You Yuan turned, nodded gracefully, and stepped away.
018 commented: “Tsk.”1TL: I would be pissed too. 😠
Xu Yin watched You Yuan’s retreating figure for a moment, then calmly took a few steps forward until he could clearly see the entire beast cage, ensuring he didn’t interfere with the work of others in the room.
You Yuan walked to the beast cage and turned to see Xu Yin ignoring his instructions. He was momentarily stunned, seemingly unable to believe that someone usually timid and insecure like Xu Yin dared to disregard him.
However, Xu Yin seemed oblivious to You Yuan’s gaze and focused intently on the beast cage and the silver wolf inside.
…You Yuan pursed his lips and looked away, his expression growing colder.
Xu Yin considered the situation.
Both ordinary humans and Illusionists possess “energy,” the difference being that Illusionists’ energy flows through a specific network, while ordinary humans’ energy is dispersed throughout their bodies.
The essence of an Illusionist’s job was to gather their own energy into a thin stream and channel it into an Illusionist’s energy network.
This process was somewhat akin to using water-type abilities.
Xu Yin mused, closed his eyes, and tried to mobilize the energy in his body, finding that it felt quite similar. He had a clearer idea now.
When he looked towards the beast cage again, You Yuan had already begun.
He said to the surrounding guards: “Please step back so I can communicate better with His Highness the Crown Prince.”
The court Illusionists frowned: “No, His Highness is too violent now. Having guards around is for your safety.”
“The Crown Prince is confined in the beast cage, no matter how violent he is, there are limits. Please rest assured, I know what I’m doing,” You Yuan said calmly.
The court Illusionists furrowed their brows even more: “Didn’t you see the Illusionist who just left with his sleeve torn?”
You Yuan remained unperturbed: “He is he, and I am I. If you don’t step back, my treatment can’t begin.”
The court Illusionists were angry and looked to the Queen.
The Queen hesitated.
She had heard that You Yuan had such habits during treatment.
But she also knew very well how violent her eldest son was now.
After consideration, the Queen said: “You Yuan, think carefully. If we step back and something happens, the guards might not be able to save you in time.”
“Rest assured,” You Yuan said with confidence, “In my hands, even the most violent Illusionist can calm down.”
Perhaps due to You Yuan’s strong assurance, the Queen felt somewhat reassured and even hopeful.
Aside from the court Illusionists, they had summoned over twenty excellent Illusionists from the public. However, every one of them had come and left in a state of disarray.
At the beginning of the Crown Prince’s violent outburst, the Queen could maintain her composure, but now she had begun to feel a bit desperate.
If court Illusionists couldn’t do it and public Illusionists also failed, who else could save her eldest son, Jun Yuzhou?
He was the eldest, the most outstanding and composed heir to the empire’s throne. Was he really destined to remain mad forever?
Even the usually resilient Queen began to waver.
At this moment, You Yuan, the renowned genius Illusionist, stood confidently in front of her violent son, creating an aura of anticipation.
The Xu family was always reliable, and You Yuan was always dependable. Perhaps this time, they could really succeed?
The Queen signaled the guards to step back and then watched You Yuan closely, holding her breath.
The court Illusionists shook their heads, recalling how the people who had entered before had initially been confident but ended up fleeing in panic.
You Yuan, seeing the discontented expressions of the two veteran court Illusionists, smirked derisively.
Ignoring them, he adjusted his clothes and took a step closer to the beast cage, drawing gasps from the crowd.
The silver wolf, already in a defensive stance, erupted violently as You Yuan approached, crashing heavily into the cage and emitting a low growl. This made You Yuan instinctively take a step back, his eyelids twitching!
Previously, when entering the palace with his grandfather, You Yuan had seen the Crown Prince.
He vaguely remembered the Crown Prince as handsome and aloof, appearing calm. He never expected that an energy eruption could leave him in such a state…
You Yuan thought to himself, feeling the intense scrutiny from the crowd. He cleared his throat softly and steadied himself.
He took a deep breath, regained his composure, stepped forward, and spoke in a gentle tone: “Prince, please calm down. I am You Yuan, an Illusionist, here to treat you today.”
The silver wolf glared at him fiercely, growling and slamming into the cage, causing it to sway violently as if it might collapse at any moment!
The onlookers watched in terror, but You Yuan remained composed and smiled, saying, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t harm you. You must be very uncomfortable right now, feeling pain and agitation. I will help you, Prince. Please calm down.”
Calming words are a crucial skill for a mage. Only after soothing the agitated Illusionist can the treatment properly begin.
Though the Crown Prince was enraged, You Yuan had seen many Illusionists who had fallen into a frenzy due to energy disruption. He was confident that, no matter how mad the Crown Prince was at the moment, he would soon be calmed.
You Yuan spoke slowly and gently, standing still in front of the cage without showing any fear, even as the silver wolf continued to roar and slam. Gradually, the wolf quieted down a bit.
The wolf stopped the collisions and growls, standing in front of You Yuan, panting and staring at him with cold, bloodshot eyes, still seeming like a predator.
However, he had indeed calmed down…
Many Illusionists before had been stuck at this step, unable to succeed, but You Yuan had managed it!
Calming words might seem simple, but they involve many subtleties and are a vital skill. You Yuan truly stood out!
The Queen covered her mouth, her eyes reddening.
The crowd grew tense, their hearts racing.
You Yuan truly was a genius mage!
Could he cure the prince?
Feeling the expectations from those around him, You Yuan smiled.
Everything was under his control.
After calming the enraged Illusionist, the next step was to begin the formal treatment…
You Yuan straightened up, slowly extending his hand, and said calmly, “Prince, I will now begin your treatment. Please remain calm. The process will be quick—”
Before he could finish, a thunderous roar startled everyone’s hearts!
The next moment, the silver wolf lunged at the cage, opening its mouth to reveal sharp fangs, and bit at You Yuan’s hand!
You Yuan was shocked and fell to the ground with a scream!
The onlookers’ faces changed, and the Queen immediately shouted, “Help him quickly!”
The guards rushed forward!
The silver wolf became even more frenzied, slamming the cage again and flipping it over!
Seeing the cage about to crush You Yuan, he screamed, scrambling to get away on all fours!
The guards risked their safety to stabilize the cage, with some nearly losing their hands to the wolf’s bites!
The queen looked distressed and asked, “You Yuan, are you okay?”
“I—I’m fine,” You Yuan, supported by a guard, felt embarrassed with his disheveled clothes and quickly said, “Sorry, I’ll try again!”
The Queen nodded with a serious expression.
But this time, You Yuan dared not approach or ask the guards to withdraw—he was somewhat uncertain!
He had encountered many enraged Illusionists before, but the prince was the first for whom verbal soothing seemed entirely ineffective.
This was beyond his expectations…
Though You Yuan wanted to save face, he did not want to get injured. He hesitated, then cautiously stepped back five paces from the cage.
This distance was sufficient even without guards, and the Queen’s expression grew darker.
You Yuan swallowed hard and bravely said, “Crown Prince, please calm down. I am here to treat you!”
The silver wolf roared!
You Yuan clenched his fists, trying a softer tone: “Prince, if you don’t calm down, we won’t be able to treat you. Please stop hurting yourself.”
The silver wolf slammed into the cage!
You Yuan froze, then said sternly, “If you refuse treatment, you will go mad forever. Is that what you want?!”
The wolf’s roar was deafening, making one wonder if it would eventually howl itself hoarse!
You Yuan could hardly believe it. He could perform hypnosis on many ordinary people, yet his calming words seemed completely ineffective on the prince!
He had never encountered such a situation before; it was simply impossible!
He wanted to speak again, but the Queen said sternly, “That’s enough!”
You Yuan stiffened, coming back to his senses, his face flushed with embarrassment as he bit his lip.
He was in the same predicament as the previous Illusionists.
He couldn’t calm the prince, let alone begin treatment.
The Queen, with a serious expression, said, “You Yuan, please step aside and take a break.”
The guards, without hesitation, indicated that You Yuan should sit to the side.
You Yuan stood there, feeling his dignity wounded.
He wanted to leave, but the silver wolf slammed into the cage again, looking as though it wanted to bite off his head. You Yuan shivered, his face turning pale as he dared not approach any closer.
“Young Master You,” one of the guards reminded him.
You Yuan’s face reddened with shame, but he said nothing, enduring his embarrassment as he walked to the side.
The room was filled only with the sounds of the silver wolf’s growls and crashes, creating a tense atmosphere.
No more Illusionists were left outside; You Yuan’s failure meant that this round of attempts had come to a complete end.
But would there be another round?
Today, they had brought all the notable Illusionists from outside, but all had failed.
Was there truly another Illusionist outside who could treat the prince?
The Queen clenched her hands tightly, watching the silver wolf in the cage with a sorrowful gaze, unable to speak.
You Yuan felt uneasy.
Suddenly, the second prince, who had been standing quietly beside the Queen, spoke up, “Isn’t there another mage from the Xu family? Let him try.”
The Queen moved slightly.
Immediately, everyone in the room turned their attention to the person left at the door—Xu Yin.
Xu Yin: “…”
He glanced at the frenzied silver wolf.
It wasn’t that Xu Yin underestimated himself; despite his proficiency with water-based abilities, this was his first time dealing with an Illusionist.
If so many skilled Illusionists had failed, he probably had little chance of success.
Upon hearing the second prince’s words, You Yuan responded subtly, “Your Highness, he is the least talented mage in our Xu family. If he tries, he might not only fail to cure the prince but also cause more trouble.”
The second prince smiled, “What trouble could he cause? Since he’s here, and he’s the only one left, why not give it a try? The guards will keep watch, so nothing will go wrong.”
You Yuan frowned, wanting to say more, but the Queen calmly said, “Yu Ze is right. Xu Yin, go ahead and try. Don’t worry, it will be fine.”
With the Queen’s directive, You Yuan could only remain silent, though his disdain was apparent.
Even with the Queen’s words, it was clear that no one in the room had much hope for Xu Yin.
Given that so many capable Illusionists had failed, what could this least talented youth from the Xu family possibly achieve?
The second prince was likely just trying to give the Queen some emotional respite by letting Xu Yin have a chance.
It was surprising that, despite the King’s directive to have the younger generation from the Xu family come to the palace, besides You Yuan, only Xu Yin remained…
Everyone turned their attention to Xu Yin, waiting for him.
Xu Yin thought for a moment. Since he was being asked to try, he decided to give it a shot and stepped forward towards the center of the room.
He followed the Queen’s orders, walking forward while the others turned their attention back to discussing the day’s events.
They weren’t expecting much from Xu Yin’s treatment; their focus was on other, more pressing matters.
The two senior palace Illusionists furrowed their brows, discussing the prince’s condition. The second prince helped the Queen to her seat and comforted her quietly. You Yuan, meanwhile, was rubbing his back where he had fallen.
No one paid much attention to Xu Yin.
So, Xu Yin approached the cage.
The silver wolf continued to rage, crashing around and injuring itself in the process.
Its once-beautiful silver-gray fur was stained with blood in places, matted together, hiding numerous wounds beneath. Yet, the wolf seemed oblivious to the pain and wouldn’t let anyone close enough to treat it.
Even the Queen had long since been exhausted.
The guards stood on either side, tense and alert.
Once Xu Yin stopped and thought for a moment, he realized that the first step for an Illusionist was verbal soothing.
He might not be very skilled at professional soothing, but facing this huge silver wolf, he felt somewhat like he was dealing with an oversized version of Xiao Hei.
Soothing didn’t work; it was fine for calming a puppy, but this was different.
Xu Yin thought for a moment and decided to trust his instincts, starting with a simple phrase:
“Good boy, stop barking.”
The guards: “????”
Was he soothing a child or a girlfriend??
However, the silver wolf, which had just violently slammed into the cage, suddenly halted at the sound.
It shook its head, panting, its entire body radiating cold hostility.
After stopping, the silver wolf turned its head toward the sound, staring at Xu Yin with cold, wary eyes.
The guards were astonished, and Xu Yin was equally surprised.
Could it really be responding?
Was it genuinely listening, or was this just a temporary calm before another outburst, like with You Yuan?
Xu Yin thought for a moment and decided to try again:
“Good boy, sit down.”
His voice was gentle and calm.
The wolf’s ears twitched.
It closed its mouth and continued to watch Xu Yin.
The guards were stunned, glancing between the wolf and Xu Yin.
The sudden quieting of the wolf caught the attention of the others, who were previously absorbed in their own conversations. The Queen, noticing the change, stood up again and looked over in astonishment.
You Yuan was also dumbfounded, his expression changing as he looked incredulously at Xu Yin, who was now speaking softly for the third time:
“Be good.”
…
Under the stunned gaze of everyone, the silver wolf let out a low “whine,” lay down, and pressed its ears flat against its head.
It kept its gaze fixed on Xu Yin, and its large, fluffy tail suddenly wagged.
