"Your Highness."
As Li Zhai sat lost in thought, an attendant entered through the side door carrying a carved wooden box filled with memorials.
Terrified, the man walked with trembling steps, set the box on the desk, and gently opened it.
Li Zhai's eyes narrowed at the sheer number of memorials inside.
"Your Highness, these are the memorials submitted by the Ministry of Personnel."
Li Zhai had anticipated this, but after skimming through them all, he still threw the last one back into the box in anger.
The attendant's legs gave out. He fell to his knees, terrified that the Crown Prince would take his anger toward the Ministry of Personnel out on him.
Li Zhai gripped the jade pendant at his waist. After a moment, he exhaled a long breath. "You may leave."
"Yes, Your Highness. It is already noon. Would you like to dine?"
"Yes."
The attendant finally withdrew.
The entire hall fell dead silent.
Neither the guards nor the beautiful court ladies dared to breathe too loudly.
Looking at the memorials before him, Li Zhai had absolutely no appetite.
But if he skipped the meal, it would let those people know they had genuinely angered him.
They wouldn't be afraid; they would be smug.
He merely wanted to appoint a few new officials as groundwork for future reforms to the bureaucratic system.
Unfortunately, his repeated attempts had failed every single time, shot down by the Six Ministries with all sorts of seemingly justifiable excuses.
Sometimes, he even began to miss his days in the Death Prison.
Back then, if anyone dared to block his path, he could just kill them.
Now, he couldn't touch a single person standing in his way.
Even if he truly flew into a rage, he could only kill the few pieces of cannon fodder they tossed out.
He had also sought out Priest Chu Zhan before.
Those officials from the Six Ministries, who were superficially attentive but internally dismissive toward him, were genuinely obedient when facing Chu Zhan.
The several 9th Tier Spirit Practitioners of the Six Ministries all knew about the Realm Emperor's situation. It was precisely because of the Realm Emperor's rebellion that the attitudes of these 9th Tier Spirit Practitioners toward Li Zhai had become ambiguous.
But while Priest Chu Zhan maintained Li Zhai's status, he didn't particularly support his reforms.
It was like an adult watching children play a game. The adult didn't care about the new rules the children came up with; they just found them troublesome and didn't want to play.
But Li Zhai was no child.
Lately, his life had grown increasingly suffocating, to the point where he even entertained the thought of quitting altogether.
But if he didn't serve as the Crown Prince, what else could he do?
Return to the mortal world, deceive himself into becoming the boss of some faction, and take pleasure in bullying those weaker than him?
Having already witnessed the glory of the Nine Provinces, how could he possibly give up the power in his hands?
He could neither advance nor retreat.
Li Zhai felt as though he were living in a crevice.
The spacious, bright, and magnificent palace felt cramped and oppressive.
A row of court ladies presented an exquisite meal: nine meat dishes and nine vegetarian ones, along with delicate pastries and tea.
Li Zhai was an 8th Tier Spirit Practitioner; eating all this would be a breeze.
But he had no appetite right now. Yet, to maintain his demeanor as the Crown Prince and keep others from seeing his frustration, he had to eat.
He touched the jade pendant at his waist once more, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes.
Mundane power is ultimately limited by the heavens. If I can take a step further and become a Priest, I will be just like Li Ban was back then. One moment, a lowly prison guard bullied by everyone; the next, effortlessly transforming into my imperial brother.
Thinking of Li Ban, Li Zhai absentmindedly felt as if the man were standing right in front of him.
A moment later—
He really was!
Li Zhai abruptly stood up, his eyes widening slightly. "Li Ban?!"
Too lazy to explain things to anyone else, Li Ban had temporarily used an illusion to alter his appearance, showing up before Li Zhai with his original face.
"Long time no see, Zhai Liu."
Hearing this name, Li Zhai recalled the days of the past, his heart filled with an indescribable mix of emotions. He was just about to catch up with Li Ban, only to find the man across from him wore a cold, indifferent expression. Aside from his face, there was nothing that resembled the original Li Ban.
Li Zhai walked around the long desk and stepped in front of Li Ban. After studying him closely once more, he sighed softly. "You've changed."
Li Ban raised an eyebrow. "So sentimental. It seems you aren't enjoying your time as Crown Prince."
Li Zhai smiled bitterly. "My position as Crown Prince is nothing but an empty title."
"So, you want to switch sides?"
"Switch sides?" At first, Li Zhai didn't understand. But after pondering it for a moment, his face abruptly turned pale, though he forcefully controlled himself to keep his expression from changing too drastically.
He initially wanted to argue, but suddenly met Li Ban's eyes.
Those eyes were calm and reserved. Standing before them, Li Zhai felt like an open book, freely perused with not a single secret left hidden.
He slumped back two steps until his back hit the desk. Only when he heard the crisp clatter of bowls and chopsticks did he snap back to his senses.
Just as he was about to speak, he remembered that there were still many servants in the hall.
He hurriedly looked around, only to find that the court ladies and guards alike were standing in place with serious, calm expressions, as if they had seen absolutely nothing.
As if he were still in his original position, eating his meal with a blank face.
This was the power of a Priest!
His spine slumped weakly as he tried to defend himself.
"I am indeed dissatisfied, but I haven't betrayed you."
He lifted the jade pendant at his waist, his finger covertly tapping the brown bead fixed above it.
Li Ban's gaze naturally fell onto the bead.
The moment he laid eyes on it, the bead's innate cloaking effect began to waver.
Li Ban detected a trace of a familiar aura on it.
Ever since he assimilated Xiao Suo's Witch Embryo Shards, Li Ban's wizard embryos had not only multiplied again, but he had also gained the ability to sense Xiao Suo's shards.
He could faintly detect anything left behind by Xiao Suo's power.
Therefore, Li Ban was the most suitable person in the world to hunt down Xiao Suo.
Li Ban took two steps closer to Li Zhai, looking down at the bead at his waist.
"Did the black-robed Xiao Suo give this to you?"
Li Zhai hadn't expected that while he was merely hinting, Li Ban would ask about it so blatantly. He opened his mouth, unsure if it was safe to speak.
"Speak. No one can eavesdrop."
He wasn't the only Priest in this hall.
Despite standing in a hall filled with people, the two could converse as if no one else were there, without even having to worry about that eerie black-robed man.
Li Zhai once again realized the vast gap between himself and a Priest.
He also understood that the Li Ban before him was no longer that lowly prison guard from the past.
He naturally cupped his hands in a salute, thoroughly accepting the current disparity between himself and Li Ban.
"Yes, Priest Ban."
Hearing the sudden change in address, Li Ban lowered his eyes and glanced at him, but didn't say anything more.
Li Zhai continued, "Not long after you left the Imperial Palace, I went to the Death Prison to visit Imperial Father. On the way back, I ran into an eerie black-robed man. I saw his face, but I couldn't remember it. However, he said he could help me become a Priest."
"So, you agreed to work with him?"
"No!" Li Zhai quickly said. "I refused on the spot. Having seen Imperial Father's end, how could I possibly follow in his footsteps?"
He gave a bitter smile. "I was already prepared to be silenced right then and there, but he didn't kill me. Instead, he gave me this bead. He said that if I ever changed my mind, I could use it to contact him."
Li Zhai refused?
Li Ban was somewhat surprised.
According to what Zhu Yao had told him, the Li Zhai from the previous timeline had colluded with Xiao Suo very early on. After that, he just pretended to be well-behaved and obedient.
It wasn't until their conspiracy erupted and a Priest died that the Imperial Dynasty finally reacted.
However, thinking carefully about Li Zhai's recent behavior, it was quite different from the "honest and obedient" demeanor the Priests wanted.
He had made many active efforts, which easily drew the Priests' attention.
It seemed he truly was different from the Li Zhai of the previous cycle.
What had caused him to make the opposite choice?
As Li Ban pondered, his thoughts suddenly paused. Could it be because of me?
The biggest difference between the two cycles was the presence of an outsider like Li Ban.
He thought back to how, because of a single act of kindness from Li Ban, Li Zhai had been willing to help him escape at the end of his life.
Perhaps it was exactly this sliver of kindness that kept him from choosing to collude with Xiao Suo to this day.
However, Li Zhai had kept the bead Xiao Suo left behind on his person all this time; there was still a chance he might rebel in the future.
Still, the future was the future, and the present was the present. As long as the current Li Zhai hadn't chosen to betray them, Li Ban wouldn't view him as an enemy.
To prevent Xiao Suo from noticing anything amiss, Li Ban didn't touch the bead.
"How do you use this bead to contact Xiao Suo?"
"I just need to swallow it with my blood."
"Swallow it... down?"
Recalling the possession abilities Xiao Suo had displayed at the Recycling Station, the word "swallow" didn't sound very auspicious.
Li Ban looked up. "Then call him over tonight."
"Tonight?" Li Zhai was astonished.
If he had decided to take a desperate gamble and cooperate with the Black Robe, he definitely could have swallowed the bead without hesitation.
But now, he didn't actually want to betray the Priests of the Imperial Dynasty. Being asked to swallow the bead at this moment filled his heart with misgivings.
"But—" Halfway through his sentence, Li Zhai met Li Ban's calm yet unquestionable gaze. He closed his eyes. "Alright."
Midnight.
The Crown Prince's bedchamber.
Li Zhai had just thrown a temper tantrum at the head bedchamber maid, using it as an excuse to drive all the court ladies and guards out of the hall.
Although Priests could shield their senses, if the black-robed priest really came and ended up fighting the white-robed priests, their lives might not be spared.
Li Zhai didn't consider himself a great philanthropist, but for these people he spent day and night with, keeping them as far away from danger as possible was for the best.
He had previously settled Huo Liu, who had followed him since his time in the Death Prison, and now he could protect his other subordinates as well.
Returning to his bedchamber, Li Zhai extinguished the candles, leaving only a single palace lantern by the bed.
The room was dim, making it appear as though its master had already gone to bed.
He slowly sat back on the bed and pulled the jade pendant from his waist.
Everyone around the Crown Prince knew that Li Zhai cherished this jade pendant the most, keeping it on his person at all times.
But what they didn't know was that the thing Li Zhai truly couldn't let go of was the bead on the pendant.
Now, by the dim lamplight, he slowly untied the bead from the jade.
His gaze turned hollow.
Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut, bit his tongue, and swallowed the bead along with his blood directly into his stomach.
A moment later, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. His body lurched forward, and he violently coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
Li Zhai wiped the corner of his mouth, panting softly.
He saw that the black blood on the floor was viscous like pus. After landing, it unexpectedly began to slowly squirm.
A flash of terror crossed Li Zhai's eyes, and he scrambled backward on his hands and knees.
The black pus expanded and rose. From what was originally a small puddle, it grew to the height of a person, before the outline of a head and a torso appeared.
Its head turned, and the black pus suddenly formed a thin membrane that tore open, revealing the body of a fully clothed adult male underneath.
The man's face was completely ordinary, with almost no memorable features, but the moment he spoke, his voice was surprisingly pleasant to the ear.
"You've finally thought it through."
Li Zhai stood up and straightened his clothes, still subconsciously maintaining his dignity as the Crown Prince.
"The premise of our cooperation is not for me to be used by you." He wiped the remaining black blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. "I know you are a powerful black-robed priest, but I am not entirely unprepared either. If you think you can fool me like you did my Imperial Father, I will immediately alert the exalted Priests above."
Xiao Suo chuckled, pulling an official's chair over and sitting down.
He looked around, then withdrew his gaze and leaned forward with a faint sense of oppression. "Good child, tell me. Is Li Zhai outside?"
Li Zhai froze.
At first, he thought he had misheard. The man might have said "the Priests" or "your superiors."
But after replaying it in his mind, no matter how he listened to it, what the man had said was "Li Zhai"!
That was the Crown Prince's name!
His legs gave way, and he plopped back down onto the bed.
"Your disguises are far too fake in front of me." Xiao Suo chuckled, making it impossible to tell if he was angry at the probe. "Let Li Zhai come in. If he's dead set against changing his own life, then let him bring the white-robed priests in with him."
Xiao Suo knew there was a high probability that Li Zhai suddenly calling him was a trap.
But he wasn't afraid of being ambushed in the slightest.
But if Li Zhai genuinely agreed to cooperate with him to experiment with the artificial Wizard Embryo Fragment again, something immensely interesting was bound to happen next.
Even if this Li Zhai ended up disagreeing, it didn't matter.
They still had plenty of time. This game could be played slowly.
The weak-legged "Li Zhai" hastily stood up, stumbling to the back of the bed to knock on the wall.
The seemingly thick and heavy wall lowered into the floor, and from behind the gauze curtains walked out another Li Zhai.
Compared to the "Li Zhai" who was too terrified to even stand straight, this one was completely composed. Finding out that Xiao Suo had instantly seen through the disguise didn't cause him any panic or surprise.
"Apologies, but swallowing this thing does require a bit of courage. I had a guard do it for me, though it seems there's no issue now."
"It seems you've already made up your mind," Xiao Suo said with a smile.
If Li Zhai was truly willing to cooperate with him, he would naturally be even happier.
The more interesting things there were, the better.
The Wizard World had been dead and lifeless for far too long.
"How are you going to help me become a Priest?" Li Zhai said with a cold face.
Although the Black Robe sitting across from him was also a powerful Priest, since Li Zhai had chosen to cooperate with him, he was already courting death by risking his life.
With an unknown ending ahead, he naturally lost some of his reverence for Priests.
"Don't talk about raising an heir; I don't even have a child right now."
"If you don't have one, you can just adopt. Not a single one of the previous Realm Emperor's children was actually his own."