Prince Qin gritted his teeth, turned, and knelt before the emperor. "Your Majesty! These sorcerers bring calamity to the nation and must not be spared! The Chief Minister is right—the Feng family harbors treacherous intentions. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"
The emperor scoffed. "Do you think I don’t know? You resent Old Feng only because his daughter Ying’er scorned you! Ninth Brother, I’ve always regarded you as my right hand. Must you, like Yan Xu, throw away reason for the sake of a woman?"
Prince Qin crawled forward on his knees. "Your Majesty! This is not about personal grudges. That sorcerer must die, and the Feng family must be dealt with! If you fear unrest in the northern frontier, I will lead the troops myself. I only ask that you execute the sorcerer and punish the Fengs!"
He kowtowed heavily, his resolve so fierce it gave even the emperor pause.
Feng Ping’s eyes darkened as he interjected, "Your Highness, Prince Qin, though it pains me that Ying’er could not marry you, the Great Liang Immortal is a true master of the Dao. He came to celebrate Your Majesty’s longevity—you must not offend him!"
At the mention of longevity, the emperor’s hesitation vanished. "Old Feng speaks wisely. Prince Qin, in light of your loyalty, I will pardon your disrespect toward the immortal. You are confined to your residence for half a month—reflect on your actions!"
"Your Majesty!!"
Before Prince Qin could protest further, the emperor signaled the guards, who dragged him away.
The other ministers, who had harbored doubts about the immortal, now dared not speak up after seeing even a prince reprimanded.
Seizing the moment, Feng Ping gave a subtle signal. The Great Liang Immortal stroked his white beard and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, my revered master, Immortal Chisong, happens to be traveling nearby..."
The emperor eagerly asked, "Would Immortal Chisong grant me an audience?"
The Great Liang Immortal closed his eyes, murmuring incantations. "My master says Your Majesty is blessed with immortal affinity. He offers an elixir of eternal life to grant you everlasting reign. His divine presence now resides in these mountains. Will you follow me to meet him?"
At the promise of eternal life, the emperor turned to leave without hesitation. Empress Pei called out, "Your Majesty! The hunt!"
Waving her off impatiently, the emperor declared, "Proceed with the hunt as usual. The one with the most game shall be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold and fine steeds. Let the ministers enjoy themselves!"
With that, he followed the Great Liang Immortal. The officials bowed deeply. "We bid Your Majesty farewell!"
Feng Ping’s heart swelled with triumph. Once the hunt began, he slipped to a secluded corner. "Well? Has Yan Xu not followed?"
His confidant whispered, "Rest assured, Elder. Our men are watching the Chief Minister’s faction. He has not gone after the emperor."
Feng Ping nodded. "With Yan Xu out of the way, I am certain our plan will succeed. Tell Feng Shuo to act swiftly—the Great Liang Immortal must not live to speak. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Meanwhile, after walking for nearly half an hour, the emperor and the Great Liang Immortal reached a dense forest.
The immortal said, "Your Majesty, my master awaits within. But he will see only you..."
Before he could finish, Yue Qianchong, Commander of the Five City Garrison, protested, "Your Majesty! Your life is too precious to venture alone!"
The emperor hesitated. Suddenly, a fierce wind howled through the trees, followed by a thick mist.
The Great Liang Immortal cried urgently, "Your Majesty! My master says your faith in immortality wavers. His divine presence will depart!"
Panicked, the emperor declared, "Beg the immortal to stay! I go at once!"
"Your Majesty!" Yue Qianchong tried to speak again, but the emperor cut him off. "This is the royal hunting grounds. It has been thoroughly inspected multiple times—what could possibly go wrong? Besides, Prince Yu is guarding the perimeter, and you are here with me. Nothing will happen!"
With that, he strode into the forest. Yue Qianchong frowned deeply but had no choice but to relent.
The deeper they ventured into the woods, the colder and denser the shadows grew.
The emperor scanned his surroundings but saw no trace of the so-called "Red Pine Immortal."
Suspicion crept into his heart. "Great Immortal, where might your esteemed self be... Great Immortal?"
He turned his head—only to find that the so-called Great Immortal had also vanished without a trace!
The emperor’s heart lurched in panic. He immediately turned to flee back toward the forest’s edge, but in the next moment, several black-clad figures descended from above, surrounding him.
"How dare you! Who are you?" he demanded, forcing a composed tone.
The assailants only sneered. "Tyrant! The Yun family has come to claim your life!"
"The Yun family? You’re remnants of the previous dynasty?" The emperor paled, regret flooding his heart.
If only he had listened to the Chief Minister and Prince Qin! What use was seeking immortality now, when his very life was at stake?
The attackers wasted no more words. A blade swung toward him.
Fortunately, the emperor had trained in martial arts since childhood and had not neglected his skills despite years of indulgence. He dodged just in time.
Yet another slash came from behind—ripping through his dragon robes with a sharp tear.
Gritting his teeth, the emperor shouted, "If you stop now, I will pardon your crimes!"
His plea was met only with the glint of steel.
A searing pain erupted on his right arm as blood welled from the wound.
Terror seized him. "Guards—save your emperor! Hurry!"
But the forest stretched for miles. Who could possibly hear him?
As a broadsword arced toward his face, he shut his eyes in despair—
"Your Majesty, fear not! This guilty subject will protect you!"
A metallic clang rang out.
A spear thrust forward, blocking the deadly strike.
The emperor opened his eyes to see a young figure standing before him. For a moment, he was dazed. "Grand General?"
The silhouette bore an uncanny resemblance to Yan Xu, long since deceased.
The youth remained silent, his spear moving like a dragon as he engaged the attackers. His skill was extraordinary—within moments, the masked Feng Shuo was overpowered. When he tried to flee, the young man’s spear flicked upward, tearing away his disguise...
"Feng Shuo?! So it’s you traitors!"
The emperor’s fury blazed. He recalled Yan Zheng’s warning on the way here—that the Feng family could not be trusted.
And yet, what had he done?
Dismissed it as mere resentment over a personal grudge...
Now exposed, Feng Shuo abandoned all pretense and lunged forward in a desperate, reckless assault...
Back at the camp, inside Yan Zheng’s tent...
A shadowy figure delivered a report while Yan Zheng studied military texts.
Old Xu, after interpreting his gestures, chuckled. "Young Master, the Sixth Young Master is in dire straits—he’s taken several injuries. The shadow asks if we should alert Yue Qianchong to intervene and assist him?"
Yan Zheng didn’t even glance up. "If the situation isn’t dire, how will the emperor remember his merit for saving the throne? How will he forgive the past assassination attempt? Besides, if he can’t handle a few Feng family lackeys, he doesn’t deserve the Yan name."
The shadow retreated. Old Xu grinned. "As expected of you, Young Master. This plan eliminates Feng Ping, rescues the Sixth Young Master, and—since you were stripped of duty early—shifts the blame for the security failure onto others. Three birds with one stone. Truly masterful."
Yan Zheng’s lips parted slightly, but before he could speak, Meng Yang burst in, his face ashen. "Young Master! I’ve discovered something—Yun Lang’s sister, the one with the butterfly-shaped birthmark on her neck... is Princess Roumin!"
