The Crown Prince is often ill; you must strive harder

"Does my breaking through two realms in a single day really give Third-Place Qi that much of a boost?"

Lianshan Xin forced himself to remain calm, trying to bluff his way through.

Heavenly Sword glanced at Lianshan Xin, hesitating to speak.

In the end, he decided to give the boy a wake-up call, lest he grow blindly arrogant.

"Third-Place Qi's advancement probably had nothing to do with you."

"Huh?"

Lianshan Xin was stunned.

Nothing to do with me?

How could that be?

Dai Yueying's bones aren't even cold yet. Lord Heavenly Sword, if you say that, she won't be able to rest in peace.

"What do you mean, my lord?" Lianshan Xin asked.

Heavenly Sword hesitated again.

In principle, he should not have undermined Qi Shiyun.

But he had not expected Lianshan Xin to be so unremarkable yet so self-assured, attributing Qi Shiyun's accomplishments and advancement directly to himself.

Once someone's understanding went awry, many of their actions could easily become distorted.

With Lianshan Xin's best interests in mind, Heavenly Sword still revealed some inside information to him. "You aren't the only Chosen One Son of Heaven Shiyun has taken an interest in."

Lianshan Xin said, "...How many Chosen One Sons of Heaven has Third-Place Qi cultivated?"

"As far as I know, you're the ninety-first. Her code name for you is Young Master Xin 91."

Lianshan Xin's whole body trembled.

Was this reasonable?

Could talents like Old James really be found everywhere?

And she actually ranked me ninety-first.

This is slander against my reputation.

I always turn the lights off when I do it.

Even with the lights on, I never record anything.

Heavenly Sword saw Lianshan Xin's disbelief and understood it perfectly.

He had reacted the same way when he first learned that Qi Shiyun was casting her net so wide.

"Don't be sad. That's how your Chosen of Heaven lineage works. Shiyun also learned from her master's mistakes."

Lianshan Xin struggled to contain his "sadness."

Pulling himself together, he began asking about the inside story of his lineage. "My lord, what happened to our lineage head?"

"Old Xie cultivated thirty-six people back then. Only Shiyun amounted to anything and fought her way out. The other thirty-five all died. Your lineage is always getting caught in other people's schemes. If Shiyun had died in one too, Old Xie would have died along with her. That's the downside of having so few people."

Lianshan Xin felt a blast of cold wind sweep over him.

He caught Heavenly Sword's unspoken implication. "My lord, how did those thirty-five people die?"

Heavenly Sword looked at Lianshan Xin with eyes full of appreciation.

"Five were killed by the Demon Cult, and five died on the battlefield."

Lianshan Xin did not so much as blink.

Those were deaths in the line of duty. There was nothing to say about that.

"Another ten died in the Succession Struggle back then. After His Majesty ascended the throne, he gave them lavish burials and treated their families well."

Lianshan Xin's expression remained unchanged. There was nothing to say about that either.

Their lineage had to participate in the Succession Struggle. Victory meant soaring straight into the heavens; defeat meant having all Nine Clans wiped out. They were responsible for their own choices, and life and death were in fate's hands. There was nothing wrong with that. Any adult should be prepared for it.

"The deaths of the remaining fifteen were somewhat strange. Ten of them died in the Divine Capital for all sorts of reasons."

"Right under the emperor's nose, ten core members of the Nine Heavens died inexplicably?" Lianshan Xin questioned.

Heavenly Sword explained patiently, "Not inexplicably. Each of those ten Chosen One Sons of Heaven who died in the Divine Capital had a cause of death. Three suffered cultivation deviation, three were poisoned, and the other four chose to hang themselves."

Lianshan Xin felt a chill. "My lord, does that explanation make any sense? Are those things supposed to happen in the foremost city of virtue, right under the emperor's nose?"

Heavenly Sword patted Lianshan Xin's shoulder and consoled him. "It's the foremost city of virtue for our Eight Lineages. Your lineage is the odd one out."

Lianshan Xin spoke honestly. "My lord, you really know how to comfort someone."

"I really am comforting you. Those ten Chosen One Sons of Heaven who died in the Divine Capital at least had clear official causes of death, even if you refuse to believe them. As for the other five Chosen One Sons of Heaven who died elsewhere, their causes of death still haven't been determined."

Lianshan Xin's face paled slightly. "Even with the Nine Heavens' power and influence, they couldn't find out?"

Heavenly Sword answered honestly, "We can't investigate everything, can we? What if we actually uncovered something?"

Lianshan Xin had nothing to say.

"In short, Shiyun is the only seedling Old Xie has left now. If she hadn't applied to travel on official business herself, Old Xie would never have let her come to Jiangzhou. His life is now tied to hers. Shiyun is actually in great danger. She might even be hunted down by a Great Grandmaster on the Heaven Ranking."

Lianshan Xin began to worry about Qi Shiyun's safety.

My angel investor has to stay alive.

"It seems Third-Place Qi is the key to our lineage's survival."

"Correct."

Heavenly Sword explained on Qi Shiyun's behalf, "Shiyun knows that herself, so she has to cultivate more Chosen One Sons of Heaven and do her best to keep you from all dying out, lest she end up in the same predicament as Old Xie. Because she cultivates so many people, her own cultivation advances quickly too. Of course, the trouble is greater as well. She's always having to help those people deal with their problems."

"I more or less understand now. It seems Third-Place Qi's breakthrough really had nothing to do with me."

Lianshan Xin was pleased to have cleared himself of any connection.

But he did not like the current state of their lineage that Heavenly Sword had revealed.

It left him with an intense sense of insecurity.

He had to improve his ability to protect himself as quickly as possible.

At that thought, Lianshan Xin spoke again. "My lord, are you close to the Golden Scale Alliance?"

Heavenly Sword was somewhat surprised. "What do you mean?"

Lianshan Xin answered honestly, "I want to improve my strength quickly, so I'll inevitably have to do some major things that shake Jiangzhou. My investigations suggest that the Golden Scale Alliance may be harboring members of the Demon Cult. Thousand Faces might even be taking refuge there. If the Golden Scale Alliance isn't under your command, my lord, I may strike with a heavy fist."

First, I need to see whether the Golden Scale Alliance has Heavenly Sword backing it.

That's very important.

Heavenly Sword's gaze grew strange as he looked at Lianshan Xin.

"I'm not close to the Golden Scale Alliance, but I know its origins."

Lianshan Xin perked up. "That's precisely what I hoped you could explain, my lord."

"Consort Shu in the palace is the Jiangzhou Governor's elder sister."

Heavenly Sword began with something that seemed unrelated.

Lianshan Xin nodded. "I know that."

After all, he had lived in Jiangzhou City for eighteen years and knew something of the governor's background.

Heavenly Sword continued, "Consort Shu bore His Majesty a son, the Second Prince, who currently enjoys the greatest prominence in the Divine Capital."

Lianshan Xin blinked. "Is the Second Prince very capable?"

Heavenly Sword's tone was calm. "He excels in both civil governance and military strategy. He is praised at court and beyond, far surpassing the Crown Prince."

Lianshan Xin's question went straight to the heart of the matter. "What is His Majesty's attitude toward the Second Prince?"

Heavenly Sword's tone changed. "His Majesty said, 'The Crown Prince is often ill; you must strive harder.'"

Lianshan Xin narrowed his eyes slightly.

How vicious those words were!

"After His Majesty said that, the Golden Scale Alliance began expanding aggressively. Lianshan Xin, do you understand?"