Prince Qing Dies of Illness, Leaving Final Instructions

The next day, Qin Yi prepared his things early and headed for Jade Balance Peak. It was where the Eight Gods Pavilion raised its spirit beasts, and the giant eagle Zhao Qian had ridden to bring him to the Eight Gods Pavilion had come from there.

After arriving at Jade Balance Peak, Qin Yi went straight to the rental station and showed his personal disciple token to the disciple on duty. The disciple saluted him and handed him a jade pendant. All the mounts were on the back mountain, and he could choose whichever he wanted with the token.

"The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here is quite abundant, only a little less than in the bamboo grove," Qin Yi murmured. The bamboo grove had a Spirit Gathering Formation set up by Song Qi, after all. He couldn't help thinking that, if his talent hadn't been so outstanding, he might have been worse off than the spirit beasts here.

"Screech!"

Standing on the giant eagle's back, Qin Yi looked down at the cities below. Thinking of the child who had pretended to be calm back then, he couldn't help laughing aloud. He really had been a little silly.

Three hours later, the imperial city he remembered from childhood appeared before him. Along the way, Qin Yi had seen the cities of countless kingdoms. By comparison, the Qin Kingdom's imperial city was about the same as a commandery city in one of those powerful nations. No wonder Zhao Qian had shown the Emperor of Qin so little respect back then. Sure enough, strength reigned supreme.

Qin Yi had the giant eagle land outside the imperial city, but there was no way such a large exotic beast could go unnoticed. People nearby began talking about it.

"Hey, Brother Gou, it's only been eight years. Do you think the immortal envoys might have come early?"

"Get out of here. When have those immortal envoys ever come without strutting around, wishing everyone in the capital knew about it? This definitely isn't one of them. It should be a sect disciple coming home to visit family."

Qin Yi told the giant eagle to stay around the imperial city and await his summons, then walked straight into the city under the onlookers' gazes. Looking at the bustling streets around him, he couldn't help exclaiming, "The mortal world really is better. The sights and sounds of everyday life-how long has it been since I last saw them?"

Although he had been away for eight years, the streets still looked somewhat as they had back then. Qin Yi followed the route he remembered to Prince Qing's residence, only to find its gates half closed. An old man dressed in sackcloth and mourning clothes was bent over, sweeping the courtyard.

Qin Yi frowned, an ominous feeling stirring in his heart. When the man turned around, Qin Yi immediately recognized him as Li Zixian, the steward of Prince Qing's residence. Aside from the emperor, the only person for whom Li Zixian would wear mourning clothes was...

Looking at the familiar residence, Qin Yi walked over to Li Zixian. "Uncle Xian, what happened?"

Li Zixian hesitated, but when he came closer and saw Qin Yi's face clearly, he stepped forward in excitement and grasped his hands. "Young master, you've finally come back. His Highness... His Highness has passed away."

Although he had already guessed as much, Qin Yi still found it hard to believe once it was confirmed. His father, Prince Qing, had been fairly robust when Qin Yi left, with no serious illness. Could someone have harmed him?

"Uncle Xian, please calm down. What exactly happened? My father was in good health when I left. How could he-"

Li Zixian wiped away his tears and ushered Qin Yi into the residence. Seeing the once fairly lively Prince Qing's residence so desolate now, Qin Yi felt awful too.

"After you left, young master, His Highness worried that you would be bullied if your talent wasn't good enough. He was overjoyed when he heard that an expert had taken you as a disciple. But in the second year after you left, His Highness changed."

"In that second year, His Highness stopped taking his birds out and watching beast fights. He hardly even went to listen to music anymore. He spent all day drinking in the residence. Then, last year, His Highness suddenly felt unwell and began coughing up mouthfuls of blood. The doctors we brought in all said he had damaged his health by drinking too much."

"If His Highness had listened to the doctors, taken some medicine and exercised more, he could still have nursed himself back to health. But he refused. He said the medicine was too bitter, that he didn't want to exercise, and insisted on drinking. He said that after you left, he..."

"What happened to him? Tell me!" Seeing Li Zixian suddenly stop, Qin Yi shouted sharply.

Startled by Qin Yi, Li Zixian staggered back several steps. His face went pale, and he gritted his teeth. "His Highness said that after you left, he no longer knew what to do with himself all day. He had nothing to occupy him, like a bird in one of his cages. Only when he was drunk could he see you and Her Highness in his dreams."

Qin Yi turned away, his fists clenched tight. "Where was my father buried?"

"In the imperial mausoleum. His Majesty had His Highness buried together with Her Highness."

"Why didn't you notify me?"

Sensing Qin Yi's killing aura, Li Zixian said in a trembling voice, "We had no way to contact you. Before he died, His Highness begged His Majesty not to send word to you."

Qin Yi waved his hand. "You may go."

Only after Li Zixian withdrew did Qin Yi wipe his eyes and turn toward Prince Qing's study. Looking at the ornaments inside, unchanged for eight years, he sat down at Prince Qing's desk and looked toward the window. From this seat, one could see him playing outside back then. Presumably, Prince Qing had watched Qin Yi just like this.

After leaving the study, Qin Yi entered his own room. Even now, it was spotless, and the ornaments stood exactly where they had when he left, showing how much care Prince Qing had taken.

Qin Yi walked to the bed and pried up a brick beneath it. It was where he had hidden his toys back then. He took out a wooden box, but now his brow furrowed. Why hadn't the box rotted after all these years? There was even very little dust on it.

Qin Yi sat on the bed and opened the wooden box. The first thing he saw was not a childhood toy, but a letter-a letter Prince Qing had written to him.