This was a middle-aged man around forty years old, with a fair complexion and a slight black beard. His appearance vaguely resembled that of the Emperor of Anzhi Suleiman Klimov, but Klimov was slightly younger and had a softer face. Although he had been dead for a long time, his body was well preserved, showing no signs of decay, and was even still soft and not stiff.
"This person's strength before death was at least around the Great Sun-Rank Venerable Initial Stage, which is why his body remained incorruptible and as radiant as an ordinary person's for over a hundred years after his death. Judging from his appearance and clothing, he should be a member of the royal family of the Anzhi Empire, and it is even highly likely that he was the new emperor who took over the Anzhi Empire after the fall of Suleiman Klimov. However, this person was also considered to have a short lifespan, dying here less than half a year after becoming the emperor of a country."
Sun Fei sighed softly.
"Hmm, what's this?"
Beside the corpse, beneath the armrest of the throne, Sun Fei suddenly noticed a thin, slightly disheveled book, as if it had fallen from the corpse's hands.
I picked it up, unfolded it, and found that it was covered with a lot of information.
"Hmm, it's a diary. It records... records the rise and fall of the Anzhi Empire..." Sun Fei glanced at it briefly, but was immediately captivated by the contents and couldn't help but read on!
My name is Suleiman Donodov, a prince of the first-class empire Anzhi Empire. I am born with a noble status, a favored son of heaven, and loved by all.
Sadly, when I was three years old, my mother suddenly passed away without any warning.
From that day on, I seemed to sense that everything around me was quietly changing.
The Emperor appeared before me less and less often, and I saw him less and less often as well. Most of the maids around me were taken away, leaving only two palace maids to take care of my daily life. Those who used to surround me, telling me jokes and stories, no longer appeared... The palace grew increasingly desolate, and I was terrified.
Fortunately, I have an older brother.
His name was Suleiman Klimov, a strong and wise boy, seven years older than me, but like a real man, he provided me with a peaceful haven.
If it weren't for him, I might have died long ago: the poisoned wine at my fourth birthday party, the accidental fall when I first rode a horse at seven, the assassin when I was learning swordsmanship at nine, and the assassination attempt on me by the little girl from the Delun family who was betrothed to me since childhood...
Every time, it was my brother who saved me.
Although his situation wasn't much better than mine, and was even worse.
Many times, I saw the guards carrying my seriously injured brother to the shaman for treatment. If they hadn't arrived in time, he would have died. The most dangerous time was when my brother accidentally ate a pastry given to him by the new empress, who was my father's favorite. He immediately foamed at the mouth and fainted in the restaurant. No one paid attention to him for a whole day and night. The guards and the shaman knew where he had gone. I frantically sent people to search for him, but they couldn't find him.
I stayed with my brother in the dimly lit restaurant for a whole day and night.
That time, I thought I was going to lose the brother who loved me the most.
Fortunately, thanks to the God of Light, on the third day when Sun shone through the cracks in the window, my brother finally opened his eyes.
In an instant, all his injuries were completely healed.
He came back to life.
It was from that time on that my brother changed.
He still loves and cares for me, but I can sense that the strong, optimistic boy who would accept unfair treatment with equanimity and was kind and gentle to the guards and palace maids seems to be gradually disappearing, turning into a vicious, violent, irritable, and easily angered boy who is prone to beating and scolding... Of course, most importantly, he, who originally had only average talent, suddenly showed incredible talent in the cultivation of fire-based Dou Qi.
Only I know all of this.
My brother rarely showed off his talent in front of outsiders.
However, he would secretly teach me some martial arts techniques.
I have great talent and progress very quickly, but I can never catch up with my brother. The more my strength increases, the more I can feel the huge gap between me and my brother, as well as the existence of that terrifying power hidden in my brother's body.
Life afterward was filled with great upheaval.
Over the course of more than ten years, my brother and I faced several dangers, but he easily defused them all.
Our lives gradually improved.
Until my coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen, my brother suddenly did something extremely crazy. In front of all the royal nobles and everyone watching, he killed the new empress, whom our father loved most, with One Sword. Then he wiped out all the members of the new empress's family, as well as eleven noble ministers who had always stood with the empress's faction.
It was on that day that I realized just how terrifying the power within my brother's body truly was.
Although the aging and senile emperor was enraged like a hungry lion, roaring to kill his brother, in the end, the brother obtained everything he wanted—the position of crown prince, the loyalty of the nobles, and power over the army and finances. His strength was simply too terrifying; no one could suppress him, and even the few extremely powerful figures in the empire were unwilling to fight against such a genius.
From that day on, the empire was under the control of his brother.
On that very day, the Anzhi people embarked on their path of conquest.
"To inscribe one's own name upon the thrones of other empires, to make the entire continent tremble and worship at one's feet—that is what a true emperor should do!"
My brother often says this to me.
Eight years later, the elder brother was officially recognized by the Church, accepted the coronation of the Holy Church, inherited the throne, and became the Great Emperor.
Anzhi's army began to set off in all directions, burning, killing, and looting.
The empire's territory expanded at an unprecedented rate.
For the imperial family and nobles, this was naturally a good thing. The larger the empire's territory and the more people it governed, the greater their power, the more money, slaves, and people they acquired, the more expansive their fiefdoms became, and the higher their status in the entire Northern Region.
I don't care about these things.
What bothers me is that I see my brother smile less and less often.
As the empire's conquests grew ever more forceful, my brother seemed to grow increasingly haggard—yes, indeed haggard. To use the word "haggard" to describe a supreme powerhouse of the Blazing Sun Class with inexhaustible energy might seem a bit ridiculous, but I can't think of any other word that could accurately describe my brother's condition.
What exactly is puzzling him?
I don't know what my brother is pursuing, but whatever he does, I will support him one hundred percent. I cultivate like crazy just to be able to help him, and I would be willing to die for my brother.
Until one day, I finally discovered the incredible secret behind my brother.
Third update. Thanks for your support, brothers.