Undying Life

Chapter 203: Nian YouYou

Chapter 203: A Moment of Insight

"Mr. Zhong Shan was the one who enlightened me!" declared Princess Qianyou.

Zhong Shan felt a flush of embarrassment. Princess Qianyou was quite direct, wasn't she? Had she just openly claimed him as hers?

"When did I ever mention the number?" The Giant Deer King questioned in astonishment.

Everyone turned to look at Princess Qianyou. Indeed, when had the Giant Deer King said the number? Had all their ears gone deaf, leaving only hers capable of hearing it?

"The first day, one grain. The last day, thirty-six thousand five hundred fifty grains. The sum of the first and last day equals the sum of the second and penultimate day, and so on. This pattern continues, which means eighteen thousand two hundred seventy-five pairs of thirty-six thousand five hundred fifty-one grains each, making up the total number of grains," Princess Qianyou explained with a smile.

"Uh?" Everyone was momentarily stunned. It was indeed like that.

Given this, if Crown Prince Han Jue and Princess Qianyou had reported different numbers, everyone would have believed Princess Qianyou, because her method left no room for error.

"Han Jue is in awe," Crown Prince Han Jue quickly nodded, acknowledging her.

Indeed, Princess Qianyou's method involved a straightforward calculation, allowing her to report the total number of grains without even looking at the painting, while he had used the most cumbersome method, working hard and still feeling proud of himself for counting them.

Seeing Crown Prince Han Jue's attitude, the Giant Deer King's expression grew tense. The last thing he wanted was for the two empires to find common ground, as that would spell greater danger for the Great Yu Empire.

"Ha ha, Princess Qianyou, your reputation is well-deserved. Your advisor, Mr. Zhong Shan, is truly remarkable. Out of everyone in the Giant Deer Hall, he was the first to come up with this method. I am deeply impressed," the Giant Deer King said with a hearty laugh.

Zhong Shan's expression tightened upon hearing this. The Giant Deer King had a crafty mind. By praising him like this, he was putting others in a difficult position. Princess Qianyou wouldn't mind, and her subordinates wouldn't be concerned since they were merely followers. But what about Crown Prince Han Jue?

As expected, Crown Prince Han Jue's brow furrowed slightly when he looked at Zhong Shan. Losing to Princess Qianyou was one thing, but being outshone by a subordinate was truly frustrating.

"The Giant Deer King overpraises. Mr. Zhong Shan specializes in this field, so it wasn't difficult for him to think of it in advance. But what did the Giant Deer King mean by saying that the painting can be opened?" Princess Qianyou quickly shifted the topic.

She had seen through the Giant Deer King's intentions, swiftly diverting attention away from Zhong Shan, turning a passive situation into an active one, and bringing the focus back to the painting.

Indeed, upon hearing Princess Qianyou's words, Crown Prince Han Jue's gaze softened. Specializing in this field? That made sense now.

Seeing how Princess Qianyou defused his overt praise and covert criticism with a single sentence, the Giant Deer King smiled slightly and said naturally, "You just need to face the painting and state the number."

"Princess, Crown Prince, please," the Giant Deer King invited them again.

The Giant Deer King was cunning. Though he might not possess the great wisdom of Yiyan, his words often held hidden meanings. By asking the Princess and the Crown Prince to proceed, he was creating a subtle problem. How could both of them report the number together? It was neither fitting for their status nor in line with etiquette, leaving only one of them to do it. Who should report? By abstaining from reporting it himself, the Giant Deer King was adding a challenge for them. When the time came, whoever reported the number, the other would likely feel a tinge of dissatisfaction.

"Since I fell short earlier, let the Princess go ahead," Crown Prince Han Jue suggested, seeming to understand the Giant Deer King's intentions.

"Thank you," Princess Qianyou nodded in acknowledgment.

Facing the painting, Princess Qianyou spoke clearly, "Six hundred and sixty-six million, seven hundred ninety-six thousand, nine hundred twenty-five grains of sand."

As soon as Princess Qianyou finished speaking, all eyes turned to the painting. They saw the golden sun in the sky of the desert suddenly fall from the heavens, instantly crashing into the desert sands. When the sun hit the sands, the entire desert glowed a brilliant gold, with each grain of sand turning a shimmering golden yellow, emitting a faint light. Following this, the golden sands began to ripple, displaying an incredible and magical scene.

While everyone was in a state of amazement, suddenly, at the bottom center of the painting, a small opening appeared.

"Shhhhhhhhh..."

A large amount of golden sand began to slowly pour out from the painting, falling onto the floor of the grand hall.

"Sand from the painting?" The crowd focused intently on the scene, somewhat surprised but not entirely unanticipated. Earlier, King Ju Lu had mentioned that the sand within the painting had been added over a hundred years, with one grain being added each day. So, it wasn't entirely unexpected for the sand to now flow out.

The vast quantities of fine sand quickly covered the floor below the painting's stand. The crowd patiently waited until all the golden sand had fallen. Then, the golden sand suddenly started to move, as if it were a single entity, spreading out over the floor of the grand hall, then quickly gathering back together. At one moment, it appeared like a long snake, slithering towards Crown Prince Han Jue, who looked on in astonishment. The sand then moved towards Princess Qianyou and finally stopped in front of Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes. Although he recognized the magical nature of the fine sand, he felt a provocative undertone to its movements. The cluster of golden sand kept moving around, as if to declare its value to everyone and arouse a desire for possession.

The sand seemed almost sentient, exhibiting a form of life. Crown Prince Han Jue's face lit up with excitement, while Princess Qianyou also showed an expression of anticipation.

"Shhhhhhhhh..."

The sand completed a full circuit around the hall and then regrouped in the center. Under the astonished gazes of everyone, it began to spin like a tornado, growing higher and higher until it reached over a person's height.

The golden sand emitted a brilliant light, which then gradually dimmed. Suddenly, the sand transformed, no longer golden, but into something else entirely.

The golden sand had turned into an incredibly alluring woman.

The woman stretched her hands upwards, revealing a pair of alabaster-white wrists. Her hair was intricately pinned up, adorned with beautiful hair ornaments. Her eyes were gently closed, and black eye shadow accented her lids, giving her a bewitching appearance. Her lips were a fiery red, and combined with her slightly furrowed brows, they exuded an expression that was a mix of sensuality and vulnerability. Even someone as steadfast as Zhong Shan couldn't help but feel a strong urge to embrace her.

Her arms raised overhead only served to accentuate her shapely figure. She wore a gold crop top that tightly hugged her upper body, making her chest appear even more enticingly prominent. Her delicate, jade-like waist was encircled by a thick gold chain, which highlighted her slim, alluring waist, making everyone's hearts burn with a hint of desire.

She wore a pair of long pants studded with numerous beautiful gems, tightly wrapping around her voluptuous hips and slender legs. This appearance, even more so than nudity, ignited a sense of lust in the onlookers.

Some of the officials present couldn't help but gulp after just a glance.

Zhong Shan frowned, feeling a tightness in his chest. Something wasn't right! Looking around, he saw that Crown Prince Han Jue's eyes were filled with possessive intent, and even Princess Qianyou seemed to harbor a desire to take hold of her. As for King Ju Lu, though he maintained a smiling facade while observing Princess Qianyou and Crown Prince Han Jue, his eyes occasionally revealed a longing as well.

Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes further. This woman transformed from golden sand was certainly beautiful, but her appearance was on par with Princess Qianyou's. Why did everyone lose composure over her but not over Princess Qianyou? It was a deep, longing desire. Who exactly was this woman?

Princess Qianyou initially seemed expectant but quickly regained her clarity, frowning slightly as she observed the others, her heart tightening.

Across from her, Crown Prince Han Jue underwent a similar shift, his initial desire turning into a cold sweat, his eyes now focused and serious.

"I almost forgot to mention," King Ju Lu quickly explained from the side, "this picture is called 'Golden Sands.' The spirit of the painting is embodied by this 'person' formed from golden sand. The artifact chooses its master, and this woman will choose a master."

As if she heard King Ju Lu's words, the sensually graceful woman in the center of the hall slowly opened her tearful, sorrowful eyes. Gazing into her eyes felt like looking into a deep pool of water, overflowing with boundless tenderness and affection, as if a single glance from a man could utterly melt him.

Her raised arms gradually lowered to the sides, and as they descended, they seemed to be enveloped in a shimmering veil of golden sand, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, exuding an indescribable softness. Her graceful figure spun, surrounded by swirling sand that appeared to dance around her.

With each step, the woman danced with the sand, performing an unprecedented dance in front of everyone. A large quantity of sand reappeared, quickly forming human-shaped mounds on the floor, as if accompanying her dance.

"Shhhh," "Shhhhh," "Shhhh," "Shhhhhhh..." The sand seemed to beat a rhythm.

The perfect woman, amidst a dance of golden sand, seemed to transport everyone into a fantastical world akin to a dreamlike lotus pavilion. The grand hall was filled with floating golden sand, with the woman appearing to be immersed in a sea of golden sand.

Everyone appeared somewhat mesmerized, with a desire to completely possess her written on their faces.

Zhong Shan's expression turned cold, and the red lotus at his brow twitched slightly. Was this an illusion spell? A mesmerizing enchantment? Glancing to his sides, he saw that Princess Qianyou had long since regained her clarity, with a hint of admiration in her eyes. Both A-Da and A-Er had maintained their composure; although they were not entranced by the illusion, there was a trace of gentleness in their eyes.

Opposite, Crown Prince Han Jue was watching with narrowed eyes, lightly tapping his folding fan. While he did not exhibit the lust evident in others, a hint of affection had appeared in his gaze.

As for King Ju Lu, while he looked at the sensuously alluring woman, his eyes, though not entranced, also held a trace of longing.

"Whooooooosh..."

As everyone remained entranced, the golden sand in the hall suddenly converged, shooting towards the center and vanishing in an instant, leaving only the frame of the painting and the sensually captivating woman. The woman finished her dance and gave a gentle bow to King Ju Lu, saying, "Nian Youyou, greets King Ju Lu."

Her soft voice alone seemed to melt everyone. She was an exquisite beauty, a perfect femme fatale.