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"Why would you do this?"

The Crown Prince roared in confusion; he truly couldn’t understand!

In his memory, his aunt had the character of a man—open and generous.

Such people usually had the least cunning and, since the establishment of the Great Jin Dynasty, had been content in their station.

After the unification of the Central Plains, she had given up all military power and stayed in the Capital City, never venturing out!

The Emperor had treated his own sister very generously, not only granting her a fiefdom and wealth aplenty, but also giving absolute support when she decided to marry into the Fei Family.

How many families with distinguished bloodlines were covetous when Fei Jun, born with the Vermilion Bird bloodline, came into the world?

If the Emperor hadn’t deterred them with an iron-fisted approach, Fei Jun would have long since been devoured by those sorcerer families, stripped of everything. How else could he have become Great Jin’s most esteemed and powerful young man today?

Under the Emperor’s authority, the Fei Family dared not take concubines. Husband and wife lived harmoniously, and the Emperor continued to treat the Fei Family well. But why?

"Why would you do this?"

"Why?" The Princess Royale laughed, "Why not do this?"

"Your Emperor father had some fortuitous encounter back then, taking from me the position of Family Head that rightfully belonged to me, not to mention his boundless ambition. He even subverted the Duke of Qin’s subordinates.

At that time... he came to his current position by way of rebellion, scheming against others at every turn.

So what’s wrong with him being outwitted by someone else now? "

"Our Siao Family has always revered bloodline prestige, and it has been so through the generations. Although I am a woman, my bloodline is the strongest. Your father took a wrongful path; all his children have problems and cannot inherit the complete Golden Crow Bloodline. Your eldest and second brothers seem to possess pure bloodlines, but they each have serious hidden dangers and will not live long. That’s why, without hesitation, he used your eldest brother to plot against the Duke of Qin, and your second brother was also abandoned without hesitation by your father during the campaign in the Ancient Desolation Country. "

"Because he knew very well, even if he did not act, both children would surely die violently.

So, he quite simply maximized his benefits.

This is your father, the Emperor. You should know very well, after all, memories were implanted in you from an early age.

You were precocious, witnessing first-hand how your eldest brother died! "

The Crown Prince: "....."

"You’re the same," the Princess Royale said with a smile.

"Originally, you, just like your eldest and second brothers, were bound to have issues. But your father ultimately retained a shred of humanity for your mother, out of guilt. With a great sacrifice from Duke Song, and by transplanting some of his own essence blood into you, you were able to stably inherit the Golden Crow Bloodline, and your hidden ailments were not as severe as your brothers’. "

"This was his initial deal with Duke Song; he gave up pursuing certain more dreadful things and decided to settle down and secure the dynasty. With Duke Song’s help, your foundation was stabilized.

If nothing went wrong, and power transitioned to you, his lineage could carry on smoothly, and the Great Jin Dynasty would continue to prosper peacefully. But on what ground?"

The Princess Royale sighed deeply and said sorrowfully, "He destroyed Duke Qin’s lifelong efforts.

Whether it was Duke Song or Duke of Qin, they chose to compromise with him for the hard-won stability of the human race.

Everyone compromised with him, and he reluctantly assumed the mantle of Emperor, discarding his horrendous experiments and pretending to be deeply aggrieved, deciding to let mediocre you continue the imperial lineage. "

"I refuse to accept this..." the Princess Royale said with a cold sneer.

"After everyone compromised, just because he did such evil, should he be entitled to everything? Liu Yu is a hypocrite; so is Lumings. I simply do not believe that they compromised truly for the peace of the Human Race. That’s why Ali and I set a trap for you by implanting memories.

You see, sure enough, our righteously indignant Duke of Qin took the bait. "

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince’s face turned deathly pale. So... was Uncle Lu, whom he had always trusted, actually helping him because of a hidden agenda?

"It’s just as you are thinking..." the Princess Royale said with a sneer as if she could see through the Crown Prince’s heart.

"He lied to you, claiming he decided to protect you because of the Duke of Qin’s orders, which is laughable.

When Duke Qin died, he clearly had the power to avenge him but instead chose to compromise with your father, that butcher.

He spoke of wanting peace for the Human Race and a tranquil Central Plains, and then what?

Once an opportunity arose, didn’t he still scheme for his own selfish interests? He’s no different than your father!"

"Liu Yu is the same; he pretends to have such principles, putting on the facade that even though the Duke of Qin was sacrificed, the world has peace. Yet, for the sake of his lineage, Wang Ye, he watched the Emperor he had agreed with return to his wicked ways and compromised!"

"Wicked ways?" The Crown Prince was puzzled.

"The path to creating demons..." the Princess Royale said with a laugh. "He believed the child in Ali’s womb was conceived with your essence blood, and since your essence blood was forcefully passed on to you, it was as if it was his own. If the child came of age and evolved a strong enough bloodline, he could use the same forbidden magic from the past to absorb the vitality of Ali’s newborn, furthering his own lifelong dream. "

The Crown Prince: "!!"

"Back then, both the Duke of Qin and Liu Yu compromised because your father abandoned that path as a condition, deciding to die a natural death like the emperors of the human race, to let the world be at peace.

This made them follow him as their leader.

But should he continue on the former wicked path, the ancient tales say calamity would descend, and the world would again be in turmoil.

And now?" The Princess Royale laughed, "Lumings saw you as a possible Reincarnator and was tempted. Old Liu also had his own plans. Everyone has their own secret desires; why can’t I have mine? "

"My son is a hundred times stronger than you in bloodline, temperament, and aptitude. How can you, an imposter, compare? Why should such a worthless person inherit the Siao Family and take over Great Jin? On what grounds?"

The Crown Prince gazed at her, his eyes... void of any spark.

So... it was like this....

So the kindness Uncle Lu showed him was false, so... his proudly claimed identity as a reborn individual was false, so... even the Golden Crow Bloodline within him was false!

So... there were wolves and tigers lurking all around him!

When it came down to it, it turned out the person who treated him the best was still his father, the Emperor, whom he had feared from an early age.

At least there was a period of time when his father had been sincere, even if that sincerity stemmed from guilt towards his mother.

At least that meant he had contributed his essence blood, right?

Ha ha...

So when the Emperor made him choose that day, he was deciding whether to withdraw that last bit of mercy...

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

The Crown Prince burst into maniacal laughter, ignoring the blood oozing from his wounds, gasping for breath as he laughed.

"Tigers and wolves... they are all tigers and wolves!"

Watching the Crown Prince’s hysterical laughter, the Princess Royale finally dropped the mockery in her eyes, her gaze turning earnest, "Don’t you understand yet, child? In this world, those who rise to high positions, where can you find a kind sheep?"

------------------------------------

In Lyuzhou... within the domain of the Hell Ruler:

The Lyuzhou Hell Ruler’s domain, after dozens of days of construction, was already taking shape.

Wei Gongcheng wasn’t someone adept at design; he had simply replicated the style of Lyuzhou’s South Street, creating a street with many buildings that looked exactly the same.

However, this didn’t cause any displeasure among the spectral residents; on the contrary, it brought them a sense of familiarity.

At this moment, the streets of the underworld were bustling with activity, as lively as the world above, causing Third Master Shen to stare in astonishment.

"This place is better than the Path of Yin and Yang, isn’t it, Third Master Shen?" Wei Gongcheng, seeing Third Master Shen in a daze, asked with a smile.

Shen Yimiao, now in his spectral state, glanced at Wei Gongcheng and couldn’t help marveling, "It’s truly extraordinary.

Who would have thought that you, a deputy commander and a low-bloodline warrior, could become a being that controls the cycle of Yin Yang Reincarnation?

I’m afraid no one would believe it if told. "

Wei Gongcheng’s mouth twitched at the comment. Third Master Shen still had such a sharp tongue. What did he mean by "low"?

"Interesting, truly interesting..." Third Master Shen looked around, "The force of Karma Fruit can create all things in the netherworld, and the power of Virtue can purify the karma of evil ghosts. It’s indeed an interesting world, and you are a lucky man!"

"Why would you say that, Third Master?" Wei Gongcheng inquired curiously.

"Everything in this world is created by you, managed by you. The power seems limitless yet is constrained by the needs of the people. Isn’t this more perfect than any earthly dynasty?

" Third Master Shen laughed, "If the world above also functioned like this, would the dynasties merely have a lifespan of three hundred years? "

"Third Master speaks the truth," Wei Gongcheng replied with a laugh, "I too find it very interesting."

He looked around contentedly. In the past two months, he had worked diligently to build the underworld, which was increasingly taking on a proper form. This act of creation from nothing held a greater sense of accomplishment for him than any military campaign.

Therefore, he had no regrets. Even if Chen Qing failed and his domain subsequently vanished, he considered this experience valuable!

"Do you mean to say that in the future, Nanyang will have a Hell Ruler’s domain like Lyuzhou, and I... I will be the master of that domain in Nanyang?"

"That’s correct," Wei Gongcheng said with a smile. "What do you think, Third Master?"

"Do I even have a choice?" Shen Lao San shrugged, "To be honest, we’re quite alike. Tell me, that Chen Qing guy, does he have a penchant for recruiting crippled people to be the masters of these Hell Rulers’ domains?"

Wei Gongcheng: "...."

Why was Third Master Shen’s way of thinking always so different from others?

"Standing up feels really good," Third Master Shen bent his waist a bit, "I haven’t felt this light and easy for many years. If you had told me about this opportunity earlier, why go through so much trouble? Allying with that monster, persuading Old Second..."

Wei Gongcheng couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh at the remark. Now that he was dead, he could talk like this; if he were still alive, he probably wouldn’t have listened to a single word.

"To be honest, how confident are you in taking control of Nanyang?" Third Elder Shen asked out of curiosity.

"It’s hard to say..." Wei Gongcheng shook his head, "According to the information the master obtained, four Ancient Worms escaped from the Array and infiltrated your Shen Family. Your eldest brother counts as one; the remaining three depend on who they are. If they are from the newly established branches—Old Shi, Old Eleven, Old Shi’er—then the master said he is 80% confident. "

"But if Old Qi or Old Four are among them, then he’s only 40% confident."

"Oh, Chen Qing is quite bold to say that..." Third Elder Shen laughed, "If Old Qi or Old Four are involved, wouldn’t that be the worst-case scenario? And there’s still a 40% chance?"

"That isn’t the worst-case scenario, Third Master," a familiar voice appeared behind them, and without looking, Shen Lao San knew who had come.

"Oh? So that’s not the worst-case scenario? Then what is?" Third Master Shen asked with curiosity.

"The worst-case scenario, huh..." Chen Qing replied with a somber tone, "I’m afraid it might be only a 10% chance."

"Oh?" Third Elder Shen frowned, "What situation could make our excessively confident Magistrate Lord provide such a pessimistic figure?"

"Well..." Chen Qing said with a wry smile, "Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that...."