Chapter 982 - 978: Super Top Expert
At the same time, not just the middle-aged man, but all members of the royal family showed immense shock and their expressions turned somewhat ugly upon hearing the words "Heart-Breaking Fruit."
The Heart-Breaking Fruit is one of the few treasures passed down within the royal family, but it is a deadly item. After consuming it, one’s life will cease within a day, and there is no specific antidote. Only by using deep True Qi can the spread of the poison be delayed.
However, even a Super Top Expert can only maintain it for three days, and within those three days, the person who consumed the Heart-Breaking Fruit must endure unbearable pain.
Of course, this is all merely theoretical. According to the records passed down in the royal family, the longest anyone who consumed the Heart-Breaking Fruit has lived is less than two days.
It wasn’t that the experts back then couldn’t sustain their True Qi, but those whose deaths were delayed couldn’t endure the heart-wrenching pain and died in agony.
Originally, this highly toxic item was used to punish those who had irreconcilable enmities with the royal family. No one expected that at this moment, Ozawa Miwa would actually consume it!
...
After a while, the middle-aged man, swaying, hoarsely asked, "Why... Why are you so foolish?"
Ozawa Miwa, however, mocked, "I am indeed foolish. At this moment, I also wish to feel regret, but you, my father, did not give me the chance to regret!"
"I once fantasized that if you could, like when I was young, stand out without hesitation to protect your daughter, I would surely have died in regret."
Speaking, Ozawa Miwa suddenly changed her tone, "But your performance truly did not exceed my expectations, so if you say I’m foolish, I don’t deny it. But if compared to spending the rest of my life in pain, even if it’s a foolish act, I won’t regret it!"
For a moment, the middle-aged man’s mind was roaring. If given another chance, would he still force her this way?
Thinking over and over, the middle-aged man showed a self-mocking smile... the clear answer from his heart was still yes.
Because people do not have eyes in the back of their heads, and in such circumstances at the time, it was the only way that most aligned with the interests of the royal family, the only way to maintain the status of the royal family, and also because of this, he personally forced his daughter onto a dead-end road.
At this moment, self-blame, regret, and hatred for himself transformed into a monstrous flood, instantly breaking through the middle-aged man’s inner defenses. A sense of helpless bewilderment, unseen for many years, once again emerged in him, making him slump to the ground like a mud figure in a rainstorm.
Seeing this, many of the royal family’s experts could no longer sit still, immediately surrounding the middle-aged man. Mei Huizi, the butler closest to him, took a step forward, "Your Majesty, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the middle-aged man reached out his hand to stop her from helping him. After a violent coughing fit, he turned his gaze to Ozawa Miwa, "Did I go too far with how I handled things?"
Ozawa Miwa shook her head. Just as she was about to reply, her face suddenly flushed, and she couldn’t hold her tightly clenched teeth. A mouthful of fresh blood spewed forth from her mouth once again.
Under immense pain, Ozawa Miwa suddenly kneeled on the ground, tears sliding from her eyes drop by drop, unable to distinguish whether the pain was from the heart or from the effect of the Heart-Breaking Fruit, or perhaps both.
The middle-aged man hurriedly stepped forward, cradling Ozawa Miwa in his arms. A trace of fierce resolve flashed in his eyes, and a vast wave of True Qi emanated from him, as forceful as a tide.
Feeling this wave of True Qi, Xiao Tian was truly taken aback. From the True Qi fluctuation the middle-aged man just revealed, he was definitely one of the few experts Xiao Tian had ever seen, equivalent to a "Super Top Expert" in his estimation!
A Super Top Expert implies someone beyond top experts. Even with Xiao Tian’s vast experience, those he had encountered were surely just a handful.
The old man from the Northern Border royal family was one, and the mighty Lu Yangrong who survived through unconventional means was barely considered as one.
And now, this middle-aged man, the current leader of the royal family, exhibited such formidable momentum that he could definitely rank as a Super Top Expert.
The middle-aged man’s skills at this moment astonished everyone present. Even the royal family’s internal members displayed expressions of utter shock, clearly not having expected that the seemingly unremarkable person who led the royal family for many years was hiding so deeply!
As for the Mizuno Clan’s reaction, it was even more spectacular, especially exemplified by Sugai Yasuaki and his son. Being closest to the middle-aged man, they were unable to withstand the ferocious pressure, retreating three zhang away, their expressions extremely ugly, no longer wearing their previous smiling faces.
It was normal, of course. If Sugai Yasuaki and his son could still manage a smile at this point, they’d be utter fools.
As time passed second by second, no one dared to step forward and stop the middle-aged man’s actions. Everyone knew that at this moment, his emotions were extremely unstable. If one were unlucky enough to catch his attention, the outcome would be hard to predict.
After a long while, the middle-aged man closed his eyes, his chest beginning to rise and fall slowly. Then he spoke deeply, "Announce to the nation, if anyone can cure the poison of the Heart-Breaking Fruit, any condition they ask for, as long as it’s within my reach, I will grant it!"
This sentence was extremely calm, but given his identity and the aura he emanated, it was extraordinarily persuasive. No one would doubt the truth of his words.
Mei Huizi promptly bowed in acknowledgment. However, before she could follow the middle-aged man’s instructions, a weak voice came, "Granny Mei Huizi, there’s no need."
"Little Princess!" Mei Huizi finally could no longer control her emotions, her trembling voice spilling from her lips, tears streaming down her face.
If anyone present could most understand the middle-aged man’s feelings, it was undoubtedly the royal family’s head butler, Mei Huizi, who had raised Ozawa Miwa.
During this time, she had watched and remembered every bit of Ozawa Miwa’s transformation.
In fact, Mei Huizi had approached the middle-aged man numerous times to speak openly and implicitly about this matter, only to be interrupted each time before she could finish, leaving her to merely sigh inwardly and try her best to comfort Ozawa Miwa, cheering her up even if only for a few minutes.
However, even she had not expected Ozawa Miwa to act so decisively and recklessly.
Looking at the lovely face stained with blood, Mei Huizi suppressed the pain in her heart and was about to leave without hesitation.
At this point, assigning blame or indulging in needless sentiment was pointless. The only priority was to do everything possible to save Ozawa Miwa’s life!
"Granny Mei Huizi... I... I have something to say to you."
Ozawa Miwa’s weak and somewhat anxious voice caused Mei Huizi’s previously poised step to hover in midair, once again beyond her control.