At present, the fiercest competition for the heavenly palace's heirship was between First Prince Hua Ye and Second Prince Hua Tuo. Old Third and Old Fourth were still too young; even if they wanted to compete, they lacked the strength and qualifications.
Not only did Hua Ye possess the innate advantage of being the eldest legitimate son, but more importantly, Right Wing King He Zheng was his maternal uncle. It was easy to imagine how wholeheartedly he would support and assist him.
So the question was, how had Second Prince Hua Tuo managed to stand toe-to-toe with Hua Ye for so many years? Could it really have been solely because the Old Angel King had balanced things out and supported him from behind the scenes?
Things were far from that simple. It had been mentioned before that before a prince came of age, the Old Angel King would assign him a tutor to teach him the ways of an emperor. Naturally, Hua Tuo was no exception, and his teacher was none other than the Left Wing King Miller whom Hua Zhen had met earlier.
He Xuan had once told Hua Ye, "Your competition for the heirship has gone from one person to three!" Those words applied equally well to Second Prince Hua Tuo.
Born into the imperial family, there were many things beyond one's control. It was not as though refusing to vie for the heirship meant others would not fear you. The two young princes had not yet come of age, but was eight years really that long? Especially for Angel Civilization, which had entered the Gene Era—once the shackles of lifespan had been broken, eight years was nothing more than a fleeting moment.
So Left Wing King Miller's reason for coming to Hua Zhen was already obvious.
A child's nature showed from the age of three. As Second Prince Hua Tuo's adviser, of course he had taken this opportunity to see what kind of person Hua Zhen was, or whether Hua Zhen might pose a threat to Hua Tuo's bid for the heirship in the future. What a bunch of bored idiots.
When Hua Zhen explained his analysis to Gus, the boy was jolted. After thinking it over carefully, he realized it made perfect sense. He asked worriedly, "Your Highness, then what should we do next?"
"What else can we do? Stay out of it, of course..." A trace of disdain flashed across Hua Zhen's little face. With a soft snort, he said, "The Angel King's throne they're all fighting themselves stupid over doesn't amount to shit in my eyes. My goal is fucking ONEPIECE!"
"Huh? Wan Pi Si?" Gus looked confused. "What... what is that?"
"Haha..." Hua Zhen was amused by him. After laughing for a while, he lowered his eyes and said quietly, "ONEPIECE... of course, it's my dream. My dream of going home..."
How could Gus be in the mood to listen to things he could not make heads or tails of? He said anxiously, "Your Highness, staying out of it is simply impossible. Leaving aside whether the Angel King would allow it, judging by Left Wing King Miller's earlier actions alone, he'll definitely target you at every turn in the future."
Hua Zhen understood that without needing Gus to say it. He smiled carelessly and said, "Gus, do you know what matters most to me right now?"
"Making sure the Angel King and Consort Xin Yao don't discover that you've lost your memory?" Gus said uncertainly.
"No. Technology!!"
"Technology?"
"That's right!" Hua Zhen narrowed his eyes. "Only by mastering technology more advanced than Angel Civilization's can I achieve that grand goal..."
"Though if I succeeded in fighting for the throne, Angel Palace City would have plenty of resources for me to use, that was the first option I ruled out. The reason is simple: pick anyone at random from the heavenly palace, and they're thousands or even tens of thousands of years old. The older people get, the craftier they become. I don't think I can outfight them with my little bit of life experience!"
He turned to Gus and continued, "And most importantly, it would be far too troublesome. I don't like that kind of life where people scheme against each other all day. You know, Gus, people change because of the environment they live in. They can become cunning and deceitful, or they can become willing to do anything for profit. Is that the kind of person you want to see me become?"
Without hesitation, Gus shook his head and said solemnly, "No. I hope Your Highness can always remain as you are now!"
"Exactly. I don't want to become that way either. I want to remain true to myself. Even after tens of thousands of years, I'll still be me..." Hua Zhen could not help clenching his fists as he spoke.
Finding a way home would not happen overnight. It would be an extremely long process. Even stubborn rocks could turn into countless grains of sand as oceans became fields and fields became oceans. What kind of person would he become by then? Hua Zhen did not know. He did not want to return home and be met by his parents' eyes as though they were looking at a stranger.
Gus suddenly said, "Your Highness, is the goal you mentioned that Wan Pi Si you just brought up?"
"Pfft... cough, cough..." Gus's words nearly made Hua Zhen choke to death. "Brother, I'm trying to express some deep feelings here. Was that really necessary? You totally ruined the mood!"
"So, Your Highness, what exactly is Wan Pi Si?"
Hua Zhen's shoulders slumped. Was he supposed to tell Gus that it was an anime he had watched in his previous life, where some dumb young guy went around telling everyone, "I'm going to be the Pirate King"?
"Ah... don't worry about it. I just said it casually..." Hua Zhen paused, then fixed Gus with a burning gaze. "My goal is far beyond anything you can imagine. I'll encounter many hardships and obstacles along the way; fighting for the heirship cannot compare at all. So, Gus... are you willing to stay by my side and keep helping me?"
Gus's expression turned serious as he said solemnly, "From the day I became Your Highness's personal guard, Gus has belonged to you. No matter what hardships or obstacles lie ahead, no matter what Your Highness wants me to do, Gus will always be the first to step forward!"
"Tsk, those words sound fine, but why do they feel so weird... Ah, forget it. Just for that, you're my brother from now on. Here, to celebrate, finish this basin of sweet soup first!" Pointing at the basin Gus was still holding, Hua Zhen said with great "emotion."
Gus was instantly dumbfounded. "Huh? I-I'd better not, Your Highness..."
"What do you mean, better not? I've been waiting here for you forever!" Hua Zhen refused to let him off. Mimicking his tone, he said, "'No matter what Your Highness wants me to do, Gus will always be the first to step forward!' Those were your exact words. A man who values Knightly Spirit like you wouldn't go back on his word, would he? I'd look down on you if you did~"
His Highness is way too vindictive... Gus thought miserably.
"Oh? So Third Prince was hiding here eating. You had me searching everywhere..."
Just then, a frivolous voice suddenly sounded not far away. Hua Zhen frowned. Why was there always someone interrupting at such a crucial moment?
He looked toward the voice and found a young male angel. His long golden hair was swept back, and he had slender brows, a high nose bridge, a pointed chin, and phoenix eyes gleaming with an inscrutable light. He looked like a haughty Persian cat. His thin lips curved upward somewhat harshly, carrying a hint of arrogance. Every feature came together into a perfect face—an annoyingly handsome one.
"Su Ma Li? What are you doing here?" Gus clearly knew the man. He heavily set the basin of sweet soup on the dining table, stepped in front of Hua Zhen, and narrowed his eyes.
Damn it, this brat sure knows how to take advantage of the situation. Who said you could put it down?
"Heh, so it's Gus..." The young man smiled and gestured with his chin toward Hua Zhen across from him. "My prince wants Third Prince to come over. He says he has something to tell him. What, are you trying to stop me?"
"..."
Hua Zhen frowned. "Your prince?"
"It's First Prince Hua Ye..." Gus reminded him quietly.
"Oh, so you're Hua Ye's lackey..."
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