"Brother Yaoxi!"

Zhu Yougui was the leader of the Xuanming Cult, known as the Underworld Emperor. It was certainly an imposing title, but he himself was a dwarf less than a meter tall, with the appearance of a child and not a trace of manly bearing.

His face was deathly pale, and two pitch-black eyes were set in his sockets. There was no white in them at all; they looked like a pair of black cat's-eye stones. His terrifying, bizarre face could make even a baby stop crying.

Of course, there was a reason Zhu Yougui had become so grotesque.

The Xuanming Cult's supreme art was the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Skill. It was supremely yin and wicked, a peerless art of the age, with power enough to sweep all before it.

But to cultivate this skill, one had to practice both volumes together. If one trained in only a single volume, not only would one fail to reach the highest realm, but one would also suffer a cultivation deviation and become neither human nor ghost.

Zhu Yougui had skipped the first volume of the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Skill, Nine Nether, and forcibly cultivated the second volume, Xuantian. That was why he had suffered a cultivation deviation and become a dwarf.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youning felt a little regret.

Though the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Skill was a peerless martial art of the age, no one had been able to cultivate the complete skill.

The first half of the technique, Nine Nether, belonged to Ghost King Zhu Youwen, while the second half, Xuantian, belonged to Underworld Emperor Zhu Yougui. Unfortunately, the brothers had been at odds for a long time, and neither was willing to share the technique he possessed. As a result, neither could make the slightest further progress in martial arts, let alone master the complete Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Skill.

Fighting among brothers under one roof, to the amusement of outsiders!

"My dear younger brother, at last I've finally seen you."

Seeing Zhu Youning enter the hall, Zhu Yougui flashed forward and appeared before him in an instant.

What incredible speed! Zhu Youning couldn't even make out how he had moved!

Zhu Youning had witnessed Zhu Yougui shift forms and change places with his own eyes. He was secretly startled, but kept his emotions off his face.

Since Zhu Yougui was acting like a close and gracious elder brother, he couldn't fall behind. Smiling, he replied, "Brother Yaoxi, it's been so long. I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

Yaoxi was Zhu Yougui's courtesy name, as well as his childhood nickname.

When they were young, Zhu Wen's and Zhu Cun's sons had all played together. Back then, the cousins' relationships hadn't been so strained, and most of them called Zhu Yougui Yaoxi.

The name took Zhu Yougui by surprise. He couldn't help taking another look at Zhu Youning.

He had spent decades in the gloomy Xuanming Cult. His cousins and brothers from childhood had long since become strangers, and some had even turned against one another. How could he still expect to hear someone call him "Brother Yaoxi" so warmly?

Whether Zhu Youning had used the name deliberately, or had some other motive, Zhu Yougui was nonetheless deeply moved.

Sadly, ever since he began cultivating the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Skill, those days had been gone for good.

"How nostalgic. I remember that back then, Younger Brother Ning had no love for warfare and was most fond of reading. You were always pestering Jing Xiang to teach you the Four Books and Five Classics. Who would have thought that you'd become a general leading troops into battle?"

Zhu Youning was taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhu Yougui to remember their childhood. But a moment later, he smiled again. "In these chaotic times, the Four Books and Five Classics are of little use. Becoming a general was a choice forced on me by circumstance. If peace ever returns to the realm, I'll pick up my books again and seek out the talented men of the world."

Zhu Yougui laughed in a shrill voice like a child's. "Do you really mean that, Younger Brother Ning?"

Zhu Youning smiled. "My ambitions are simple. I want to lie around in my spare time, read when I'm in the mood, and, best of all, have money I can never spend, delicacies I can never finish, and fine wine I can never drink enough of."

As he spoke, Zhu Youning did his best to avoid bringing up women.

Because Zhu Yougui had become so grotesque after cultivating the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Skill, he had lost the ability to be a man. No matter how much he might have wanted a woman, he was powerless.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons Zhu Wen disliked his eldest son.

Even if Zhu Yougui became emperor, he would have no heir.

Zhu Yougui held his two short arms behind his back, doing his best to put on the air of an adult. "Now that Younger Brother Ning has taken up the post of Pinglu Jiedushi, and the Pinglu Garrison covers such a vast territory, I doubt you'll have much time to relax."

"Brother Yaoxi is right. That's why I came to Luoyang."

"Oh?" Zhu Yougui glanced at Zhu Youning from the corner of his eye.

Looking lazy, Zhu Youning said, "I came to Luoyang to spare Wang Shifan's life. He knows Pinglu's affairs well, after all. If I have him manage them for me, I can be a hands-off prince and enjoy a peaceful life."

"Does Younger Brother Ning truly have no other thoughts?"

Zhu Youning knew Zhu Yougui was probing him. Smiling, he said, "My dear elder brother, what a roundabout way of putting it. I'll be frank: I have neither the desire nor the standing to compete with you. In my view, Brother Yaoxi is the Emperor's eldest son and has rendered great service to Great Liang. The position of heir apparent belongs to you and you alone. If Prince Bo and Prince Jun fight you for it, only our enemies will rejoice while our own kin suffer, and we'll become the laughingstock of outsiders."

Zhu Yougui was pleased to hear this. No one disliked a compliment, not even Zhu Yougui, the exalted Underworld Emperor of the Xuanming Cult.

In truth, he didn't really believe Zhu Youning would compete with him for the position of heir apparent. No matter how much Zhu Wen favored Zhu Youning, and no matter how high his official rank, he was still only Zhu Wen's nephew.

If he truly wanted to ascend the throne as crown prince, all three of Zhu Wen's own sons would have to die!

A son's claim to succession always took precedence over a nephew's, no matter how favored that nephew might be.

But all three of Zhu Wen's sons dying was clearly impossible!

At least, Zhu Yougui believed no one in the realm could kill him!

As long as he lived, and the second son, Zhu Youwen, and the third son, Zhu Youzhen, lived, Zhu Youning would never sit upon the throne as crown prince.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yougui let down some of his guard toward Zhu Youning. "You're right, Younger Brother Ning. Sharing a roof but not a heart only makes outsiders laugh. Why should brothers torment one another? If Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang had joined forces back then, who knows whether Cao Cao could have unified Hebei? But some people don't see it that way."

The words were clearly pointed. Zhu Youning didn't need to think twice to know that Zhu Yougui was alluding to Zhu Youwen.

Underworld Emperor Zhu Yougui and Ghost King Zhu Youwen were the Xuanming Cult's top two leaders, and they were brothers, but their relationship was far from cordial.

Then Zhu Yougui began to complain. "Besides, I preside over the Xuanming Cult's main headquarters in Luoyang and am rarely in Bian Prefecture. I can scarcely keep abreast of court affairs. If treacherous ministers spread slander, there's little I can do about it."

That was plainly nonsense.

Zhu Youning was certain that if anything stirred in the court in Bian Prefecture, Zhu Yougui would be the first to know.

His source of information was Zhang Zhenniang, who served at Zhu Wen's side.

Zhang Zhenniang was Zhu Yougui's wife. Although he had sent her to serve Zhu Wen and attend to him, she still secretly passed information to Zhu Yougui.

After all, if Zhu Yougui became emperor, wouldn't she become empress?

But since Zhu Yougui was putting on an act, Zhu Youning couldn't call him out. Instead, he played along, thumping his chest as he said, "Don't worry, Brother Yaoxi. If treacherous ministers spout nonsense at court, I, your younger brother, will see justice done for you!"

"Then I thank you, Younger Brother Ning."

And so, amid their cordial show of brotherly affection, the two talked for a full half-hour. In the end, Zhu Youning took his leave, citing the many military matters awaiting him.