Chapter 190: Holy King vs Doupo

A few days later, as agreed, Jiang Si, wearing his mask, returned to the school.

After the college entrance exams the campus had cleared out for vacation, almost deserted. He jumped over from the playground and walked in without obstruction.

To avoid arousing Keke’s suspicion, he had waited until she fell asleep before coming.

Keke had insisted for two days on sleeping on the floor in his room, but after two nights even she couldn’t stand it. She’d always slept on soft beds her whole life and complained that her back hurt after floor-sleeping.

Kids don’t even have developed backs, how could they have back pain?

When he was a child he trained every day and never broke his back—this was pure fussiness.

Keke still wanted him to sleep on the floor and give her the bed.

Utterly delusional. Jiang Si had kicked her out and, to his relief, she’d returned to her own room obediently those last two nights.

He didn’t come down until he made sure Keke was fast asleep.

He didn’t want her to ask where he’d gone again.

Lately she had started questioning his outings every time—she’d never been like that when her mother was around.

He slipped into the classroom, and in an instant the whole atmosphere changed.

The Prince sat on the teacher’s desk with the air of someone on a throne. “Welcome, my fiancé.”

Hearing that title made Jiang Si sit up a little straighter.

Not bad—he’d remembered the break-off engagement plotline immediately.

His expectations spiked.

Before he could sit, the Prince extended one foot toward him.

She wore a beautiful, delicate blue shoe, thigh-high white stockings, the top of the foot tense, the stocking intentionally exposed a little, the foot raised almost to Jiang Si’s face.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a foot-kissing ceremony,” the Prince said. “You are both my fiancé and my honored guest. I permit you to perform this rite.”

Jiang Si grabbed her foot and was about to lift her and toss her out of the classroom.

Unexpectedly, the Prince kicked off her shoe and leaned back a bit.

Jiang Si ignored her and casually tossed the shoe out the window.

The corner of the Prince’s mouth twitched;

she retracted her right leg and tugged at her skirt to cover her foot.

“Don’t do that again,” Simo Tu said coldly. “If you dare stick your foot out again I’ll cut off your foot.”

“This is a ritual—”

“Don’t lecture me about rituals. I don’t care. If you make me bow, I’ll slaughter you.”

Seeing the Prince furrow her brow and flash a bit of displeasure satisfied Jiang Si immensely.

Good. Break-off progress advanced by about thirty percent.

He needed to increase the pressure. He had to make things harder on her so she’d want to call off the engagement herself.

After thinking it over back at his place for a long while, Jiang Si discovered a major flaw in this break-off plan.

If the Prince ultimately refused to break the engagement, his whole scheme would be ruined.

So he had to push the current mistress to want to end the engagement herself.

“All right.” Prince-sama stepped down from the desk and hopped single-footed to the window.

With a wave, the shoe he’d thrown flew back and landed in her hand. “My apologies for the rudeness. I didn’t realize Simo Tu-sama had summoned me.”

Jiang Si put his hands into his coat pockets and watched the Prince lean forward to put the shoe back on. “What did you mean by telling Xilan to take out a loan?”

He didn’t really care—after all, the Witch Association’s loan couldn’t reach him.

But her behavior was suspicious and gave him an opening.

The Prince finished sliding the shoe on, tapped the ground to test the fit, and then half-squatted, looking up at Simo Tu. “Didn’t you ask that we acquire as much Witch Association reagent as possible?”

“Xilan doesn’t have cash. In the Witch Association, everything must be purchased. Without a loan, she won’t be able to secure enough Witch Association reagent. One ton should satisfy your appetite, right?”

Jiang Si snorted. “The Witch Association, huh? High-interest loans and doing things by themselves.”

He wanted to hold onto Simo Tu’s identity a bit longer.

If the Prince used Simo Tu’s name to borrow fifty million from the Witch Association and thus incurred high-interest debt, she’d either renounce that identity or actually have to pay.

“But you have my black card.” The Prince smiled. “You clearly don’t lack funds.”

The boy produced ten cracked black-gold cards from his pocket and laid them on the desk. The Prince’s expression shifted to surprise. “Oh my, what happened, why are they all damaged?”

“Cut the act.”

Jiang Si picked up a half-intact black-gold card and flicked it. The half card shattered into pieces on the desk.

“The card material is defective. I was careful but it still broke.”

“Maybe your hands are too rough?” The Prince looked innocent. “I guarantee these ten black-gold cards work.”

Jiang Si didn’t bother arguing. “Whether they work or not, they’re broken now, and that’s a problem.”

“But this was your carelessness.” The Prince looked blameless. “It’s not our fault.”

“Can you replace them?”

“Of course.”

The Prince continued, “But we’ll need Simo Tu-sama to do us a favor.”

“What?”

“Help us obtain Miss Iris’s Miracle Seed from the Disaster Control Bureau.”

Jiang Si fell silent.

At that moment a realization hit him.

He might be standing at a crucial crossroads in his life.

Consider this.

Why does the great emperor in those grand fantasy web novels keep the record of having once been broken off from his engagement, instead of following the older legend of the black-clad sword saint who erased that history?

Because the Flame Emperor chose to let that story be sung and spread rather than hide it.

That decision made the Flame Emperor’s name famous across realms, stirring fury and fighting spirit in those who heard it, inspiring countless followers.

Choice matters.

Now Jiang Si faced a decision that could influence the future of worlds.

Some people don’t read web novels, some don’t read Doupo Cangqiong, and those people might not notice they stand at a turning point. Jiang Si had to steer things.

Could the Mirror Kingdom’s Prince actually be Nalan Yanran?

Or could she be Yun Hailan!

Prince—could that be a crown prince?!

It was possible.

He needed to handle this carefully. If he let her lead things, the story could veer badly.

So he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Full Bloom loses the Miracle Seed,” the Prince said earnestly. “A Full Bloom Magical Girl no longer possesses a Miracle Seed. We have no way to study what changes occurred to the Miracle Seeds of Full Bloom Magical Girls. Now there’s a Magical Girl named Iris who’s Full Bloom yet didn’t die and whose Miracle Seed didn’t vanish. Her Miracle Seed is of enormous significance.”

At this the Prince’s expression turned solemn. “If we can seize Miss Iris’s Miracle Seed, we might be able to manufacture a perfect Full Bloom Magical Girl. Then we won’t have to fear oppression or exile from the Disaster Control Bureau!”

She declared dominantly, “The Mirror Kingdom will rule this world!”

“I see.”

Jiang Si finally understood why the Prince had singled him out.

Neither the Mirror Kingdom nor the Witch Association could match the Central Bureau, especially since Iris was currently inside the Central Bureau.

Brute force wouldn’t work.

The Prince clearly didn’t expect him to storm the Central Bureau alone. Even with his own strength, the Central Bureau’s Magical Girls and the Incubator’s unknown methods would overwhelm him.

A direct assault would be reckless and foolish.

They would have to rely on his extraordinary cunning to cleverly seize Iris’s Miracle Seed.

She reminded him of Yun Hailan—no wonder she lowered her stance so far.

In this domain, the Witch Association and the Old World probably couldn’t match his capabilities.

Scarcity drives value.

Behind him was the entire web novel realm.

However...

“What if I refuse?”

If he agreed outright and her affection rose, she might refuse to break the engagement later.

Jiang Si chose to lower his favorability rating.

“My mind and intelligence aren’t useful at all times.”

He modestly depreciated himself.

Everyone knows the main reason for a break-off is that the man is a failure. If the woman thinks the man is talentless and worthless, the break-off naturally follows.

He then added, “Also, I can’t transform into the Calamity Dragon anymore.”

The classroom fell quiet.

He watched the Prince’s expression change until it turned cold and dangerous. Joy surged in his chest.

Perfect—this worked! The best fit for a break-off was a fallen genius.

“Can it be recovered?”

“Simo Tu, you really can’t transform back into Calamity Dragon?”

The Prince took a deep breath to steady herself. “That power can be reclaimed, right?”

Jiang Si considered. The current crowd was too small. The atmosphere wasn’t intense enough. The humiliation needed to be stronger;

otherwise the break-off’s effect on Yunlan Mountain wouldn’t be convincing.

At minimum, Xilan had to be there as a witness.

“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.”

The Prince’s eyes flickered. “Why suddenly can’t you transform?”

“A curse from the Curse Realm,” Jiang Si replied offhand. “The curse prevents my transformation.”

“I’ll help break that curse and get you your power back.”

Seeing her anxious expression, Jiang Si smiled slightly.

Done. If she doesn’t break the engagement later, he’d gouge out his eyes and feed them to Keke.

In the end, what she coveted were his intelligence and a portion of the Calamity Dragon’s combat strength.

Now that he’d confessed that intelligence sometimes failed and the dragon couldn’t transform, in her eyes he was like the hidden Flame Emperor who could no longer cultivate.

The Prince’s pride and station would never allow her to marry a powerless failure.

“You needn’t worry, ally.”

She’d even shifted the title from fiancé to ally instantly.

Women.

“Tell us the Calamity Dragon’s technique first.” The Prince’s red eyes glittered. “We’ll find a solution for you.”

“The Mirror Kingdom’s tech is number one!”

Simo Tu shook his head. “Tell you the technique to transform into Calamity Dragon? Then you’ll kick me aside like a stray dog, right?”

“We of the Mirror Kingdom would never do such a thing.”

“Hmph, don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning.”

Jiang Si’s tone carried displeasure. “You must be planning to break off the engagement, right? To be engaged to a powerless wreck like me must be an embarrassment for you, yes?”

“But breaking it off here, with no witnesses, won’t humiliate me! Wait until there are more people.”

The Prince froze.

What was this guy talking about? Losing his power and going mad?

How did that leap straight to ending an engagement? What humiliation? Why wait for more people?

But before anything else—

“We never signed any contractual marriage.” The Prince said softly. “It was only a verbal agreement. How can you speak of breaking an engagement?”

Jiang Si froze as if struck by lightning.

He’d forgotten the most important part: the contract.

The ten black-gold cards had stolen his composure and caused him to forget that step.

The key to the break-off was to snatch the contract, write a separation letter on it, and fling it into the Prince’s face.

Without that step it was impossible to enrage the Prince into setting a three-day condition.

Without it, he could truly be pulled into the Holy King route!

Stealing a treasure pill and then getting dumped...

Seeing Jiang Si fall silent, the Prince was about to comfort him.

Before she could speak, Jiang Si suddenly said, “Actually, I just realized my Calamity Dragon power has returned.”

...

The Prince stared at him dumbfounded. “Your dragon power is hot-swappable?”

“No, maybe I got excited and it just came back.”

To prove he wasn’t lying, Jiang Si transformed.

A shrunken mini Calamity Dragon appeared. Its pupils were gold—the Emperor’s curse effect—but the scales remained jet black.

As long as he didn’t trigger the Emperor’s power, he wouldn’t enter the second stage, the Golden Calamity Dragon King.

“No, that’s not the point...” The Prince rubbed her forehead, feeling weary. “One moment you say you’ve lost your power, then you say it’s back. If you weren’t my fiancé, I’d be angry. Simo Tu, I don’t like being toyed with.”

“Sorry.”

Jiang Si apologized without hesitation.

To the Prince, she knew Simo Tu to be cold and proud. For him to apologize willingly was notable.

Her irritation evaporated and she waved magnanimously. “No matter. Let’s continue discussing Miss Iris’s Miracle Seed.”

“So let’s sign the engagement first.”

Is this really human? Or does his head share more in common with a Disaster Beast?

How do you even have a normal conversation with someone who speaks so wildly?

Simo Tu said seriously, “I’ll retrieve Iris’s Miracle Seed, but before that, you must sign a contract. I need a confirmed engagement proof.”

The Prince didn’t get angry;

she studied him with amusement.

He’s really fallen for my charm, isn’t he?

He was pretending weakness to test me!

She eased into a smile. Men—want something so badly yet pretend indifference. They cling to pride until the moment they’re about to be dumped and only then break.

Her confidence grew more assured.

“Itaen is so beautiful—who could fail to be enchanted? Even Simo Tu is just an ordinary man.”

“No need to rush,” the Prince said with a small smile. “An engagement can be signed any time.”

“Now would be better.”

If she postponed, he might break the engagement the next time they met, and the chance would be gone.

“If you insist that strongly, it’s not impossible.”

The Prince moved to the blackboard and wiped it gently.

The board flickered, like a system activating.

Large characters filled the board densely.

On closer inspection the text was the engagement contract.

“Just sign your name and press the handprint.”

The Prince signed her name first.

Simo Tu froze, as if surprised the blackboard had become a contract. “Isn’t this risky?”

“This records in the Mirror Kingdom’s system,” the Prince explained. “It won’t disappear. It’s the most secure.”

How does that paper convert into a separation letter?

Simo Tu inhaled and said, “No. This doesn’t match our customs. I will sign it our way.”

The Prince frowned. “My patience has limits.”

“Don’t worry. Quickly, it won’t take long.” Jiang Si thought and promised, “We can sign after I retrieve Iris’s Miracle Seed.”

Since he voluntarily made such a promise, the Prince nodded with satisfaction.

“Then I’ll await your good news.”

“Isn’t abducting someone from the Witch Association a bit improper, Prince-sama?” someone objected.

Before the meeting ended, an uneasy voice arose.

The Prince looked up sharply and saw Jialan appear as though in the glass of the back door, staring at them like a stern homeroom teacher. “Simo Tu is a member of my Witch Association.”

Frowning and wondering how she’d come by, the Prince then saw Twins behind Jialan.

The girl straightened her shoulders, no longer meek as before.

“I’m here to settle the score! Prince! You bullied my Twins and you’ll regret it!”

She kicked open the back door and moved beside Simo Tu, picking up the shattered black-gold card.

“Using counterfeit black-gold cards to deceive the legendary Simo Tu, and trying to manipulate Simo Tu’s funds through a loan—this is an unforgivable crime!”

The Prince glanced at Simo Tu. The boy showed no reaction, and she relaxed slightly, then coldly said, “Where’s the evidence?”

“Huazhou Bank issues black-gold cards based on fixed assets.” Jialan smiled faintly. “The Mirror Kingdom has been sealed for so long—what fixed assets could it have? How could you possibly produce ten black-gold cards? Neither the Witch Association nor the Disaster Control Bureau could produce ten cards at once as gifts.”

“All the black-gold cards are fake, and half of them come from Ice Color Era Group. If they’re duplicate black-gold cards and you use ten, you’ll be flagged, maybe even the Central Bureau will target Simo Tu’s personal account.”

Twins loudly exposed the scam. “Simo Tu is being tricked with black-gold cards! They want to harm you!”

The Prince fell silent and looked at Simo Tu.

The boy smiled slightly.

“I trust Prince Little Friend. Prince Little Friend wouldn’t lie to me.”

They can lie after the break-off is finished, he thought.

Twins gaped in disbelief at her leader. Leader—you were stealing Lady Bingtang’s money to con her! How could you vouch for her?

The classroom plunged into dead silence.

Itaen felt her heart quicken. She clutched her chest and felt breathless.

“Unbelievable,” Jialan sighed. “You, a Witch Association legend, are being played by a woman!”

“Twins, seize them both!”

Twins turned to Jialan and pointed at herself. “Huh? Just me?”

“What did you expect?”

Twins pouted. “That’s not how you briefed me, Jialan-sama!”

“Don’t be afraid—you can match Simo Tu’s legend!”

That line was a lie.

Yet, faced with Jialan’s expectant gaze, Twins looked at the Prince and Simo Tu.

“Aaaah!”

She mustered courage and ran forward, only to trip on a desk leg and fall flat.

She lifted her head, nose red with tears. “Damn Simo Tu and the Prince! Don’t think this is over!”

Twins crawled backward on the ground. “Jialan-sama, I give up...”

Jialan kicked a foot and said, “Forget it, you’re useless.”

She waved her hand.

Mirrors rippled to life displaying many Disaster Beasts.

The Prince’s pupils contracted. She immediately touched the crown on her head.

But the Mirror Beasts did not obey her;

they glared ferociously at them all.

Her proud red eyes turned colder as she stared at Jialan. “You stole Mirror Kingdom technology?”

“The Witch Association never does loss-making deals.” Jialan smiled. “Little Prince, sorry, but the Witch Association cannot accept Simo Tu leaving. He must remain with us!”

The Mirror Beasts surged forward!

The Calamity Dragon scooped the Prince into his arms, the thick tail sweeping out.

Many Mirror Beasts were smashed into gore!

More and more Mirror Beasts poured in from all directions. The Calamity Dragon, holding the Prince, flew outward.

The usually aloof Prince lay quietly in the dragon’s embrace, truly like a little girl.

“Simo Tu...”

She whispered his name softly.

She hadn’t expected him to be willing to break with the Witch Association for her.

Guilt fluttered in her chest.

She had feigned modesty and kindness at first, promising alliance, but she’d had many hidden motives. After dealing so often with the Witch Association, she did not trust them;

a backstab was always possible.

But—

“Why help me?”

“The engagement hasn’t been dissolved!”

The Calamity Dragon roared as he spoke!

A massive dragon breath tore through the teaching building, and the whole structure exploded!

Itaen inhaled deeply.

Rest assured, Simo Tu, Itaen is not an ungrateful person. The engagement will not be broken!

Boom!

While the Calamity Dragon rampaged through the Mirror Beasts, a light suddenly struck the dragon’s chest!

That formerly unstoppable beast abruptly stopped!

“Where do you think your power comes from?”

Jialan floated out of the shattered classroom holding the unconscious Twins.

“Calamity Dragon is our Witch Association’s technique. We can’t use it, but we can prevent you from using it.”

The Prince’s face changed as she reached into her robes for something.

More beams of light covered the dragon. Jialan snatched a net.

The Prince and the dragon were paralyzed, unable to move!

“You too, Itaen. Did you think I haven’t been watching you?”

The Prince looked at the immobilized dragon, took a deep breath, and turned to face Jialan proudly. “I yield, Simo Tu—”

But within the dim light prison the dragon suddenly lifted its head.

Dazzling golden light burst from its pupils and spread across its body!

“Second-stage blood eruption.”

The fishing net in Jialan’s hand instantly shattered!

All the Mirror Beasts froze mid-charge. On the playground, hordes of Mirror Beasts simultaneously kneeled and prostrated!

The enormous Golden Calamity Dragon King covered the entire school!

“Golden Calamity Dragon King.”