In a courtyard filled with the fragrance of flowers, Prince Qian held a bowl of smooth millet porridge, patiently feeding his new wife. Even as she grinned foolishly, letting the porridge dribble from between her protruding teeth, the prince showed no disgust. He simply wiped her face clean with a handkerchief.
The sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. A subordinate hurried over, bowing deeply, his eyes flicking toward the prince. Witnessing his lord's gentle manner, the subordinate couldn't help but feel admiration.
Prince Qian was known for his kindness to his subjects, and he possessed the strength to endure what no ordinary man could. A man of such character was surely destined for greatness.
"Reporting to Your Highness," the subordinate said, "the Li family has sent envoys to the three great powers."
At the report, Prince Qian's hand paused for just a fraction of a second before resuming its steady motion, as if even Mountion could collapse before him and he would not flinch. "You are dismissed," he said.
Only after the subordinate had withdrawn did Prince Qian slowly set the bowl aside.
"Lobbying the three great powers," he murmured, "trying to undermine my rule in the Duravia Trade Prefecture."
Prince Qian turned to the woman, his face bright with smiles. In such a turbulent age, he trusted none of his subordinates, yet he could confide in this simpleton.
"To struggle against Heaven and Earth is a joy without end," he said. "But to struggle against people—that is where I find the greatest pleasure."
As his words faded, a spiritual formation activated around the courtyard, sealing off all divination.
He gently took the woman's hand, stroking it softly before bending one of her fingers back. The motion was so slight, yet it froze her expression, and a look of pure terror spread across her eyes.
Prince Qian's calm voice echoed in the woman's ear.
"Everyone in this world shares a common failing," he said. "They instinctively look down on those with a gentle temperament. The moment they think they have the upper hand, they treat you like a pathetic wretch to be trampled underfoot."
"That is the first step on their road to ruin. And when they reach the end, they will find that the pathetic creature they scorned is actually a dragon in sheep's clothing."
"A five-clawed golden dragon!"
As Prince Qian's words faded, the sharp crack of a bone shattering followed.
"AHHH!!!"
A series of agonized screams rang out.
Prince Qian walked out of the courtyard without a change in expression. No sound could escape the courtyard's confines. Behind him, the woman wailed in agony, clutching her left wrist. All five of her fingers were grotesquely twisted.
Prince Qian once again wore the expression of a perfect gentleman, one whose company was as pleasant as a spring breeze.
Arriving in the main hall, he picked up a letter from the Imperial Capital. It stated that the Human Emperor was trembling with rage over the widespread strife in the Imperial Dynasty, and the old injuries that had been held in check had flared up again.
He furrowed his brow. "Father Emperor," he murmured, "you must hold on. Hold on until the day I, your useless son, return to the Imperial Capital."
He recalled a scene from his childhood: vying with his brothers for their father's favor, only for the Human Emperor to crush his fingers beneath his foot in the Golden Throne Hall before exiling him to the Duravia Trade Prefecture.
But things were different now.
Silently, without a trace, he had made it to this day.
No one—no one knew what he had endured for these past few hundred years!
A swirl of black mist materialized in the hall. "Master," a voice said.
Prince Qian gave the figure a casual glance, as if about to speak of the most mundane of matters.
"The Li family now wants me dead," he said. "Do not reveal your presence. Find the opportune moment, and do not leave them even a sliver of a chance."
"I will make them understand," he continued, "that they have provoked someone they never should have crossed."
A low voice emanated from the black mist. "Yes, Master!"
As the mist faded away, Baimei stood within Prince Qian's Mansion, a complicated look on his face as he watched streams of black mist rise from the estate and drift off in all directions.
"Sigh," he murmured. "These children of the Human Emperor… It's no wonder he's facing Heaven's wrath."
...
Just as Prince Qian had anticipated, the three members of the Li family entered the three great powers to begin their lobbying.
[Your descendant, Li Kuanghua, has successfully infiltrated the Perennis Immortal Palace and obtained a new identity: Inner Sect Disciple of the Perennis Immortal Palace.]
[Your descendant, Li Kuanghua, has received the consent of Palace Master Hongxiu and has been granted permission to enter the Red Spider Lily Flower Platform. After meeting with Fairy Hongxiu, she has begun her lobbying efforts. Acquired Trait: Expert Lobbyist.]
[When lobbying, Persuasion +5%]
...
At this moment.
In the deepest reaches of the Perennis Immortal Palace, a woman sat cross-legged within a gigantic Red Spider Lily Flower. It was Fairy Hongxiu.
She wore red robes, and her eyes were closed, but her eyelids trembled intermittently, and veins bulged on her neck.
A young girl in a yellow dress climbed onto the Red Spider Lily Flower Platform. She approached Fairy Hongxiu's side cautiously and whispered something in her ear.
"Senior, let me tell you that Prince Qian is no good. You absolutely must not be foolish enough to get involved with him…"
"I found out the other day, that Shu Wandong from your Immortal Palace is no good either. She was actually bullying other disciples."
"Hey, why are you so quiet? Trust me, let's not go to war with Prince Qian, okay? These people just don't appreciate how rare a peaceful life is."
"Let me tell you…"
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