Revival

With a splash, the Nineteenth Prince's lifeless body was shoved directly into the well by the Fourteenth Prince.

The Fourteenth Prince straightened up, took out a brocade handkerchief, and wiped the blood of his younger brother from his hands. Then he looked toward Xie Yuan and Situ Qin.

Working together, these two had actually killed a Grandmaster with ease... Yet they were only in the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm.

Though the enemy had already been badly wounded, an ordinary Qi and Blood Transformation Realm cultivator probably could not even break a Grandmaster's protective aura. Even if these two were no ordinary people, killing him in a single strike was still far beyond anything he had expected.

The corner of his eye caught the long furrow plowed by the Golden Armored Guard and his shattered body. His gaze grew solemn, but he concealed it in an instant.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin stood shoulder to shoulder, faintly frowning at the corpses strewn across the ground before them.

Though he knew the struggle for the throne was a fight for survival, where either you died or I did, and that the imperial family had no room for kinship, witnessing it firsthand still made Xie Yuan sigh at how decisively these brothers had dealt with each other.

He swept his gaze over the Cold Palace courtyard. Only the three of them remained standing. The Nineteenth Prince and his guards, who had been so menacing moments ago, had all fallen silent, blood flowing into rivers.

Situ Qin's expression was far calmer. Back when she had still been very young, she had already deeply understood what imperial power truly was.

The Fourteenth Prince cupped his hands toward them.

"Young Master Xie, Qin Mei, thank you for your aid. Otherwise, this prince would truly have suffered a crushing defeat."

"It is nothing."

Xie Yuan shook his head. For the moment, they were safe, but that did not mean everything was well.

The Crown Prince controlled the entire Imperial City. Even if Xie Yuan wished to leave, he would have to consider it carefully.

Situ Qin looked at the Fourteenth Prince and asked, "Your Highness, what do you intend to do now?"

The Fourteenth Prince had now become a prince with nothing but himself. Not even a single guard remained at his side; only Xie Yuan and Situ Qin were with him.

And Xie Yuan was still uncertain whether he wanted to involve himself completely in this struggle for the throne. His foremost priority was ensuring his and Situ Qin's safety. Everything else was secondary.

A smile appeared on the Fourteenth Prince's bloodstained face.

"Do all that man can, then heed Heaven's will. For what remains, the two of you will naturally follow me, protect me for a while, and gather news."

What trump card did he have? He looked very confident.

Xie Yuan frowned, unable to understand.

Yet seeing how the Fourteenth Prince seemed certain that they had no choice but to follow him, his commanding manner made Xie Yuan's expression turn somewhat disdainful.

Seeing this, the Fourteenth Prince immediately restrained his somewhat smug and excited expression and said politely, "Young Master Xie, Qin Mei, if my calculations are correct, the overall situation has already been decided. So long as you escort me through this final stretch, this prince shall never dare forget your Merit of Supporting the Dragon. Every promise I made before will be fulfilled."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin exchanged a glance, communicating silently through their eyes for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, what do you intend to do?"

"I ask the two of you to escort me as I gather information and return to my palace."

Return to his palace?

Xie Yuan was somewhat surprised.

The palace he meant was naturally his own. But it had surely already been taken by the Crown Prince. He had just escaped death, only to walk straight into the net again?

Remembering how the Fourteenth Prince had kept saying the Crown Prince was nothing to fear, Xie Yuan could not help but grow curious.

The Fourteenth Prince's palace.

All guards under his command had been slaughtered. The Crown Prince had left no survivors.

The palace maids and eunuchs throughout the palace had likewise been killed to the last. The Imperial Guards had been ordered to leave no living thing in sight; even the rare birds and exotic beasts raised in the palace had all been slaughtered.

Blood flowed into rivers.

The Imperial Guards had taken over the entire palace. Guards stood at every corridor pillar, every corner, every room. The entrance to the secret passage in the bedchamber was surrounded three layers deep inside and three layers outside, while experts had already taken the lead in pursuing through it.

Surrounded by layer upon layer of guards, the Crown Prince entered the bedchamber. Looking at the opening, his imposing expression shifted, and his gaze became complicated.

"So, in Father Emperor's heart, I was never truly the heir apparent."

He had vaguely suspected that the Imperial City possessed a vast secret passage system, yet the old Emperor had never told him.

Since the Emperor had not spoken of it, then as a son, he had neither asked about it nor investigated it.

But after personally seeing the Fourteenth Prince's secret passage entrance, a trace of resentment still arose in the Crown Prince's heart.

Yet he quickly suppressed those emotions. This secret passage could only have been the Fourteenth Prince's final route of escape.

Now that the Fourteenth Prince's great momentum had collapsed, his entire faction wiped out, even his two Grandmaster commanders had been executed. Even if he truly escaped with the Imperial Edict, so long as the Crown Prince was given another two days to unite all the fence-sitters, whether the Imperial Edict was real or fake would be his word alone. After that, there would be no place beneath the heavens of Great Li for the Fourteenth Prince.

The overall situation had been decided.

The Crown Prince looked around the Fourteenth Prince's sleeping quarters. It was his first time here. Though everything was in disarray, one could still see the craftsmanship and elegance throughout.

Especially the meticulously arranged miniature mountain landscape in a corner. Waterfalls cascaded over it, Cloud Mist drifted around it, and it possessed a refined charm. Amid this chaos, the landscape seemed particularly distinctive.

The Crown Prince's heart stirred, and he asked, "Where is the Palm-Sized World in Fourteenth's possession?"

A blood-covered personal guard at his side replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, that artifact was discovered beside the main hall, along with several young prodigies from various factions who attended the Hidden Dragon Banquet. They have already been surrounded."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince visibly relaxed, joy appearing on his face once more.

"Fourth Brother did not even manage to take this treasure with him. Heh. Father Emperor, no matter how much you favored him, it has ultimately returned to my hands."

He ordered men to pursue through the tunnel, then strode swiftly back to the main hall. In a corner, he found the enormous miniature landscape shrouded in Cloud Mist, along with Cui Lei, Wang Qiwen, and the others, whose auras had greatly weakened.

The Crown Prince smiled at them. "A bit of unrest has broken out in the palace, startling all you Hidden Dragon prodigies. But there is no need to worry. The matter has already been resolved. Remain in the palace for a few days, and I shall personally send you all out."

Cui Lei and Wang Qiwen frowned. But with Grandmasters and countless Imperial Guards eyeing them like tigers, and with their own conditions already extremely poor, they merely nodded in silence.

As the group was about to leave under the Imperial Guards' half-encirclement and half-escort, the Cloud Mist within the Palm-Sized World suddenly began spreading outward again. Before long, even the nearby area became hazy with fog.

A Grandmaster standing guard beside it frowned. He had clearly investigated it and found no one inside. Why had another abnormality arisen?

The two Grandmasters immediately gathered around the Crown Prince, staring suspiciously at the Palm-Sized World as it began to fluctuate and at the dispersing white mist.

A shadow suddenly flickered within the fog.

The two Grandmasters' eyes widened. One immediately rushed forward, while the other grabbed the Crown Prince and pulled him back.

But when that Grandmaster seized the Crown Prince's arm, he found his body heavy and his arm limp, as though he had been frightened stiff. He immediately turned and called out, "Your Highness, quickly leave with this subordinate... Your Highness?!"

He looked over and saw the Crown Prince lowering his head, his eyes filled with disbelief, utter despair, and utter unwillingness as he stared at the dull short sword tip protruding from his chest. Hoarse sounds came from his throat, blood froth spilling from his lips.

The Crown Prince's yellow robe, Jade Pendant, and all manner of top-grade treasures shone with various lights. Yet like bubbles, they burst one after another, all destroyed beneath this single sword strike.

In but an instant, with but one sword, this assassin had shattered every defense protecting the heir to the nation.

The short sword withdrew, revealing a terrifying hole. The Crown Prince's chest had been blasted apart, and his corpse crumpled limply to the ground.

The Grandmaster guard's eyes narrowed as he looked at the dim shadow standing behind the Crown Prince. It appeared to be a middle-aged man, though his features were blurred and indistinct.

"Traitor! How dare you!"

The guard commander's eyes split wide with rage as he rushed forward, intending to capture the assassin. Yet the assassin moved like a ghost, drifting weightlessly as he circled the commander.

Though the figure was right before him, the commander could not touch him no matter what he did.

The other Grandmaster circled through the white mist in a single breath, only to find nothing. Turning back and seeing that disaster had already struck, he was horrified and immediately joined his colleague in closing in.

Yet even with two Grandmasters pincer-attacking him, that shadow showed no hesitation, effortlessly weaving past their encirclement and charging straight out through the hall doors.

Outside the hall were two more Grandmaster subordinates of the Crown Prince. One was vaguely blocking a man and a woman, while the other was seriously wounded and tending to his injuries nearby.

The man and woman were naturally Li Tai and Red Aunt. After confirming that Situ Qin had left, they had helped the Fourteenth Prince hold the line for a while before deliberately dragging their feet. The Fourteenth Prince's two Grandmasters had then found themselves unable to fight four hands with two fists and were defeated one after another.

But though the pair wished to leave, the Imperial Guard commander would not allow them to depart as they pleased.

They had originally intended to force their way out, but after a thought, they remained to wait nearby.

Now, seeing that something seemed to have gone wrong inside, the four Grandmasters outside all looked over. They saw another new Grandmaster emerge, while the Crown Prince's two personal guards were actually chasing after him.

The Imperial Guard commander was immediately alarmed and asked, "Where is His Highness?"

"His Highness has already..."

The personal guard commander's face was deathly pale as he gritted his teeth and pursued the shadow with all his might.

That shadow could clearly have fled in one burst, yet it simply circled about the courtyard with them, as though toying with them.

Hearing his colleague speak in such a manner, the Imperial Guard commander nearly lost his soul in fright. He hastily joined the two in pursuing the assassin.

Li Tai and Red Aunt watched from the sidelines. Seeing that assassin's unfathomable movement technique and how he could weave among three men with ease, their expressions both turned solemn.

After watching for a while, Red Aunt recognized the man and said in astonishment, "The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master? Why is he here?!"

Li Tai's expression was grave as he slowly said, "It seems the Fourteenth Prince has won. Either he or the late Emperor must have made a deal with the Yao Family."

The Crown Prince's three Grandmasters were all deeply uneasy. Hearing the shouting and chaos from within, they had no idea what they should do next.

They could only brace themselves and capture the assassin first, then speak of anything else afterward. Yet though that was what they intended, they discovered that even three against one, they could do nothing to him.

"Why have you not stopped at once?!"

A furious shout suddenly rang out beyond the palace.

The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master flickered and appeared beside the source of that voice outside the palace.

The owner of the voice revealed himself.

He appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in magnificent robes, with an imposing face. His head was slightly raised, his hands clasped behind his back. Though the stains on his face and the blood marks on his body were startling, they did nothing to diminish his bearing. Standing there, his expression seemed to look down upon all beneath heaven.

The Imperial Guard commander and the two guard commanders stopped at the same time. Looking at the Fourteenth Prince, whose aura was faintly different, they did not know how to respond.

The Fourteenth Prince slowly drew a scroll of bright yellow silk from his chest and unfolded it. In a stern voice, he asked, "You are all soldiers of the Imperial Guards. Do you recognize the late Emperor's Imperial Edict?"

The Imperial Guards exchanged glances, falling somewhat silent. Most merely followed orders, but they also knew what they had been doing. The Crown Prince was dead, while the Fourteenth Prince possessed the Imperial Edict. It was difficult for them to entertain any other thoughts.

The three Grandmasters clenched their teeth. With the Crown Prince dead, they all knew the great tide had turned. Yet they had pursued the Fourteenth Prince to the bitter end; even if they surrendered, it was difficult to say what fate awaited them.

Thus, none of the three spoke for a long while, and the Imperial Guards behind them also remained silent. The situation became deadlocked for a time.

Seeing this, the Fourteenth Prince widened his eyes. Though only the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master stood at his side, he still roared, "Are you attempting rebellion? Rebels shall be killed without mercy!"

The moment his words fell, cries of battle suddenly erupted from the bedchamber, as though reinforcements had abruptly appeared.

The Imperial Guards immediately fell into chaos, only to hear the Fourteenth Prince shout again, "Those who lay down their weapons and surrender shall have their past offenses forgiven!"

Hearing this, many Imperial Guards became unsettled and dropped their weapons. For a time, the clattering of weapons hitting the ground rose and fell without end.

The three commanders were caught between advancing and retreating. The Imperial Guard commander's eyes shifted, and his sword suddenly turned, stabbing toward one of the guard commanders beside him.

That man had not expected a colleague who had just been on the same side as him to draw his sword against him. He was instantly horrified. In his haste, he barely managed to defend himself, yet was still stabbed in the abdomen and seriously wounded.

Within a few moves, the guard commander who had been gravely injured in the sneak attack died with eyes still open. The other guard commander's face alternated between red and white. He had not made a move all along, but when he saw the Imperial Guard commander look at him, he decisively surrendered.

"Your Highness, this subordinate is willing to surrender!"

"Good!"

The Fourteenth Prince revealed a faintly relieved smile and looked toward the Imperial Guard commander.

Had the three Grandmasters and so many Imperial Guards refused to surrender, there might have been further trouble. Now that they had been resolved so easily, everything truly was over.

The Imperial Guard commander looked toward the Fourteenth Prince and cupped his hands. "This general acted under the late Emperor's orders, infiltrating the rebel Crown Prince's faction, waiting only to turn against him and strike for Your Highness!"

The Fourteenth Prince looked at him, a flicker passing through his eyes, before he smiled. "General Wang, you have worked hard. This prince shall remember this merit."

There had been countless chances to defect, all of them better than this, yet he had chosen to defect only after the overall situation had already been decided.

The late Emperor was already gone. Since he wished to say such things, the Fourteenth Prince naturally would not expose him.

It was over.

Beside Li Tai and Red Aunt, two figures slowly revealed themselves, causing the two Grandmasters to glance sideways.

"If I could not sense Miss's location, I truly might not have been able to see through your secret art. You have improved again."

Red Aunt's voice was soft and alluring, her eyes filled with surprise.

Xie Yuan exchanged greetings with the two Grandmasters, then looked toward the Fourteenth Prince—or rather, toward the figure beside him who was staring fixedly at him. His eyes narrowed.

So this prince had brought that great deity into the imperial palace. No, into the Palm-Sized World.

If he had merely been inside the palace, the Imperial Guards' three-layered search would have flushed out even a fly.

Only this divine artifact could hide people at will and allow them to enter and leave at will, creating the opportunity for the Number One Assassin Under Heaven to get close to the Crown Prince.

But did that not mean that, when he had once been inside the Palm-Sized World, he had brushed past the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master?

So that feeling of being watched had come not only from Yun Xing, but from him as well...

Xie Yuan felt a lingering chill.

Had he not had a major deal to conduct, he would have walked twice before the gates of hell within that Palm-Sized World.

Seeing the killing intent overflowing from the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master's gaze as he stared at him, Xie Yuan took a slight step back and put Li Tai in front of himself.

A squad of elite soldiers emerged from the hall, escorting the surrendered Imperial Guards. Together with those Imperial Guards who obeyed the commander and had submitted to the Fourteenth Prince, the situation had now fallen completely under the Fourteenth Prince's control.

He issued orders in rapid succession. Many people ran through every part of the palace, beginning to take over the Imperial City.

Then, surrounded by a large force of soldiers, the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master, the Imperial Guard commander, and the former Crown Prince's guard commander, the Fourteenth Prince turned toward Xie Yuan and the others.

The atmosphere became somewhat subtle again.

Facing the layers of Imperial Guards and several Grandmasters, feeling their gazes upon him, Li Tai's expression hardened. He snorted, stepped forward, and shielded everyone else behind him.

Though the scene was grand, the Flying General, who had experienced the war that destroyed the Western Regions, showed no fear. Even amid hundreds of thousands of troops, he could come and go like the wind.

But the middle-aged man radiating danger from head to toe made even him deeply wary.

The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master, Yao Yuyi, the Number One Assassin Under Heaven—his movement technique was not the slightest bit inferior to Li Tai's, and his cultivation was no weaker either.

If a chaotic battle erupted, Li Tai would already find this one man difficult to deal with. He likely would not be able to fully unleash his movement technique and take Situ Qin and Xie Yuan away.

Red Aunt's voice rang out softly. "Leave the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master to me. When the time comes, take Miss and Xiao Xie and fight your way out."

Li Tai's expression was solemn as he slowly nodded.

Situ Qin frowned. "Red Aunt..."

Red Aunt directly shook her head and cut her off.

"Miss, there is no other way. The Imperial Palace is fraught with killing intent at every step. You must all be careful."

Situ Qin gritted her teeth, sweeping her gaze across the several experts opposite them as she said in a low voice:

"Red Aunt, give me the qin. I can hold off one Grandmaster. Below Grandmaster level, the Imperial Guards are no cause for concern to me."

What she meant was that, with only herself and her qin, she intended to hold back all the Imperial Guards.

Neither Li Tai nor Red Aunt questioned her, but Red Aunt merely shook her head slightly.

"The Fourteenth Prince killed the Crown Prince and has effectively taken control of the entire Imperial City. The enemies will only keep coming. Besides, if we fight, apart from the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master, there are three others. Tai Bo can fight Yao Yuyi, and I can hold off the Great Commander of the Imperial Guards. That leaves two others and endless Imperial Guards. You two..."

"He and I will take one each."

Situ Qin looked toward Xie Yuan, a trace of apology showing in her eyes. She seemed sorry for dragging him into this. Yet so long as there was the slightest chance, she could not bring herself to abandon Red Aunt, who had accompanied her since childhood.

Xie Yuan shook his head from afar and smiled. He squeezed Situ Qin's little hand, showing that he did not mind.

Situ Qin's expression softened, but Red Aunt frowned slightly.

"Those are Grandmasters, not cabbages and radishes. You two little ones are just dividing them up as you please?"

Situ Qin was one thing, but as Red Aunt looked at Xie Yuan's utterly composed face, suspicion appeared in her eyes. This brat seemed not to take the people opposite them seriously at all.

"I just killed a Grandmaster in the palace. They only have one life, after all."

Xie Yuan's gaze swept back and forth across the several Grandmasters.

"Can Tai Bo and Red Aunt hold back the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master and the Great Commander so they cannot spare any attention?"

The Great Commander of the Imperial Guards was also a powerful Grandmaster on the Soaring Dragon Ranking, no ordinary figure. He was more troublesome than the others.

Hearing Xie Yuan's words, Li Tai and Red Aunt exchanged glances, both shocked. These two youngsters had killed Grandmasters before?

They did not have time to ask further. After a moment's hesitation, they said:

"For the time it takes to burn three sticks of incense, it won't be a problem. But what do you intend to do?"

"Then it will be easy."

A certain look appeared on Xie Yuan's face. Pointing at the Fourteenth Prince amid layer upon layer of Imperial Guards, he smiled.

"I'll capture that man shortly, and then we can simply stride right out."

Xie Yuan and the others had not concealed this discussion of dividing up enemies like dishes on a platter from the people opposite them.

If ordinary people heard it, it would sound like a cornered beast still fighting, laughable and absurd. Yet as they counted off those heads, the defeated generals—especially the severely injured one—felt an inexplicable pounding in their hearts.

But when they heard Xie Yuan's undisguised final remark, the Great Commander of the Imperial Guards flew into a rage. He stepped forward and roared as though desperately needing to prove himself.

"Rebel! Your wild ravings are already the crime of deceiving the sovereign! You deserve execution!"

The Fourteenth Prince's expression darkened slightly as he looked at Xie Yuan with profound eyes.

He said nothing.

He had personally watched Xie Yuan cleave that badly wounded Grandmaster to death with a single axe strike. His destructive power was utterly unlike that of a martial artist in the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm.

Moreover, on the way back from the Cold Palace, Xie Yuan had displayed a strange concealment secret art. Under his guidance, they had slipped all the way through without drawing anyone's notice, like the finest assassin.

Though Xie Yuan had revealed only part of the Heaven Concealing Art, the Fourteenth Prince's discerning eye recognized it as an extraordinarily remarkable secret art.

Even though he did not know how Xie Yuan planned to capture him amidst the Imperial Guards' inner three layers and outer three layers, he did not dare underestimate Xie Yuan in the slightest.

His deep gaze moved back and forth over Xie Yuan's group of four. Thoughts flashed like lightning through the Fourteenth Prince's mind, and he knew he could not keep them here today. He could not help sighing softly.

Unlike the Crown Prince, he had no pressing reason to silence them. But after witnessing Xie Yuan's talent and performance, he, who had inherited the old Emperor's will, had absolutely no wish to let this hidden dragon of the Chen Commandery Xie clan go.

Yet the Fourteenth Prince gave nothing away. He merely shouted:

"General Wang, do not act rashly!"

The Great Commander of the Imperial Guards froze, not understanding why, but he still retreated.

The Fourteenth Prince smiled.

"Young Master Xie, Qin Mei, how did this misunderstanding arise? Without your assistance today, I fear the rebels would truly have usurped the Imperial Edict and defied the Emperor's command. I have said that this is Merit of Supporting the Dragon. I will remember your contributions deeply, and there will certainly be generous rewards."

As he spoke, he gave a slight wave of his hand. The Imperial Guards, like a city wall, parted to reveal a narrow passage.

Xie Yuan looked at the Fourteenth Prince and cupped his hands.

"Then many thanks, Your Majesty."

Seeing that the Fourteenth Prince truly intended to let them leave so readily, Li Tai and Red Aunt both gave Xie Yuan a thoughtful look. Then, one before and one behind, they protected the two as they headed out.

The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master shifted slightly and whispered something into the Fourteenth Prince's ear. But the Fourteenth Prince merely shook his head and said softly:

"No matter how important he is, he is not more important than my safety."

"Your Majesty's safety will certainly be unharmed. I stake my head on it."

The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master's drifting voice sounded out. The Fourteenth Prince neither agreed nor disagreed, simply watching Xie Yuan's group of four leave with his own eyes.

Then he smiled.

"It is fine. Let him go. It will be much easier to move against the Xie Family later."

The Autumn Wind Pavilion Master had been unwilling, but upon hearing this, he gradually calmed down.

"Escorted" from the palace by several Imperial Guards, Xie Yuan walked out through the Noon Gate. As he watched the heavy palace gates crash shut behind him once more, he could not help feeling as though a lifetime had passed.

A few days ago, when he entered this palace, he had thought it was merely an ordinary banquet. Who would have imagined that after emerging from Palm-Sized World, heaven and earth would have changed?

The Emperor was dead, the Holy Maiden had reappeared, the Heavenly Dragon War had erupted, and the princes were fighting for the throne.

Every single one was a great event capable of shaking the world, yet they had all erupted together.

Come to think of it, he did not know where Yun Xing had gone. Perhaps she had foreseen the trouble to come and used the Stove Sect's unique method to flee far away in advance. As for the other hidden dragons and peerless talents, he did not know whether they had made it out. Nor did Xie Yuan have the strength to concern himself with them.

Seeing soldiers enforcing martial law throughout the Capital City, with collapsed buildings visible in the distance, Xie Yuan sighed. Even the aftermath had caused such damage, and they had certainly held back.

The influence of a Great Grandmaster was truly beyond measure.

"This new Emperor's methods do indeed greatly resemble the late Emperor's."

Li Tai suddenly said in a low voice.

Situ Qin nodded slightly.

"He should still have other methods he has yet to use."

Xie Yuan raised a brow.

"There are more? Hmm..."

He fell into thought. He felt that the Fourteenth Prince had gambled heavily. If not for the two of them today, would he not truly have been led into a pit by the Nineteenth Prince?

Situ Qin spoke slowly.

"Look at those elite soldiers who emerged later and turned the tide. There should be other Palm-Sized Worlds in his palace. Since he can have a second one, he may have a third, even a fourth. Perhaps he is carrying them on his person."

Thinking of those elite soldiers who had suddenly appeared later, Xie Yuan understood.

Since there was no art of scattering beans to turn them into soldiers, they had undoubtedly come from Palm-Sized World. Unless the Fourteenth Prince was a reckless fool, he must have possessed such trump cards as well.

For a matter concerning his very life, his family's fate, and the dynasty's ownership, he would certainly have left room to maneuver. It was simply possible that he truly had no more Grandmaster-level experts. The sudden death of his personal guards during the attack had indeed been an accident. No wonder he had hated his own younger brother, the Nineteenth Prince, so much in the end.

The Crown Prince had not lost unfairly. The Emperor had handed such treasures, as well as the Yao Family he had secretly subdued, all to the Fourteenth Prince. Even after serving as heir apparent for forty years, he still could not compare to the Emperor's favor.

But no matter how the palace situation changed, the dust had now settled. Only some cleanup remained. The Fourteenth Prince would next be busy ascending the throne and gathering the court officials, so he presumably had no time to deal with Xie Yuan for now. He did not possess the Crown Prince's urgent desire to silence every witness. If he wished to deal with Xie Yuan in the future, he would be dealing with the Xie Family.

They were finally safe. Xie Yuan and Situ Qin stood hand in hand, silently gazing at each other. Red Aunt smiled at the sight, while Li Tai scratched his square head and said:

"Xie Yuan, you had best return to the Xie Family as soon as possible."

The two young people, gazing lovingly at each other, were interrupted. Xie Yuan asked in surprise:

"Tai Bo, what do you mean?"

Li Tai said gravely:

"During the earlier battle, though I did not dare watch from close by, it seemed that the Xie clan head suffered some losses. Later, he was sent back, and he did not look to be in very good condition..."

"What?"

Xie Yuan was startled, his expression immediately turning anxious.

"How is Second Uncle?"

"I do not know either. That is why I advise you to go back and see."

Li Tai shook his head.

If something happened to Xie Yi, then from Li Tai's standpoint, he might even applaud it. But for Xie Yuan's sake, he had still offered the reminder.

Xie Yuan was somewhat anxious and nodded repeatedly before looking at Situ Qin.

"Miss Qin, I will..."

"Go back quickly."

Situ Qin revealed an understanding expression, then said with some difficulty:

"Originally, at a time like this, I should accompany you, but..."

She looked somewhat regretful. The positions of their two families made it difficult for her to accompany Xie Yuan openly.

Xie Yuan shook his head and gripped Situ Qin's hand tightly.

"One day, I will definitely bring you to my door openly and honorably."

His words brought a blush to Situ Qin's face, making her incomparably lovely. She showed a smile that was both shy and happy, dazzlingly beautiful.

"Good. Then I'll wait for that day."

Xie Yuan waved farewell to Situ Qin, then bid farewell to Li Tai and Red Aunt as well. Turning around, he hurried toward the Xie Family's secondary residence like the wind.

Naturally, few of the soldiers enforcing martial law along the way could detect Xie Yuan. The occasional expert who noticed him had only just formed the thought of stopping him when they discovered that he had already vanished. Even Grandmasters were no exception. Startled, they hurriedly sounded the alarm, causing a minor commotion.

As he neared the secondary residence, Xie Yuan saw from afar that the gates of the grand manor were tightly shut. His pace quickened again as he rushed over and knocked on the door.

The gatekeeper cautiously opened a narrow crack. Upon seeing Xie Yuan, he hurriedly let him inside.

"Young Master Yuan, you've finally returned!"

The gatekeeper spoke urgently. Xie Yuan looked around. In this extraordinary time, the Xie Family residence was naturally under strict guard, but everyone appeared weighed down by gloom.

Before long, an elder came forward. Upon seeing Xie Yuan, he let out a great sigh of relief.

"Xie Yuan, it is good that you have returned. These past few days, no news could be heard from the palace. The family kept sending people to investigate, but to no avail. Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

Xie Yuan nodded and hurriedly asked:

"Seventh Uncle, how is the clan head?"

Seventh Uncle's expression shifted, becoming grave.

"Not good... Go take a look."

Xie Yuan hurriedly followed him toward the rear courtyard. Upon reaching the main residence, he found the security exceptionally tight. At a glance, there were nearly ten Xie Family Grandmasters here, standing or sitting in the courtyard. Every one of them had furrowed brows and a face clouded with worry.

An even stronger sense of foreboding rose in Xie Yuan's heart. Though the Grandmasters around him were all overjoyed to see that he had emerged from the Imperial Palace unharmed, he merely nodded perfunctorily before walking to the door and gently pushing it open.

"Didn't I say that no one was allowed to come in and disturb us!"

Xie Lingyun's scream rang out, startling Xie Yuan.

Xie Lingyun's hair was disheveled. She abruptly turned her face around, pale and exhausted, her eyes bloodshot and somewhat fierce.

But when she saw that it was Xie Yuan, she froze. Her expression instantly became delighted, then turned incomparably sorrowful. It was as though all the strength had drained out of her at once, and mist immediately welled in her eyes.

With a hoarse, tearful voice, she said:

"Brother, why did you only come back now?"

Xie Yuan rushed forward in one stride, drawing Xie Lingyun into his arms and gently patting her back.

"It's all right, it's all right. I'm back... Where is Second Uncle?"

The room was thick with the smell of medicine, and the light was somewhat dim.

For some reason, Xie Yuan recalled the hospitals of his distant previous life, with their scent of disinfectant and stark white fluorescent lights.

Xie Lingyun's expression was miserable as she led Xie Yuan around the screen.

Xie Yuan saw Xie Yi lying silently on the couch, without a trace of color in his face.

His breath was weak, and he looked utterly haggard.

Seeing his frail appearance, Xie Yuan found it hard to believe. He could not connect this man with the Xie Family head who was sometimes carefree and humorous, sometimes dignified and imposing. Still less could he believe that this was the number one on the Soaring Dragon Ranking, the man who had entered the Yao Residence in Jinling alone and easily taken him away before Yao Yuzhi wielding the Heavenly A Sword and the Autumn Wind Pavilion Master.

"How did this happen?"

Xie Yuan asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Xie Lingyun bit her lip.

"It was people from the Cui Family who brought Father back. They said... they said that Enchantress badly wounded him..."

"How badly?"

Xie Yuan asked quickly.

Although Xie Yi's appearance allowed Xie Yuan, as a martial artist, to make his own judgment, he felt he must be wrong. After all, he did not understand Grandmasters very well.

Xie Lingyun's face was deathly pale, her voice choked with tears.

"They won't tell me..."

Xie Yuan could not help letting out a heavy sigh. With so many Grandmasters outside, if there had been a solution, they would certainly have used it long ago.

"Brother, Father won't... won't he never wake up again?"

Xie Lingyun asked, tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain.

Xie Yuan hurriedly patted her back.

"No. Second Uncle is a fortunate man blessed by heaven..."

Xie Yuan could only comfort her like this, but at such a moment, all words seemed pale, like the fluorescent lights in a hospital ward.

The two fell silent. They could only quietly watch Xie Yi, watching his threadlike breath.

Suddenly, Xie Yi coughed violently twice, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Xie Lingyun was greatly alarmed and hurriedly rushed forward to support him, only to see Xie Yi actually open his eyes slightly!

Overjoyed, Xie Lingyun wiped away the blood from Xie Yi's mouth and hurriedly asked:

"Father, Father! Can you hear me? I'm Lingyun! Lingyun!"

Xie Yi's silent eyes looked at his daughter before him. They seemed to regain some light as he nodded faintly.

"Lingyun, cough, Father is fine."

The more he spoke, the clearer his voice became. His spirits visibly improved.

Yet Xie Yuan and Xie Lingyun's hearts sank at the same time, as though plunging into an abyss.

Xie Lingyun forced a smile.

"Father, it is good that you are all right. Brother has returned from the Imperial Palace, completely unharmed."

Xie Yi looked at Xie Yuan. A faint light appeared in his eyes, and he smiled.

"I knew it. This could not stump you."

Xie Yuan bent down beside the bed and nodded.

"Second Uncle, don't worry. I'm fine. Rest and recover properly..."

"What's the point of recovering? I know my own condition. Not even an immortal deity could heal wounds like these. The only reason I held on to this last breath was to wait for your return."

Xie Yi smiled with easy abandon. Though his spirits were still good, his complexion had already turned the color of golden paper.

With a wail, Xie Lingyun burst into tears again and threw herself onto Xie Yi.

"Father, don't say that..."

Xie Yi stroked Xie Lingyun's head, his eyes full of sorrow.

"Silly girl, everyone dies. Even a Great Grandmaster is no exception. Once I'm gone, you must be sensible. Practice martial arts well, and be good to Madam."

Xie Lingyun only kept shaking her head, sobbing so hard she could not speak.

Xie Yi let out a long sigh and looked at Xie Yuan, his voice sinking slightly.

"Xie Yuan, time is short. I have a few things to entrust to you."

"Second Uncle... please speak."

Xie Yuan felt a pang of bitterness. There was no need to speak of how well Xie Yi had treated him. He was now Xie Yuan's only remaining family, his only elder in this world. He had only just begun to feel familial warmth, yet now he had to face another separation between the living and the dead.

Xie Yi studied him and sighed.

"At the final moment, I broke through to Great Grandmaster and confirmed my earlier speculation. Remember this: unless you have absolute certainty in the future, do not break through to Great Grandmaster."

"Absolute certainty?"

Xie Yuan frowned and asked in confusion.

"What counts as absolute certainty? Shouldn't one already need absolute certainty to make a breakthrough? Second Uncle, I don't quite understand."

Xie Yi shook his head.

"Just remember it. Telling you too much now would only harm you. When the time comes, you will naturally understand."

Xie Yuan could only silently commit it to memory and nod.

Xie Yi continued.

"Second, Xie Yuan, the burden of the Xie Family will fall upon your shoulders from now on."

Xie Yuan froze, then hurriedly said,

"Second Uncle, the Xie clan has masters as plentiful as clouds. With my meager cultivation, I'm afraid I cannot bear such a heavy responsibility..."

Xie Yi weakly waved a hand to interrupt him. His complexion had already turned somewhat ashen.

"Listen to me, Xie Yuan. Only you can bear this responsibility.

"Our Xie clan has lost two successive Great Grandmaster clan heads in battle. We are already at a most critical juncture. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The family must now have a true genius capable of steadying the army's morale, one who can awe the gathered heroes and cow petty villains.

"Though the family has many masters, the only ones who can surely attain the potential of a Great Grandmaster are you and Lingyun. Lingyun is a girl, and both her age and judgment fall short of yours. Who else but you can shoulder this burden? This is for the family. I would not feel at ease entrusting it to anyone else.

"After you assume the position of clan head, you must contract our influence. Yield what should be yielded; even if all that remains is Chen Commandery, it does not matter. There is no need to rush. Everything must center on improving your own cultivation. The family's backbone still remains; it should be enough to support you until the day you can overpower the gathered heroes... cough, cough."

He still had much to instruct him on, but after saying so much in one breath, he could no longer catch it and coughed twice.

Xie Yi sighed. Knowing that time was short, he pressed down everything else and trembled as he tried to remove the ring from his hand.

Once a peak master whose majesty bore down like a mountain, both his hands now shook. Yet after several attempts, he still could not remove the ring, like an old man on the verge of the grave.

Xie Yuan turned his head away, unable to watch any longer. He only heard Xie Yi chuckle.

"This ring is reluctant to leave me too... Here, Xie Yuan, give me your hand. This is a treasure."

Xie Yuan hesitated, but Xie Yi glared at him.

"At a time like this, you still dither and hesitate. How will you take on such a great responsibility? Do you want to leave me unable to die in peace?"

Xie Yuan pressed his lips tightly together and could only extend his hand.

The Blood Jade Ring, white streaked with red, was laboriously placed by Xie Yi onto Xie Yuan's left thumb. Then Xie Yi drew a deep breath and suddenly let out a mighty shout, his voice carrying beyond the room.

"Xie Yuan, the new clan head of the Chen Commandery Xie clan, heed this command. From this day onward, as you lead the family, you must place the family first. Harbor no selfish motives, do not... cough, cough.

"Forget it. I won't waste words."

Xie Yi gave another low laugh, his voice gradually fading.

"Xie Yuan, there are still things... I need to tell you.

"Once you become a master, stabilize the family, and sit firmly in this position, then go to the Ancestral Hall. There, I have left something for you.

"And the Cui and Wang Families—you must be wary of them... Especially, especially..."

As Xie Yi spoke, his voice gradually faded until it was nearly inaudible.

Xie Yuan was about to lean closer to listen when he saw Xie Yi's head droop. No more sound came from him.

"Father!"

Xie Lingyun's hoarse cry pierced the clouds.

The masters outside surged into the room. Their gazes swept over the bedside, and every face was filled with grief. Yet when they saw the ring on Xie Yuan's hand, they were each struck with surprise.

Xie Yuan was grief-stricken. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling lost for a moment.

But his left hand felt the weight of the ring, as though he could feel the burden Xie Yi had personally placed upon his shoulders. His gaze gradually hardened with resolve.

Amid the sounds of mourning, a golden light suffused with profound compassion shone into the room. Then a clear voice rang out.

"This little monk seems to have arrived late? No way? I came too late?"