Chapter 77: Mutual SchemesDai Youheng paused, then looked at Xu Jiujiu and asked, "Your Highness, what does this mean?"Your Highness smiled sweetly, a hint of cunning in her beautiful eyes. "Don't be so impatient, Youheng. How can such a precious treasure be given away so easily? This Spirit Bone will be one of the prizes for the ultimate champion of this competition."She leaned forward, very close, lowering her voice to a whisper, her breath like orchids, as if sharing a sweet secret. "Consider it… a small challenge and gift I've prepared in advance for my future husband. If you can lead the Shrek team to the very end and personally claim the championship, this Spirit Bone will be yours. At that time, I will personally hand it to you."Beauty, power, and a supreme treasure.Xu Jiujiu lavishly painted an extremely enticing picture, attempting to completely pique Dai Youheng's appetite and ambition.Dai Youheng sneered inwardly. Drawing cakes to appease hunger, empty promises? He was all too familiar with this tactic.First, give him a tangible but unreachable goal to drive him to work his hardest for her? This princess's art of controlling people was indeed skillful.However, his expression perfectly showed a mix of surprise, desire, and fighting spirit. He glanced deeply at the jade box, then looked at Xu Jiujiu with burning eyes. "A champion's prize? That sounds very interesting. Your Highness truly knows how to motivate people."He didn't show any dissatisfaction; instead, it seemed as if his competitive spirit had been ignited."In that case, Your Highness, if there's nothing else, Youheng will take his leave. I need to quickly meet up with the Shrek team and familiarize myself with the situation." Dai Youheng proactively offered to depart."Go on." Xu Jiujiu nodded with satisfaction. "I look forward to your heroic performance on the field."Dai Youheng said no more. After a slight bow, he turned and left, his back tall and steady.It wasn't until Dai Youheng's figure completely disappeared beyond the palace gates that the bright smile on Xu Jiujiu's face gradually receded, transforming into a calm, scrutinizing expression.She elegantly sat back in the soft-cushioned chair, her fingertips gently tracing the rim of the white jade teacup Dai Youheng had just used, her gaze unfathomable."Grandma Manyi." She spoke softly, her voice devoid of the tenderness she had shown Dai Youheng, leaving only the calm and calculating tone of a superior. "How do you think he compares to his past self?"Xingyun Douluo Manyi's figure reappeared silently like Gui Mei. Her aged face was unperturbed, but shrewd light flickered in her cloudy eyes. "Replying to Your Highness, this young man—has changed significantly."Her voice was hoarse but every word was clear. "His Qi is condensed and restrained. Although his spirit power fluctuations are deliberately suppressed, this old woman can feel the profoundness of his foundation, far exceeding a Spirit Elder, and even faintly giving this old woman a hint of danger. When faced with a 50,000-year Spirit Bone, though there was joy, there was no greed; he was unusually restrained. He is like a completely different person from the impetuous and impulsive youth in this old woman's memory, whose eyes only held Your Highness.""Yes, like a completely different person." Xu Jiujiu's lips curved into an intriguing smile. "It seems Shrek Academy is indeed a place that can transform a person, or perhaps we previously underestimated this Dai Family illegitimate son. He actually possesses strong potential, and it was only because he focused his attention solely on me that this potential was neglected.""Your Highness, do you truly intend to bestow such a precious Spirit Bone upon him?" Manyi confirmed again. Even for her, a 50,000-year head Spirit Bone was no ordinary item.Xu Jiujiu picked up her now slightly cool tea, her gaze falling on the swirling tea, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable resolve. "Naturally, it is true. But in this world, there is no free lunch, nor are there unearned generous gifts. If he can truly meet my expectations, shine brightly in this competition, and demonstrate a value sufficient to crush Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, a value sufficient for the Imperial Family to suppress all dissent and fully support his ascension, then my entire future will be his. Why would I begrudge a mere Spirit Bone?"Her investments were always judged by their return rate. Dai Youheng's value would determine her investment cost.Manyi was silent for a moment, a hint of understanding flashing in her aged eyes, then asked, "What if he ultimately fails to meet your requirements? Or what if he develops disloyalty in the future, unwilling to be controlled by the Imperial Family, or even gives up halfway?"Upon hearing this, Xu Jiujiu gently sipped the cold tea. The icy liquid sliding down her throat imbued her words with a touch of chill. "Fails to meet requirements? Then he won't even have the qualifications to touch this Spirit Bone. It will merely serve as a prize to motivate others and remain in the Imperial Family's treasury."She set down the teacup with a crisp clink."As for developing disloyalty? Or giving up halfway?" Xu Jiujiu raised her eyes to look at Manyi. There was no warmth in her beautiful eyes now, only the coldness and cruelty of a politician. "Grandma Manyi, Spirit Bones are not one-time consumables. Even if one has absorbed it, can it not be taken back?"Her light words carried a chilling implication.An absorbed Spirit Bone, especially a head Spirit Bone intimately connected to the skull, how could it be taken back?There was only one answer: kill the absorber! Only after their death could the Spirit Bone be re-extracted.In Xu Jiujiu's logic, this transaction was never equal from the start. If Dai Youheng demonstrated value beyond imagination, she could grant him marriage, power, and resources.But if he failed to meet expectations, or tried to escape control, then his very existence would lose its value. At that point, recovering the investment and completely eliminating an unstable factor would be the most reasonable choice.She was never a love-struck princess; she was Your Highness Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire. Every step she took concerned the Empire's authority and the Imperial Family's interests.Dai Youheng could be a convenient Sharp Weapon, or he could be a failed investment that needed to be recovered and disposed of.Walking out of the grand gates of the Star Luo Imperial Palace, Dai Youheng looked back at the magnificent palace complex.Inside, this Princess Jiujiu was deeply cunning, shrewd in her methods, excellent at drawing up grand plans, and knew how to use both carrots and sticks to drive people's hearts.First, she forced him into the game with a fait accompli, then used a 50,000-year head Spirit Bone as bait to make him work for the Imperial Family, ultimately even intending to completely control him, person and bone alike.After such a combination of moves, the youth he once was would probably have been filled with gratitude and fervent passion, rushing to shed his blood for Your Highness."What a pity." Dai Youheng chuckled inwardly, shaking his head. "What you offer is not what I truly desire. And the bait you used to fish, in my opinion, might be better suited to feed another, more obedient blade."
