Forming a Bond

Seeing no quick way to clear the shattered magic rune corridors, Chen Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

Before him was a red tent ceiling, and he was lying on a wooden bed made of some unknown wood. A thin blanket covered him, and he slept peacefully.

He knew this wasn't his tent, as he clearly remembered his tent was white, and he slept on something like a sleeping bag, not a bed.

He could hear the noisy sounds from outside the tent. As he prepared to get up, he noticed another wooden bed next to his. On it, a man no older than twenty-five, dressed in an inner garment, leaned against the headboard and looked at him.

Suddenly seeing someone in the quiet tent nearly made Chen Cheng cry out. However, the handsome man's face displayed a dejected sadness, making him feel this person was not simple.

He was too clean, and his posture exuded a noble aura.

Most importantly, he hadn't seen him in this camp before.

Hui Dun saw the young fellow opposite him wake up. Looking at the collar on Chen Cheng's neck, revealed by his slipping blanket, he understood Chen Cheng's identity.

In the past, if he had seen a slave sharing a tent with him, he would have considered it an insult.

But now, because of his greed, recklessness, and foolishness, the knights and teachers loyal to him were dead, and his proud noble heart had fallen to the lowest point.

"Whose family are you from?"

In the past, he wouldn't have even glanced at Chen Cheng. But today, seeing Chen Cheng's somewhat restless demeanor and the curiosity in his eyes, he felt a flicker of interest and asked softly.

Chen Cheng, having just woken up, was still a bit dazed and didn't hear him clearly. However, seeing his mouth move, he thought the man was greeting him.

Chen Cheng then threw off the blanket, sat up on the bed, and looked at Hui Dun, smiling:

"Hello, my name is Brown. I'm an auditing student at Huidun Academy. I don't know your name yet? I've been in this camp for days, how come I haven't seen you, old friend."

Hui Dun didn't expect Chen Cheng to answer like that. At this moment, Hui Dun became curious about this peculiar slave.

He couldn't imagine that an academy in his territory would have a student who was a slave.

"You wouldn't want to know my name."

Seeing Hui Dun's arrogant reply, Chen Cheng disdainfully curled his lips. Then, he noticed a golden dragon embroidered with gold thread on Hui Dun's collar. He completely forgot his current identity and said playfully:

"A flying dragon pattern on your collar, what, are you some kind of king? No, you're so young, if not a king, then a prince. But what's the point of being a prince? There are only the two of us here. You look like your dad just died, shouldn't you be happy? Could it be that you have an older brother, and the throne won't be yours?"

Chen Cheng's mind immediately conjured an image of a bloody struggle for the throne among princes, a "nine dragons snatching the sun" scenario.

He couldn't help but click his tongue and gave Hui Dun a sympathetic look.

Hui Dun's veins bulged on his forehead. If not for his depleted magic and current weakness, he would have unleashed a chaos magic spell on the slave to teach him what he should and shouldn't say.

Moreover, Chen Cheng's final sympathetic look stirred up his recent unpleasant memories.

Seeing Hui Dun's reaction, Chen Cheng thought the man was recalling the anger of the succession struggle. He changed his tone:

"But you don't need to worry. Look at me, I was the sole heir to my tribe's future, and now I'm a slave, but I'm still alive and well."

Chen Cheng almost let slip his true identity and quickly corrected himself.

"Also, from your appearance, you seem to have been exiled. At least your princely status is still intact. Even if your brother ascends the throne, you can secretly build up your forces and then 'clear the monarch's surroundings.' Back in the day, Zhu Di..."

Suddenly, Chen Cheng felt he was going off-topic. Seeing Hui Dun's angry yet curious eyes, he quickly changed his words, coughed, and said:

"Uh, what I mean is, don't give up. As long as you're alive, there's hope for a comeback. I believe you can do it, really."

Hui Dun truly wished he could strangle Chen Cheng at this moment. How could his small tribe compare to his kingdom?

However, what he said later seemed to suggest that someone had a similar experience to him, and that person eventually ascended the throne.

Hui Dun didn't doubt Chen Cheng's words, as he knew that some forest tribes passed down ancient secret histories. Perhaps Chen Cheng was about to recount the deeds of an ancient king.

Seeing Hui Dun's eyes shift from anger to calmness, and then to excitement, Chen Cheng quickly left a parting sentence and lay down, turning his back.

He had just had a dream of returning to his past life. Upon waking, he had forgotten his identity. If the person opposite him was indeed a banished prince, and he took his words to heart and rebelled, then how would he and Fini survive?

Looking through the five-thousand-year history of Huaxia, the only one who truly seized power through "clearing the monarch's surroundings" was Zhu Di. And the person opposite him clearly didn't have Zhu Di's regal bearing.

He was so skinny, completely lacking the kingly presence of Zhu Di, though Chen Cheng didn't know what Zhu Di looked like.

And he, as a slave, was even less likely to be Yao Guangxiao, who advised Zhu Di to rebel.

Meanwhile, Hui Dun looked at Chen Cheng's back, covered by the green blanket, his thoughts drifting to Chen Cheng's words.

He truly wanted to know what "clearing the monarch's surroundings" meant, and who this Zhu Di was.

Because his current situation was so similar to what Chen Cheng had described.

The only loyal person by his side was Torey, and he himself was an illegitimate child, a royal scandal from birth.

Fortunately, the current King, out of fatherly affection, hadn't killed him at birth, and his mother, who managed the national finances, could offer him some protection.

But the day the King died, he, the royal scandal, would be the first problem the new King would need to resolve.

For years, he had recruited knights in his territory, established academies, and enrolled noble disciples to accumulate the strength to contend for the throne.

Because he knew his only way out was the path to the throne, a path filled with thorns. And now, the people he had recruited to clear the thorns for him were all dead, and the thorny path to the throne was becoming increasingly distant.

But hearing the words of this little slave today had rekindled his fighting spirit.

Even a slave has the confidence to say he can succeed, so why is he sighing here?

Recalling his teacher's earnest teachings before his death, Hui Dun's already desolate heart was rekindled with a glimmer of light.

But thinking about his difficult situation, if he really waited for the new king to ascend the throne, would he have any time to develop?

After sighing and shaking his head, Hui Dun lay down.

Chen Cheng, hearing the somewhat dispirited sigh, silently mourned for this prince whose name he didn't even know.

He genuinely hoped this prince could live well, because he suddenly realized that if his guess was correct, this guy's current situation was vastly different from his own.

At the same time, he was glad he hadn't revealed his own damned imperial status, otherwise, the one sighing there would have been himself, surrounded by troops from all over the land.

Thinking of this, Chen Cheng couldn't help but think of Samlet again, sincerely wishing Samlet would find the career he pursued his entire life.

Soon, the tent flap was lifted, and the one-armed Torey came to Hui Dun's bedside and said:

"Lord Count, the Knights of Light sent by the Bishop are already outside. We should leave."

Chen Cheng, hearing the address "Lord Count," felt relieved about Hui Dun. Someone who could still be granted a noble title after failing to seize the throne, as long as this young man remained steady, would not face great disaster in his life.

However, he then wondered if his previous sadness for Hui Dun was a bit excessive. His own background made him like a rat crossing the street; what was a Count's title to him? He was worse than a dog, at least a dog could get by after losing.

Then, several soldiers entered to help Hui Dun put on his armor.

Although Hui Dun's knights had almost all fallen this time, he still needed to display the presence required of a territorial lord.

As he exited the camp, he paused for a moment, then lifted the curtain and walked out.

Hearing the footsteps recede, Chen Cheng finally turned around to look at the bed and the tent curtain beside him, then gave a bitter smile:

"Aren't you pathetic? No matter what, he still has a Count's title, and you, a mere slave, are still feeling sad for a Count. How damn pathetic."

Saying this, Chen Cheng slapped himself, reminding himself of the era he was in and his own identity.