Inside the imperial palace, after several days of quarrelling, the Emperor felt as though his head were splitting and his strength utterly drained.
From time to time, he pressed a hand to his forehead as Zhu Xuanye accompanied him to a palace in the deepest part of the imperial grounds.
The two had dismissed everyone else and come alone.
Crack!
The instant they approached the palace, its great doors swung open.
With solemn expressions and deep respect, the two slowly entered the palace.
Before long, an old man appeared before them.
"Greetings, Ancestor."
The two performed a grand bow, their expressions reverent.
"Rise."
The old man spoke softly, like an ordinary commoner.
"Thank you, Ancestor."
The old man studied the two of them before slowly withdrawing his gaze.
"Have you come because something threatens the realm?"
the old man asked.
He knew that unless matters had reached a life-or-death juncture, the two would not have come to disturb him.
The Emperor steeled himself and explained the matter.
"Ancestor, Prince Fu's Residence has colluded with the Northern Liang Royal Residence, while the various forces..."
The Emperor told the old man everything about Great Yan's situation and how forces such as the Profound Heart Sect had joined together to pressure them.
After he finished, the great hall fell silent. No one spoke.
After a moment, the old man said, "I understand. These old bones of mine can still make one move. I will deal with Prince Fu, that unfilial descendant."
At those words, grief welled up in both Zhu Xuanye and the Emperor, and shame covered their faces.
The old man was the Imperial Clan's final trump card, a Divine Repository Realm expert.
Many years ago, he had suffered fatal injuries while battling enemies and had never been able to recover.
For