Secrets Within the Imperial Family

"Great Yue Kingdom, shall it perish?" These four simple words sounded quite different to everyone. The voice carried an unparalleled domineering aura and an unquestionable confidence.

In this man's eyes, it seemed that the Great Yue Kingdom deserved to be destroyed.

The people being questioned were Xu Bai and others.

To be precise, it was Xu Bai.

Xu Bai frowned and shook his head, saying, "No."

He answered because he couldn't sense any killing intent or even hostility from this man; that innate domineering aura was simply his temperament.

When he answered "no," the man who resembled the Eighth Prince suddenly stopped, his eyes shining with excitement, like a seven or eight-year-old child seeing his favorite toy.

"Good! It's even better that we haven't been wiped out. I'll go wipe them out!" the man laughed heartily.

This king?

If they still couldn't see anything wrong with this strange and unusual name at this point, then that would be truly strange.

In the Great Chu Kingdom, apart from Rising Dusk King, there was no one else who could be addressed as "this king".

"You are... Prince?" Qing Xue covered her mouth with her hand, unable to contain her astonishment any longer.

Rising Dusk King nodded and said, "Although my appearance has changed drastically, you should recognize this."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his right hand, and a jade-like object floated above it.

"—Tiger Seal!" The moment the Tiger Seal appeared, Yun Zihai, Zhou Qing, and Qing Xue knelt down simultaneously and shouted in unison.

"Greetings, Your Prince!"

The Tiger Seal is recognized only by Rising Dusk King; seeing the Tiger Seal is like seeing Rising Dusk King.

This was an open secret throughout the entire Great Chu Kingdom.

The only one who hasn't changed is Xu Bai.

"Snort!"

To everyone's surprise, Yun Zihai and the others' actions did not please Rising Dusk King; instead, they earned him a muffled snort.

"I despise people who kneel at the drop of a hat. If you are not in my army, you do not need to kneel, otherwise I will look down on you." Rising Dusk King in a deep voice.

He seemed to have said enough, and added another sentence after finishing that sentence.

"A knee is worth a thousand pieces of gold."

Yun Zihai was stunned.

He seemed to recall legends about the Prince, including his character.

This Prince had a very eccentric personality. Having spent many years in the army, he had developed a bold and unrestrained spirit, and he especially disliked so-called formalities and red tape.

Just like kneeling, in this Prince's view, everyone's knees are very heavy, and one should not kneel down to others easily.

At least they weren't from his army; kneeling before them would only disgust him.

"Get up, all of you." Rising Dusk King waved his sleeve with a look of disgust, then turned his gaze to Xu Bai, seemingly very interested. "You're quite good."

Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "You're the Rising Dusk King? What's going on?"

He was very confused. What was going on? Why was the Rising Dusk King transformed into the appearance of the Eighth Prince? He was also very curious about everything here.

After working hard for most of the day, a Prince suddenly appeared here, which made everything a bit absurd.

Even more outrageous is that this Prince transformed into the appearance of other people, and according to legend, this Prince had already died long ago.

Of course, Xu Bai had heard Zhou Qing mention before that this place could reverse life and death. The Eighth Prince died and the Rising Dusk King to life. Xu Bai couldn't help but wonder if this was a method of resurrection.

"How dare you!"

The question had barely left his mouth when all ten thousand soldiers shouted in unison.

The sound was deafening, and the space trembled slightly. The murderous aura that soared into the sky rushed towards us like a tidal wave.

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Hahaha!"

At this moment, Rising Dusk King let out a series of loud laughs, as if he was becoming more and more interested in Xu Bai. He waved his sleeve, stopping the soldiers' murderous intent.

"You're quite good, really. I never expected our plan from back then to have so many unexpected changes," Rising Dusk King said slowly. "Want to know everything that happened here?"

His gaze moved back and forth between Xu Bai and the others, the smile in his eyes growing wider.

Xu Bai nodded decisively.

Of course I want to! These days, it's not just women who love gossip; men are just as eager to gossip.

Xu Bai was quite interested in this secret story.

Yun Zihai and the others exchanged glances, then nodded in unison, indicating that they also wanted to know.

"Since you all want to know, I will show you what happened back then. Anyway, I've already come out, so it doesn't matter if others find out about all this." Rising Dusk King his right index finger, on which a point of light flickered.

"Military Formation Method, using killing intent to create illusions, illusion formations!"

As Rising Dusk King a low shout, Xu Bai noticed strange streams of air emanating from the soldiers in the army, swirling and shifting in the sky before finally converging together.

Everything around was becoming blurry; the enormous space disappeared, replaced by a bright grassland.

A man exuding domineering presence lay on the grass, his hands behind his head, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

His eyes held a hint of boredom and a hint of helplessness.

The clouds in the sky were drifting slowly, bringing a pleasant mood, but they couldn't change the look of helplessness in the man's eyes.

After a while, footsteps were heard from the side.

The man got up from the ground, looked at the person next to him, and said with a sneer, "Brother, we sneaked out for a trip this time. Why are you still acting like an emperor? You should act like an ordinary person like me."

Standing next to the man was an ordinary-looking man.

He was wearing a linen garment, which even had some holes, but on this man, it looked like a gorgeous dress.

An air of nobility emanated from this man. Even a glance from afar conveyed the fear of a subordinate facing a superior, and the panic of having one's life and death held in the other's hands.

Xu Bai was slightly taken aback. "The Emperor?"

If he couldn't understand such an obvious conversation, he would truly be a fool. The man's identity was already quite clear: he was the emperor.

If this person is the emperor, then the man with a blade of grass in his mouth is undoubtedly the one who can converse so casually with the emperor.

—King Rising Dusk King.

In the scene, the emperor of the Great Chu Kingdom walked up to the man with grass in his mouth, slowly sat down, and sighed, "You, I have searched the entire Great Chu, traversed countless mountains, and crossed endless forests, but I still have no way to cure you."

His words were filled with helplessness, yet also tinged with reluctance.

"It's alright, brother." Rising Dusk King spat out the grass in his mouth and said with a grin, "If I die, just help me kill the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yue Kingdom. After all, he played dirty tricks on me, and I dislike people like that the most."

The emperor lowered his head and continued to sigh, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been poisoned by them, suffering this incurable injury and losing your life."

"So what? The Celestial Poison is all about one for one. If I traded with their Unrivaled Marshal, we'd all be equal," Rising Dusk King continued, seemingly not taking these matters seriously at all.

For them, life and death are often disregarded, and they take everything lightly.

Silence fell over the grassland. Neither of them spoke. Apart from the white clouds drifting slowly in the sky, everything seemed peaceful and quiet. It was indeed the perfect place for a relaxing life.

Rising Dusk King then lay back, looking at the white clouds in the sky. "Brother, I've spent half my life on the battlefield, all for the sake of building a peaceful and prosperous world. Don't let me down."

His words carried a hint of admonition.

Only he dared to tell the emperor that if it were anyone else, even a high-ranking general, the emperor would not hesitate to behead him.

After hearing Rising Dusk King's words, the emperor did not speak, but kept his head down, as if he was thinking about something.

Although Rising Dusk King was born into the military and spent his days in the ranks, serving in the army for half his life, he was a meticulous person.

In just that brief moment, he could tell that the emperor had something on his mind, and it was something significant.

"What are you thinking about?" Rising Dusk King frowned.

"Can you die first?" the emperor suddenly asked. "Take your most prized army and fake your death together."

Rising Dusk King was slightly taken aback, then scratched his head, clearly not understanding what the sentence meant.

"I will use the Ghost Sculptor to seal all your life force, keeping you in this state but unable to recover," the Emperor said slowly. "During this period of your feigned death, I will spread the news of your death and find someone to use a blood transfusion to remove the Celestial Poison from your body. Ten thousand soldiers will be made into terracotta warriors to pretend to be buried with you."

After hearing what the emperor said, Rising Dusk King was stunned for a long time. Clearly, the shock was too great for him to process.

After a moment, Rising Dusk King recovered from his shock and shook his head.

"Clay sculpture can at most delay, but it cannot last forever."

He was telling the truth; if it could last forever, then the abilities of this profession would be truly extraordinary.

"I will find the person you need in the shortest possible time, and may even limit his strength to the sixth rank, so that he can be effective without causing any damage," the emperor said, emphasizing each word.

To everyone's surprise, Rising Dusk King shook his head, indicating that he was unwilling.

"If I were to let someone else's life save mine, I wouldn't be the so-called Rising Dusk King. I'm the kind of person who only protects others. I've protected the people of the world my whole life, so how could I possibly harm them?"

The emperor stood up.

"And what about those who have committed heinous crimes?"

"No, I don't want to get my hands on the blood of people like that."

"What if it were my children?"

"No? Wait, what did you say, bro!"

Rising Dusk King also stood up, looking directly at the emperor with a look of doubt and confusion in his eyes.

He even doubted whether he had misheard.

The emperor's children? That's going too far.

"Brother, since you took office, I have noticed many things you have done, but I have always believed that you are doing it for the sake of the people of this world, so no matter what you do, I will support you unconditionally." Rising Dusk King said slowly, "But I cannot agree with what you just said."

In his mind, those children were all the emperor's own flesh and blood, and now he needed to use his children to save him. Considering this, he felt extremely unwilling.

He's lived an upright life, so why does he need a junior to save him now? If word gets out, how will he ever be able to hold his head high again?

"You think the method of changing poison is so easy? If you don't have royal blood, your strength will be greatly reduced after the switch, and you might even experience rejection, ultimately leading to your death," the emperor explained.

Rising Dusk King shook his head repeatedly. "Brother, I don't have many days left to live. Just let me die in peace. I have to leave you some descendants."

"Can you let me finish what I have to say?" the emperor said earnestly.

After careful consideration, Rising Dusk King decided to listen.

But his mind was made up; he would never agree to this.

The emperor held up three fingers and said, "This is a win-win-win situation, and it will also greatly benefit the people of the world."

"Firstly, although the Great Chu Kingdom has been established, it is surrounded by Barbarians on the outside and the Great Yue Kingdom is eyeing it covetously. On the inside, the Jianghu is unstable, with demons and monsters running rampant everywhere and evil spirits and heretics running rampant."

"If you live, the Great Yue Kingdom and the barbarians will not dare to set foot in the Great Chu. Is this a good thing? And will it bring peace to the people of the world?"

After saying this, the emperor fell silent, seemingly waiting for Rising Dusk King's reply.

After pondering for a long time, Rising Dusk King finally nodded with difficulty.

Putting aside other factors, what the emperor said was indeed correct.

If he were present, the might of the army would be enough to intimidate them.

If he dies, although the Great Yue Kingdom will not dare to attack rashly, it will still be eyeing him covetously.

"Secondly," the emperor said, raising a second finger as his younger brother agreed. "I will not put the Tiger Seal into the Imperial Treasury. During your period of feigned death, I will let the military generals know, giving them something to look forward to: that I can give away the Tiger Seal at any time, and they will work even harder."

"Their hard work will allow me to better secure the borders. Isn't that a second benefit?"

Rising Dusk King: "..."

Although he didn't agree, it was clear that he tacitly agreed.

That's absolutely right. If he really died and didn't come back to life, he could still do his best to stabilize the border during this time with the Tiger Seal, and at the same time find a loyal person.

The emperor smiled and held up his third finger, "Thirdly, I want to test the loyalty of the entire royal family."

At this point, his gaze turned cold.

"I have nine children, each one exceptional, but I do not know their hearts. I will use this as an opportunity to test their loyalty. If they are not loyal, they will be the instruments of your resurrection."

"But this has nothing to do with the common people." Rising Dusk King seemed to have finally found a point of rebuttal and quickly said.

Once he had a point to refute, he was able to argue his point, even though, in his memory, he had never won a verbal argument.

"I will die, and you will die, but these mountains and rivers, this sky and this earth, will not die," the emperor said slowly. "If I were to die, would I abdicate the throne?"

Rising Dusk King thought for a moment and nodded.

"If I were to pass the throne to a person of dishonest character, would the Great Chu Kingdom still be able to survive?" the emperor continued.

Rising Dusk King pondered, then shook his head and nodded. "I don't know if it can continue to exist, but the people will definitely not have a good time."

Why did you nod?

A person with poor character is not necessarily without rights and wisdom. On the contrary, their potential and wisdom can be brought to their fullest extent, even more so than those with kind hearts. This is why Rising Dusk King nodded.

As for why he shook his head, the reason is quite simple.

Perhaps the Great Chu Kingdom can be governed well, but whether the people can live in peace is another matter.

Ability is not everything.

"Then I can use this method to verify whether the chances of a disloyal person being disloyal can be reduced even further?" The emperor continued, "This can also be considered a righteous act of killing one's own relatives for the sake of the elders."

Rising Dusk King said helplessly, "If it is really as you say, then I will agree."

Using disloyal and unrighteous offspring as sacrifices is considered a way of cleaning up one's own house and putting kinship aside, and it doesn't necessarily mean there's any estrangement.

The emperor smiled, knowing his brother's personality well; he knew he could persuade him in just a few words.

Next, they explained their detailed plan one by one and began communicating on the grassland.

When Xu Bai and the others saw their so-called plan, everyone turned their attention to Yun Zihai, revealing an expression of understanding.

By this time, they had figured everything out.

The Eighth Prince's book was a gift from the Emperor.

The poor Eighth Prince, even on his deathbed, still believed that he had discovered it all himself.

As for Yun Zihai, he was merely there to make everything seem more successful.

First, we must get the Eighth Prince to find the contents of the book; second, we must make things less easy for Eighth Prince.

The only surviving craftsman was appointed by the emperor.

The craftsman discovered the Thousand-Faced Fox and brought it before the Eighth Prince, and everything fell into place naturally.

Most importantly, it was necessary to put pressure on the Eighth Prince, which led to the Yun Zihai incident.

The Emperor orchestrated the Emperor's actions, which led the Eighth Prince to believe that Yun Zihai had information, and even had Yun Zihai investigate the Eighth Prince.

In the emperor's mind, there were at most two possible scenarios.

Firstly, Yun Zihai's inability to find clues will put pressure on the Eighth Prince and allow everything to proceed smoothly afterward.

Secondly, Yun Zihai has found a clue, but he will inevitably encounter obstacles along the way.

As for what the obstacle is, it's the Ghost Sculptor.

Even the Ghost Sculptor was one of the emperor's men.

The purpose was to stop Yun Zihai at the most crucial moment, since in the emperor's mind, the Ghost Sculptor was stronger than Yun Zihai.

Of course, the Ghost Sculptor had already received orders not to kill Yun Zihai.

After all, the emperor cherishes talent, and he wouldn't let Yun Zihai die.

However, a major mistake occurred.

That is, Xu Bai and his group also joined in, and put some pressure on the Ghost Sculptor.

At that time, the Ghost Sculptor couldn't communicate with the emperor, for fear of being discovered.

It was at that time that the Ghost Sculptor had an idea: in order to complete the emperor's grand plan, he would secretly decide to kill everyone.

It was around that time that a series of events occurred. If Xu Bai hadn't been so skilled, they would have really been doomed.

The emperor's scheme was incredibly sophisticated, so sophisticated that the entire Ghost Sculptor family was controlled by the Eighth Prince and even perished.

He also incorporated this kind of sculpted layout, reminiscent of Ghost Sculptor, into other members of the royal family in various forms.

If any one of them shows emotions similar to those of the Eighth Prince, they will embark on this path.

Unfortunately, only the world where the Eighth Prince was injured was achieved.

This plan has come to an end.

But the scene continued.

After the emperor and Rising Dusk King finished discussing the plan, they looked at each other and fell into a tacit silence.

"Do you think I'm terrifying? I've long lost the magnanimity we had when we first met, and instead become a scheming villain?" the emperor suddenly sighed.

"If you want to be a king for a lifetime, you have to go through these things. That's why I don't want to be one. I don't think you're scary. On the contrary, I'm your strongest support." Rising Dusk King shook his head and said.

This answer did not surprise the emperor, who smiled broadly upon hearing it.

"If only there were another cup of wine," the emperor said, as if recalling many things.

"Come back to the army with me later, and we'll drink our fill," said Rising Dusk King.

The emperor nodded and took two steps.

He regained that aloof and noble air, making people afraid to approach him and only able to bow down and submit.

The surrounding wind blew, causing waves to rise and fall on the grassland. As the wind intensified, the waves grew larger and larger, spreading as far as the eye could see.

Rising Dusk King figure, he felt that the emperor appeared very tired in his presence.

The emperor put his hands behind his back and looked up at the white clouds in the sky.

The white clouds meet the grassland, forming a line between heaven and earth.

Words came from the emperor's mouth, his voice carrying an extremely deep tone.

"My brother and I started from humble beginnings and depended on each other for survival. We have been through countless life-and-death situations together."

"You took two hundred and twenty-eight blows for me, and I took three hundred and sixty-one blows for you. There is no bond in this world stronger than that between brothers."

"I have changed. I have become more cunning and have no trust in anything in the world. This is because I must protect the common people of the Great Chu Kingdom."

"You know, back then, we couldn't even get enough to eat, and that's why we decided to rebel immediately."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Rising Dusk King silently stood up, walked to the emperor's side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. He then placed his hand on the emperor's shoulder and gently patted it.

I understand.

They had been through thick and thin together, and he knew his older brother better than anyone else.

The emperor turned his head and looked directly at Rising Dusk King, his eyes filled with determination.

"In this world, I don't trust anyone, but there is one person I can trust, and that is you."

Rising Dusk King and the Emperor stared at each other.

A moment later, the two looked at each other and smiled.

"If I survive, the borders of Great Chu will survive as long as I live." Rising Dusk King no longer had the calm and composed aura he once possessed; an overbearing aura rose from him, stirring up the heavens and the earth.

When domineering and noble qualities intertwine, everything in the world, whether it be the blue sky or the green grass, pales in comparison.

At this point, the image disappeared, and everything returned to calm.

Rising Dusk King around and looked at Xu Bai, saying, "Is there anything else you don't understand?"

"No, but I have a question: why does Your Prince still look like the Eighth Prince?" Xu Bai asked.

According to what was shown in the previous scene, the Celestial Poison was introduced simply through the blood relationship of the same clan.

But why did Rising Dusk King's appearance change?

This isn't a case of possession or resurrection, so how could anything change?

"I simply want to see who has betrayed the royal family of the Great Chu Kingdom," Rising Dusk King said slowly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Rising Dusk King's appearance began to change.

The image of the Eighth Prince disappeared, and in his place was the man in the picture.

An immeasurable aura of dominance rose from Rising Dusk King, filling the entire space and giving people a sense of awe.

"I lack a man of both courage and wisdom under my command. Would you be willing to become my deputy general, fight alongside me, and protect the common people?" King Rising Dusk King suddenly reached out to Xu Bai, his domineering aura vanishing completely, replaced by an eagerness to find talent.

Xu Bai's lips twitched as he said, "Thank you for Prince kind words, Your Highness, but I am not a person who is used to being restrained, and I am just a minor eighth-rank expert. I am not worthy of Your Prince's attention."

The sudden recruitment not only caught Xu Bai off guard, but also shocked everyone present.

Qing Xue nudged Xu Bai, giving him a meaningful look.

Judging from her expression, it seemed she really hoped Xu Bai would agree.

To become a subordinate of Rising Dusk King, and to be given the position of deputy general is no ordinary soldier.

If there are people from Jianghu here, they will definitely be able to fight for this position. After all, this is a good thing when chickens and dogs rise to heaven.

But Qing Xue really didn't expect that Xu Bai would refuse so directly and so decisively.

What others see as an opportunity to soar to great heights is, in Xu Bai's eyes, insignificant.

Outrageous!

Not only Qing Xue, but everyone else also turned their attention to this, with similar intentions to Qing Xue.

This is Rising Dusk King!

He was truly second only to the emperor, above all others.

An opportunity I could only dream of!

However, none of them spoke, since it was Xu Bai's own idea and they didn't want to interfere.

"Eighth rank?" Rising Dusk King smiled and said meaningfully, "What I value is your eighth rank. All your companions combined probably wouldn't be enough for you to fight with one hand. Don't be modest, what I said is absolutely true."

Having said all that, Xu Bai naturally didn't mince words, but he still refused.

"Whatever you want, I can give you—divine weapons, elixirs, secret manuals—take whatever you want from the treasure vault," Rising Dusk King continued.

When this condition was presented, everyone present stared wide-eyed.

If the initial condition was enough to cause martial arts practitioners to fight tooth and nail, then the current condition will likely cause a huge shock throughout the entire martial arts world.

The martial world will always be just the martial world. Whether it is the strongest Confucianism, Buddhism, or Daoism in the Great Chu, or various prestigious families, they must all bow their noble heads before the royal family.

The Imperial Treasury —a sacred place I've always dreamed of.

Most importantly, you can take whatever you want.

This was a very difficult condition to refuse, but Xu Bai still shook his head.

"There must be others stronger than me. Why not use this treatment to attract even stronger people?" Xu Bai said slowly, "I yearn for a different kind of life. Your Prince, please don't force me."

When those words were spoken, everyone present did the same thing: they touched their foreheads, looking very uncomfortable.

They all knew Xu Bai had a free-spirited personality, but they never imagined he would be this free-spirited.

To be honest, Xu Bai was really tempted the moment this condition was offered. Don't forget, those cultivation manuals in the Imperial Treasury could very well trigger the progress bar.

But after thinking about it again, he gave up on the idea and finally shook his head and refused.

The reason is simple.

Firstly, given his current strength, he doesn't want to get involved in things beyond his capabilities; otherwise, he might end up with money but no life to enjoy it.

Secondly, and most importantly, there are countless people with special abilities in this world, and experts are as numerous as carp crossing a river.

If he develops quietly on his own, he can keep the secret of his cheat ability to a great extent. However, if he goes out into a wider range and communicates with more and more complex people, then his secret is at risk of being discovered.

His golden touch is everything; it's the true source of his success.

Looking at the emperor, the plans we see in the scene give the impression of being extremely cunning and calculating.

If you don't have strong resources to fight against this kind of old fox, you might become someone else's pawn, or even expose your own situation.

Rising Dusk King was domineering and unparalleled. He seemed to spend his entire life on the battlefield, and his personality appeared to be very simple on the surface.

But his meticulous attention to detail is evident in his interactions with the emperor.

Xu Bai felt that it was still too dangerous to get involved with these things now.

"Alas, a general is hard to find." Rising Dusk King sighed. "What I value is your potential, not your strength. It's a pity you're unwilling."

As he spoke, Rising Dusk King seemed unwilling to continue the conversation, so he took out a jade token from his waist and tossed it into Xu Bai's hand.

Xu Bai took it and examined it carefully from head to toe.

Smooth as jade, it is engraved with various intricate patterns.

"If you change your mind, take this jade token, go to the Capital City and find the emperor. My army's gates will be open to you," Rising Dusk King said boldly.

Xu Bai was slightly surprised.

This behavior actually increased his favorability towards him.

He thought that Rising Dusk King would at least appear very angry, but to his surprise, he didn't care at all and even gave him such generous conditions.

"Do you think I would be angry?" King Rising Dusk King looked at Xu Bai and laughed loudly. "I am very open-minded about talent. If you cannot be used by me, as long as you do not do anything to harm the Great Chu Kingdom, I will not mind at all."

"Thank you, Your Prince." Xu Bai put away the jade token in his hand and bowed.

Regardless, Rising Dusk King's magnanimity is truly commendable.

Rising Dusk King stopped speaking and looked up, his gaze gradually focusing.

"Alright, that's enough said. Now it's time to go upstairs and see that old friend. She's been waiting for a long time."

"Old friend?" After those words were uttered, everyone present was completely bewildered.

"You will all be watching from the sidelines in a moment. Our battle will be of great benefit to you."

Rising Dusk King spoke slowly, waving his sleeves to those around him.