial crisis."

With her queen status gathering materials, it's not dangerous, but she still needs to brew more quickly, just in case.

Moreover, she promised Tang Luo his share, so she must brew it too.

Ouliana naturally wanted to renege in her heart, but whether she could actually get away with it, she herself had no idea.

The forest is indeed dangerous; even for a sorceress like Ouliana entering it, she couldn't guarantee she'd come out alive and intact.

This is despite having predecessors who blazed the trail and holding in hand relatively detailed information.

Yet the danger posed by Master Jingzi Xuanzang is in no way inferior to the feeling that forest gives Ouliana.

Likewise, it is the aura of death.

Therefore, Tang Luo's portion of the elixir must definitely be brewed.

Even if, in the worst case, Xuanzang really dies in the forest, Ouliana could drink it herself—surely not a loss.

"Done."

Watching the elixir change color, Ouliana murmured a sentence; brewing elixirs isn't exactly easy either.

Barely countable as similar to exercise-induced relaxation; after completion, there's a feeling of exhilaration, yet also fatigue.

Ouliana sat on the chair beside her, closed her eyes.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

She abruptly opened a barrier before her, Ouliana opened her eyes.

And saw Master Jingzi Xuanzang standing before her, with a—crystal coffin? —placed at his feet.

He was gulping down the Eternal Youth Elixir she had painstakingly brewed.

He took a big gulp, very bold, completely unafraid of the heat.

"My medicine!"

Euriana's voice was very desolate.