C1 His Highness the Crown Prince Became Stronger
"Get away from me, don't come any closer!"
Groggily, Lee Cann heard the urgent, frantic voice of a young girl.
Opening his eyes, he was shocked to find himself in a gloomy, damp forest.
Every inch of him was in excruciating pain; he felt death's grasp closing in.
Before him stood a girl in traditional attire, her back to him.
She clutched a precious sword.
Facing her were three middle-aged men in black brocade, brandishing blades.
Buzz!
Memories flooded Lee Cann's mind.
Moments later, his eyes snapped open.
"Have I really crossed over into another world, into the body of a dying prince?"
Was he destined to be one of those fabled, tragic figures of transmigration lore?
The memories revealed all.
He had, in essence, crossed into a fantasy realm, assuming the role of the Southern Tang's dying prince.
The Southern Tang's Crown Prince, Lee Cann, was inherently kind, some might say too gentle for his own good.
The Second Prince, on the other hand, was merciless and had long been eyeing the throne.
The day before, the Second Prince had lured Lee Cann on a hunting trip.
There, he poisoned Lee Cann.
By some stroke of luck, his devoted maidservant, Mu Wan'er, had managed to rescue him.
Pursued by the Second Prince's men, they had plunged off a cliff.
Lee Cann had lost consciousness after the fall.
The girl now standing before him was Mu Wan'er, yet her skills were limited to that of a second-rank Martial Disciple.
In this world, martial prowess was everything, with ranks ranging from Martial Disciple to Martial Master, General, King, Ruler, Saint, God, and Emperor.
Each major rank was further subdivided into ten minor ranks.
The trio hunting him were seasoned killers, cultivated by the Second Prince—two were third-rank Martial Disciples, and one was a fourth-rank.
As for the Crown Prince himself, Lee Cann saw nothing but a feeble, saintly figure.
He had neglected martial training, favoring poetry and painting instead, and was known for his timidity and indecision.
It was one thing for the Crown Prince to be physically weak.
But now, poisoned as well, he was truly in dire straits.
"Mu Wan'er, this worthless Crown Prince has succumbed to Heartbroken Powder; he's as good as dead. The fact that you're still breathing should tell you something," the lead assassin sneered. "Submit to me, and I'll plead with the Second Prince on your behalf. You might just save your skin. But if you refuse, don't blame me for what comes next. I'll have my way with you before I kill you, and my brothers here will get their share of the fun too."
His words sent a surge of heat through the eyes of the other two assassins.
A personal maidservant to the Crown Prince, and such a ravishing beauty at that.
The very thought was thrilling!
Enraged, Mu Wan'er spat back, "You treacherous dogs! The Emperor will have your heads for this."
Despair gripped her heart.
Lee Cann, now with the Crown Prince of Southern Tang's memories, felt an instinctive surge of protectiveness and concern for Mu Wan'er.
Hearing the vile intentions of these men, his fury knew no bounds.
But he was paralyzed, helpless. What could he do?
Cursed fate, where was that promised divine intervention?
Suddenly, a chime sounded in his mind. "Ding! The Crazy Add-on System is now active. Accessing Host's profile."
"Name: Lee Cann."
"Identity: Crown Prince of the Southern Tang in the Land of Fertility."
"Level: Martial Disciple, first rank."
"Experience: 150/1000."
"Weapons: None."
"Cultivation Technique: Dragon Emperor Divine Art (Incomplete), the Southern Tang's royal martial technique."
"Available exchange points: 0."
"Inventory: Beginner's Gift Bag."
The long-awaited golden finger had arrived, and it was a system riddled with glitches to exploit.
Lee Cann's excitement was palpable.
"System, open the Beginner's Gift Bag!"
"Gift Bag dispensed successfully. You've obtained 3,000 experience pills and 1 Detoxification Pill."
"Host is detected to be severely poisoned. Immediate use of the Detoxification Pill is recommended."
With a mere thought, a green pill materialized in his hand.
The Detoxification Pill vanished from his inventory.
He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.
Transforming into a refreshing breeze, it flowed swiftly through his body, extinguishing the searing pain as it went.
The system announced, "Ding! Host has ingested the Detoxification Pill. You've earned 1 exchange point."
"Ding! Host is currently detoxifying. You've earned +1 exchange point."
...
Within seconds, the pain vanished, strength flooded back, and 17 exchange points were added.
Lee Cann was elated.
This system was insanely twisted.
He could gain exchange points just by taking a pill.
Exchange points kept ticking up throughout the detox.
Truly, this was a mad point-accumulation system!
With the poison neutralized, it was time to level up.
With a thought, Lee Cann materialized an Experience Pill in his hand.
He swallowed it.
"Ding! Consumed one Experience Pill. Experience +1000."
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for advancing to a second-rank Martial Disciple."
"Ding! Consumed one Experience Pill. Experience +1000."
"Ding! Congratulations! Host has ascended to a third-rank Martial Disciple."
"Ding! Consumed one Experience Pill. Experience +1000."
"Ding! Congratulations. Host has risen to a fourth-rank Martial Disciple."
A virtual screen materialized before him.
"Name: Lee Cann."
"Identity: Crown Prince of Southern Tang, Land of Fertility."
"Level: Fourth-rank Martial Disciple."
"Experience: 3150/4000."
"Weapons: None."
"Cultivation Method: Dragon Emperor Divine Art (Incomplete Version), Royal Martial Art of Southern Tang."
"Exchange Points Available: 17."
"Inventory: Empty."
Ascending to a fourth-rank Martial Disciple, Lee Cann felt a surge of formidable power.
The three assassins before him were now insignificant.
Lee Cann rose to his feet, his potent Genuine Qi emanating unrestrained.
"The Crown Prince... how did you..."
The assassins stumbled back, terror-stricken, their faces a picture of incredulity.
The Crown Prince, once deemed a lost cause and poisoned with Heartbroken Powder, was supposed to be a goner!
How was he suddenly unharmed?
And with such an imposing presence!
Mu Wan'er quickly turned back.
Witnessing Lee Cann standing, she was overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down her face.
"Your Highness, you've finally awakened!"
Caught up in her excitement, Mu Wan'er failed to perceive the formidable aura now enveloping her Crown Prince.
"Ding! Received Mu Wan'er's sincere tears. +20 exchange points awarded."
This counts as an exchange point too?
Not bad at all!
Lee Cann was elated.
He gently wiped away Mu Wan'er's tears, chuckling, "You've worked hard to protect me, thank you!"
Mu Wan'er's tears flowed even more.
Shaking her head, she insisted, "It's no trouble at all. As long as Your Highness is unharmed, Wan'er would willingly sacrifice her life."
Lee Cann felt a surge of emotion.
Even though Mu Wan'er's loyalty wasn't genuinely for him, he was, after all, Crown Prince Lee Cann of the Southern Tang Kingdom.
"Stop your pretense! The Second Prince has informed us that you're merely a first-rank Martial Disciple, and you've been poisoned with Heartbroken Powder. Your death is certain!" bellowed the head assassin.
True or not, their words brought a sense of calm to the assailants.
Mu Wan'er's face paled as she urgently whispered to Lee Cann, "Your Highness, I'll hold them off. You must escape!"
In saying so, Mu Wan'er had resolved to lay down her life.
Her life mattered little if it meant the Crown Prince could survive.
Lee Cann smiled and took hold of Mu Wan'er's sword-bearing hand.
It was slightly cold, and her once delicate, fair hand was now marred with dirt and roughened skin.
She had endured much hardship.
"Your Highness?"
Held by the revered Crown Prince, Mu Wan'er was bewildered.
"Ding! You've earned Mu Wan'er's first meaningful handhold, gaining +10 exchange points."
Indeed, it increased the points!
What about a hug?
With a firm grip, Lee Cann pulled Mu Wan'er into an embrace, taking her sword into his own hands.
As she felt his solid chest against her back, Mu Wan'er became rigid.
"Ding! You've received Mu Wan'er's first embrace, earning +20 exchange points."
The trial was a success, and Lee Cann was content.
Now, to take care of these three scoundrels!
Lee Cann positioned Mu Wan'er behind him.
"Take a moment to rest. I'll handle these three ruffians!"
Mu Wan'er was about to speak, but the unfolding scene left her speechless.
Before her, the Crown Prince, whom she believed to be as weak as a kitten, stood ready.
He suddenly sprang into the air, and a powerful Emperor's aura erupted from him.
The treasured sword in his grasp blazed with a brilliant glow.
The three assassins—a fourth-rank Martial Disciple and two third-rank Martial Disciples—were visibly shaken by the overwhelming presence of the Emperor's aura.
"Fourth, fourth rank?"
Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!
Three heads soared into the air as arcs of blood spurted half a meter high, and three bodies crumpled to the ground.
"Ding! For slaying a fourth-rank Martial Disciple, you've earned 300 exchange points."
"Ding! For slaying two third-rank Martial Disciples, you've earned 400 exchange points."
The three assassins, who had been driven to desperation, were effortlessly decapitated!
Mu Wan'er watched in stunned silence as Lee Cann returned. Her lips quivered, betraying her shock at the transformation of the Crown Prince she thought she knew.
My beloved Crown Prince, how have you become so formidable all of a sudden?
"Ding! Mu Wan'er looks at you with new eyes. You've earned an additional +20 exchange points."
