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Chapter 493: Tools Used In Combination

As he read further, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

The sixth princess of the imperial family had the title Jingyang. She was the very princess the emperor had intended to marry off to him!

So, it was because of me?

The article recounted that last year, the emperor had sought to marry Princess Jingyang to Zhang Chen of the Ascending Dragon Academy. However, Zhang Chen had turned down the proposal, claiming that romantic affairs would interfere with his studies, and it was even considered a noble tale at the time.

But after several such instances, the situation took on a humorous twist. Attempts to marry off Princess Jingyang had been made multiple times, only to meet with rejection each time. What had once been a noble tale was now turning into a laughingstock. There was a real possibility that she would be labeled as someone unable to find a husband.

Chu Liang couldn\'t help but frown.

If this matter hadn\'t been made public, it might not have been an issue. However, now that everyone was aware, he would have been the reason why the sixth princess became the laughing stock among the citizens of the Yu Dynasty. Wouldn\'t she end up resenting him for it?

The problem was that only a handful of people had been present in the main hall that day. How on earth did this news manage to leak out?

As he read further, the article elaborated on Chu Liang\'s reason for refusal. At that time, the emperor had been "adamant about bestowing the marriage," while Chu Liang was described as "hesitant and inarticulate." It was his esteemed teacher, both beautiful and wise, who intervened, declaring, "My disciple\'s heart already belongs to another and cannot marry someone else."

Moreover, within the court, the emperor, moved by Di Nufeng\'s remarkable virtue, wished to honor her with the title of Imperial Teacher. However, she gracefully declined. Left with no other choice, the emperor bestowed upon Chu Liang the title of Imperial Younger Brother as a gesture of respect for his esteemed teacher.

"..."

The first part was rooted in truth, but the latter half was pure nonsense... What the heck?

Did the emperor address you as Second Aunt out of respect?

However, this did help Chu Liang identify the informant. It had to be a certain unnamed peak master from Silver Sword Peak at Mount Shu.

Given his esteemed teacher\'s reputation, how could the people of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion possibly have praised her like this unless a blade had been held to their throats? Just a few days ago, his teacher had snuck away, returning with a beaming smile; so this was what she had been up to.

However, in reality, Chu Liang had misunderstood his teacher.

It wasn\'t Di Nufeng who had disclosed the marriage refusal to the people of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion; rather, they had obtained the information through other channels. When Di Nufeng visited the Celestial Pivot Pavilion, she hoped that if they reported on the incident involving the Celestial Charm Sect, they could frame her in a more flattering light.

When she discovered that this significant incident wouldn\'t be covered, she felt somewhat reluctant to leave without doing anything. Just then, she spotted her name in another article they were drafting. And so, she seized the opportunity to add a few more words, crafting a portrayal of her glorious image.

As for Chu Liang being bestowed the title of Imperial Younger Brother, it caused quite a stir. After all, he had recently sworn brotherhood with Xu Bashan, which had already shocked many. Now, he had also become the emperor\'s younger brother!

What kind of charm did this Mount Shu disciple have that attracted so many influential figures to swear brotherhood with him? Could it be that he was destined to bring good fortune to his brothers?

The most immediate benefit of this event was the further expansion of Red Cotton Peak\'s business. When Red Cotton Peak first began its development, merchants from the sects of the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten had also started establishing shops there. The only factions that had yet to join were those associated with the imperial court.

However, now that even the imperial court had opened shops at Red Cotton Peak, the sects associated with the imperial court no longer had any concerns with setting up shops here.

As a result, sects like Ascending Dragon Academy and Monastery Tower eagerly set up their operations in this thriving marketplace.

The current prosperity of Red Cotton Peak had far surpassed Chu Liang\'s initial expectations.

At the end of Uncommon Tales of the Martial World, there was another piece of news: Mount Shu\'s Red Cotton Peak was starting a major sale, where all goods purchased with Mount Shu sword coins were heavily discounted.

With Chu Liang\'s interactions with Zhang Xiaohan becoming more frequent, she had also become much better at drafting advertisement posts. Since this was a new venture for the Celestial Pivot Pavilion, there were few merchants willing to bid for ad placements in the news. Consequently, the cost of the advertisement was much lower than the potential profit the advertisement could bring about.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chu Liang reaped significant benefits. The successful development of Red Cotton Peak was inextricably linked to the extensive promotion provided by The Seven Stars Gazette.

At the end of "The Chronicles of the Nine Provinces," the Celestial Pivot Pavilion issued a warning.

Historically, the regions most affected by demon activity were the Western and Northern Regions as these two regions were the nearest to the Far West, where demons thrived. In contrast, the Eastern and Southern Regions experienced only occasional strange incidents, which were typically minor disturbances.

However, recently, there had been a noticeable uptick in sinister incidents in the Eastern and Southern Regions, with many cases showing signs of organized activity. For instance, the child disappearance case that Yang Shenlong was investigating involved malevolent entities with connections that ran disturbingly deep.

As a result, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion urged the people of the Eastern and Southern Regions to remain vigilant.

In cities, where the City Supervisory Division maintained order, strange incidents remained relatively rare. Most troubles caused by malevolent entities occurred in remote mountainous areas. While ordinary citizens were often powerless to defend themselves, they could significantly reduce their risk by simply avoiding these dangerous locations.

...

After reading The Seven Stars Gazette and spending some time cultivating on his own, Chu Liang received a flying-crane message from Wen Yulong.

I\'m done upgrading the Demon-Binding Rope.

Although Chu Liang had waited several days for this news, he was not overjoyed. Instead, he remained calm and collected as he made his way to the Hall of Weapons.

Through his many experiences, he had learned to temper his expectations regarding Wen Yulong\'s creations, choosing to remain cautious until he could see the final masterpiece.

"Senior Brother Chu," Wen Yulong greeted him, "This time, the improvements were made exactly according to your requests."

"Really?" Chu Liang asked skeptically. "You didn\'t incorporate any of your other ideas?"

"Not at all," Wen Yulong said as he took out the bundle of the Demon-Binding Rope, which was now black and gold in color. "I simply followed your instructions, combining the poison threads with the Demon-Binding Rope to add a bit of toxicity. This would strengthen the binding power of the rope, making it exceedingly difficult for anyone below the seventh realm to escape once they were bound."

Hearing this, Chu Liang\'s expression finally brightened with joy.

It was rare for Wen Yulong not to add his own clever tweaks.

He picked up the Demon-Binding Rope, feeling its weight. Sure enough, the enchanted formation inscriptions hadn\'t changed much. The effect was the same as before. It was just stronger.

"Huh?" Just then, he spotted a purple orb embedded in the back of the Demon-Binding Rope and asked with curiosity, "What\'s this?"

"This is a Lightning Orb," Wen Yulong explained. "It discharges electricity once the rope coils around its target. While its power isn\'t overwhelming, I found that the electricity helps the poison spread more quickly and intensifies its effects, making the toxicity a dozen times stronger."

He chuckled as he added, "It\'s just a minor enhancement—not really an extra idea."

Wait a minute...

Chu Liang still felt that something was off.

The spider demon venom was already quite strong. If its potency was increased by dozens of times, what would the effects be? It could even lead to instant death!

"How strong is the toxicity now?" he asked urgently.

"I don\'t know," Wen Yulong admitted, shaking his head.

"You don\'t know?"

This response took Chu Liang by surprise.

"The ones I tested it on were all wild animals and low-level demonic beasts. They died shortly after being bound, so I don\'t know the potency of the venom," Wen Yulong replied. "But it\'s definitely strong..."

"They died immediately after they were bound?" Chu Liang asked.

"It took a few moments, roughly... I attempted to detoxify them, but there wasn\'t enough time for the antidote to take effect," Wen Yulong admitted candidly. "Next time you slay monsters and vanquish evil entities, you can test it on various levels of evil entities. That should help you determine its power limit."

"But..." Chu Liang hesitated, unsure if this was a blessing or a curse. "While having strong toxicity is certainly advantageous, this is primarily a movement-restricting enchanted tool. If the target dies after being bound, what if it\'s someone I don\'t want to kill?"

"I thought about that too. Don\'t you have a Poison-Expulsion Whip?" Wen Yulong suggested. "After using the Demon-Binding Rope to subdue someone or an evil entity, if you don\'t want them to die from the poison, just use the Poison-Expulsion Whip. Its detoxifying power is strong and takes effect quickly. A single lash should clear the toxins from their body. It\'s a perfect tool to use in combination."

As he spoke, a clever smile spread across his face.

The meaning behind his smile seemed to say, "I\'ve even devised a combo technique for your enchanted tools. It\'s very considerate of me, right?"

"..." Chu Liang couldn\'t help but visualize the scenario unfolding in his mind.

He imagined himself shouting, "Where do you think you\'re going, evil spirit?"

Simultaneously, he would hurl the Demon-Binding Rope with precision, ensnaring the entity in an awkward position. Then, without missing a beat, he would whip out the Poison-Expulsion Whip, lashing it to prevent an immediate death.

How absurdly twisted would that be?