Immortal God of War
Qin Feiyang wasted no time and directly took out the Crown Prince’s Token.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince’s Token, the expressions of the ten guards immediately changed, a hint of respect entering their eyes.
"May I enter now?" Qin Feiyang asked.
"Yes."
"Master Qin, this way, please!"
The ten of them promptly stepped aside, clearing a path.
Qin Feiyang put away the Crown Prince’s Token and strode into the palace.
The interior layout of the palace had changed somewhat from before, but it remained as extravagant as ever.
The floor was inlaid with pale golden jade stones.
The walls were adorned with various kinds of jadeite and agate.
All the furniture was crafted from top-grade Golden Phoebe wood, exuding an air of opulence.
But as Qin Feiyang looked at all this, his hands involuntarily clenched into fists.
For years, I’ve fought tooth and nail just to survive out there. Yet the Eldest Prince is living comfortably in the Imperial Palace. By what right? It wasn’t that I was jealous; I just felt it was profoundly unfair. We are both imperial princes, so why is there such a vast difference in our treatment?
Taking a long breath, Qin Feiyang headed straight for the second floor.
If I remember correctly, the Eldest Prince lives on the second floor.
Arriving on the second floor, Qin Feiyang saw the Eldest Prince seated on a bed, eyes closed in meditation.
Flanking him stood two guards in black armor, their cultivation levels unfathomable.
"Who’s there?"
Sensing an unfamiliar presence, the two guards barked coldly.
"You are..."
But upon seeing Qin Feiyang, a flicker of surprise surfaced in their eyes.
Simultaneously, the Eldest Prince opened his eyes. His brows furrowed upon seeing Qin Feiyang standing outside.
Qin Feiyang cupped his fist. "Greetings, Your Highness."
The Eldest Prince said, "Come in."
Qin Feiyang strode in briskly.
"Brother Qin, didn’t I tell you not to come to the Imperial Palace?" The Eldest Prince frowned. "By coming here, won’t the guards outside discover that you possess the Crown Prince’s Token?"
Qin Feiyang replied, "They are your guards. Surely they wouldn’t leak this information?"
"It’s true they are my guards, but most of them have been bought by the other princes. In other words, they are spies planted here by other princes to monitor me. I estimate that it won’t be long before news of you possessing the Crown Prince’s Token spreads throughout the Imperial Capital." The Eldest Prince was quite vexed.
"So that’s what’s happening. It seems I have acted rashly. I beg Your Highness’s pardon." Qin Feiyang cupped his fist again.
Actually, I already knew all this.
The residences of all princes were riddled with spies from other factions; it was an unavoidable unspoken rule of the Imperial Palace.
The Eldest Prince rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You are my honored guest. What can I do to you? Now, tell me, what’s the matter?"
"Is it convenient to speak freely here?" Qin Feiyang glanced at the two guards flanking the Eldest Prince.
The Eldest Prince chuckled. "Don’t worry, they are my confidants."
"Confidants?"
Qin Feiyang subtly raised an eyebrow and sent a mental transmission,
Your Highness, regarding the matter I wish to discuss, I believe it would be best if they were not privy to it. With these two guards present, I’ll have no opportunity to act. I must send them away.
"So secretive?" The Eldest Prince’s eyes flashed. He waved his hand at the two guards. "You two, leave us for now."
"Yes, Your Highness." The two men responded respectfully, cast a suspicious glance at Qin Feiyang, then turned and walked out, stationing themselves outside the door.
The Eldest Prince rose, walked over to a nearby tea table, and sat down. "Sit and talk."
Qin Feiyang glanced at the two guards outside, a glint in his eyes. He then moved forward and sat beside the Eldest Prince, directly producing the rusty black token.
"Hm?" Upon seeing the token, a flicker of confusion crossed the Eldest Prince’s eyes.
"Does Your Highness recognize this?" Qin Feiyang offered it with both hands.
The Eldest Prince took it, turning it over and examining it. "Isn’t this an identity token belonging to one of my guards?"
"Correct." Qin Feiyang nodded. "Then, does Your Highness know where I found this?"
"Where?" The Eldest Prince was puzzled.
Qin Feiyang stated, "Beside a well at Qin Yue’s home."
The Eldest Prince’s pupils constricted. He looked up at Qin Feiyang and asked with a frown, "Brother Qin, are you here to incriminate me?"
"Incriminate?" Qin Feiyang shook his head and smiled. "Your Highness is the exalted Crown Prince; how could I dare incriminate you? I simply don’t understand why Your Highness would want to kill Qin Yue’s and Qin Xi’s families."
The Eldest Prince’s gaze darkened. "That is none of your concern. If there’s nothing else, please leave immediately."
"Don’t be hasty. Let me finish." Qin Feiyang frowned. "If I’m not mistaken, Your Highness had their relatives killed because of the former Fourteenth Prince. Am I right?"
SMACK! The Eldest Prince, upon hearing this, slammed his palm on the tea table, his face contorted with rage.
"Hm?" The two guards stationed outside immediately rushed in, glaring menacingly at Qin Feiyang.
The Eldest Prince’s eyebrows shot up as he roared, "Who allowed you in? Get out!"
The two guards flinched and dejectedly turned and left.
The Eldest Prince suppressed his anger and looked at Qin Feiyang. "Brother Qin, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"What I mean to say is, Your Highness wouldn’t even spare the Fourteenth Prince’s handmaidens, nor their families. Is your hatred for him really that deep?" Qin Feiyang said, his frown deepening.
For a moment, the Eldest Prince was silent.
After a long pause, a vicious glint flashed in his eyes. "Yes, I do hate him. I hate him immensely."
"I’m all ears," Qin Feiyang said.
"Years ago, before he was born, Father doted on me greatly. Whatever I wanted, Father would give me. Furthermore, Father had always intended to name me Crown Prince. But after my fourteenth younger brother was born and displayed unparalleled talent, Father’s attention gradually shifted entirely to him. He even intended to make him the Crown Prince. That’s why I grew to resent him. Watching him become more favored day by day, my hatred intensified. I remember when he was ten, we sparred. If someone hadn’t stopped me, I would have killed him then and there.
"But as the saying goes, fortune is fickle. Although I didn’t kill him during that spar, the very next day, Father decreed that his cultivation be crippled and that he be banished from the Imperial Palace. In fact, Father had initially ordered the guards to kill him. But he was lucky; he had the Empress for a mother. That damn woman begged tearfully for him, and only then was his miserable life spared," the Eldest Prince sneered, making no attempt to hide his schadenfreude.
Deep within Qin Feiyang’s eyes, an icy light surged.
How dare he insult my mother! This is truly unforgivable!
He asked impassively, "Afterward, did the Empress not go look for the Fourteenth Prince?"
"Father had forbidden her from seeking out my fourteenth brother. Would she dare disobey? Moreover, her title as Empress had long been revoked. She’s now under house arrest in the Harem; she has no chance of getting out," the Eldest Prince scoffed.
"What?" Qin Feiyang shot to his feet, his face a mask of disbelief. "The Empress was dethroned? How have I not heard of this?"
The Eldest Prince looked surprised. "This matter isn’t a secret. You would have known if you’d just asked around a little. How could you not have heard?"
Qin Feiyang muttered, "Is that so?"
When I first arrived in the Imperial Capital, I had Fatty inquire if any other major events had occurred in recent years, apart from the Eldest Prince being designated as Crown Prince. Later, Fatty also said that no other major events had occurred. Could Fatty have not told me the truth? Or had Fatty genuinely not found out about these things?
Seeing Qin Feiyang’s strong reaction, the Eldest Prince frowned slightly, puzzled. "Brother Qin, why do you seem so concerned about my fourteenth brother’s affairs?"
"Of course, I’m concerned," Qin Feiyang said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" The Eldest Prince was taken aback.
"What I mean is..." Qin Feiyang’s gaze turned abruptly cold. He rose and seized the Eldest Prince’s throat. Simultaneously, his other hand retrieved a pill from his robes and, with lightning speed, shoved it into the Eldest Prince’s mouth.
Then, Qin Feiyang released him and retreated a few steps.
The Eldest Prince gasped for breath and demanded angrily, "What did you give me to eat?"
At the same time, hearing the commotion, the two guards rushed back in, looking at the Eldest Prince with alarm.
"What did you eat?" Qin Feiyang smiled faintly. "You’ll find out soon enough."
The Eldest Prince roared, "Seize him!"
The two guards immediately lunged at Qin Feiyang.
"AAAHHH..." Suddenly, the Eldest Prince collapsed to the ground with a thud, clutching his head and wailing in agony.
The two guards charging toward Qin Feiyang froze, their expressions changing. They quickly turned back and rushed to his side, asking with concern, "Your Highness, what’s wrong?"
"It hurts so much!" The Eldest Prince howled, his face contorted beyond recognition.
Simultaneously, his cultivation began to plummet wildly!
In the blink of an eye, it plunged from a one-star War Ancestor to a one-star War Emperor!
"What’s happening?" Witnessing this, the two guards were thrown into a panic.
Qin Feiyang stood with his arms crossed, smiling faintly. "Your Highness, how does the Elixir of Misfortune taste?"
Indeed! This Elixir of Misfortune was the very pill Qin Feiyang had refined before seizing the Pill Fire. He wanted the Eldest Prince to also experience the pain and despair he had once tasted.
"What?" The Eldest Prince’s face turned deathly pale.
The two guards also paled in horror. How could they not know of the Elixir of Misfortune? Back then, it was the Elixir of Misfortune that crippled the Fourteenth Prince.
"Why would you do this to me?" the Eldest Prince shrieked, staring daggers at Qin Feiyang. "Why..." His rage was so intense it made him oblivious to the pain.
"Why?" Qin Feiyang chuckled. "I, too, would like to know why the Emperor treated the Fourteenth Prince so cruelly back then."
"Who exactly are you?" The Eldest Prince demanded, bewildered. "And what is your relationship with my fourteenth brother?"
"Me?" Qin Feiyang smiled. "My relationship with the Fourteenth Prince is excellent. He once saved my life in the Spirit State, so I must repay his kindness."
The Eldest Prince’s eyes quivered. "So, you’re saying... he’s not dead?"
The two guards were also visibly shocked.
Qin Feiyang remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "He... is already dead."
The Fourteenth Prince of the past was indeed dead. All that remained was the Qin Feiyang of the present.
Hearing this answer, the Eldest Prince and the two guards couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. The Fourteenth Prince’s talent was astonishing. If he hadn’t died, the Imperial Capital would undoubtedly be thrown into turmoil. All the other Princes would tremble before him!

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