"I know you are curious about what my next actions are."
"I don't have to take any action. I already made arrangements and decided the fate of all princes three years ago. If they are too ambitious and become cruel, they will die. If not, they will be reduced to commoners. Their actions will decide the consequence!"
Jin Han suddenly realized something. "Why are you telling me everything? Even though I asked, I never expected you to answer me!"
"Do you want to…"
The moment Jin Han said that, he realized the world in front of him had turned upside down.
The next words never appeared. He understood all causes and effects at that moment.
Splash!
Blood splattered on Jin Huang's face, but she didn't dodge. She kept looking at the headless body and the blood falling on her face.
Jin Han never considered Jin Huang would attack him suddenly.
Because not only was he vigilant, he was also hiding his cultivation from others. The world believed he was a Rank 2 Warrior, but he had already reached Rank 3 peak stage.
He knew Jin Long was a cultivation maniac, but he never considered that Jin Huang also possessed such a high cultivation.
Jin Huang calmly raised her hand, her fingertips brushing across her cheek where the blood had landed. She lingered there, as though caressing a wound that was not of the flesh but of the soul. Slowly, she brought her fingers before her eyes, watching the warm crimson like molten rubies, each drop a jewel carved from sorrow.
She said softly, "Brother, your death has stained me forever. I couldn't dodge it, because I can't run away from my own heart."
"I told you everything because I must fulfill your last wish. I must send you on the road satisfied. I am your sister, after all!"
She glanced at the dark sky with her wet eyes as she murmured, "I am unusually talkative today."
The following results didn't deviate from Jin Huang's expectations.
Jin Zhi successfully caught all the other princes under debt and threw them out of the battle for the throne.
They had to give up their nobility to get out of the burden of loans.
In order to stabilize the situation, Jin Wei mobilized many demons to fight at the borders. The faster the situation stabilized, the earlier he could rightfully claim the throne. At the same time, he kept an eye on Jin Han. He was afraid whether Jin Han had cleared all the evidence or not. Thus, he was trying to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Jin Wei's plans were also thwarted as Jin Huang appeared in the kingdom at the right moment with the evidence of treason.
Jin Wei was captured and thrown into prison.
At the same time, the three generals who were thought to be dead suddenly appeared at the Golden Valley with a large army and attacked the Wu armies. They used the help of demons to gain a one-sided victory, while at the same time, Jin Huang, with her keen perception, caught all demons hiding within the troops and had them executed.
The Jin Dynasty was thus able to conquer half of Golden Valley, and this half was the most important part since it contained the second-largest resource point of the Northern Continent, Starfall Canyon. It was the same Canyon for which Jin Huang had sent a large number of troops into Golden Valley after the Giant Hand Catastrophe in order to secure another hidden entrance.
At this time, Jin Huang, Jin Zhi, and Jin Long became the most important successors to the throne.
Because of her popularity, Jin Huang was favored by everyone. They all wished her to be the Queen of the Golden Crow Kingdom.
However, she calmly rejected the proposal and elected Jin Long as the new King.
Jin Huang became the king-maker and regained her position as the Prime Advisor of Golden Crow.
However, not long after, Jin Zhi appeared with another scheme.
Jin Long glanced at Jin Zhi and frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
In the King's palace, Jin Long and Jin Huang were discussing important matters with other ministers when Jin Zhi barged into the room.
He glanced at the ministers and said lightly, "You can leave."
The ministers looked at each other awkwardly.
Jin Long nodded at them and they left, showing their understanding.
Jin Long asked, "Fifth brother, what's the matter?"
Jin Zhi smiled. "Lady Rulan — do you know where she is?"
Jin Huang glanced at Jin Zhi with her deep eyes as she stood up. "Even though I knew you had also lost your sanity, I prayed in my heart. I prayed you would overcome your ambitions and give up now. Why? Why must you force me?"
Jin Zhi said arrogantly, "Why? Why must he become the king? Why can't I? How am I inferior to him?"
Jin Long looked at Jin Zhi and couldn't speak for a while. He had never proved himself worthy, and thus, he felt a guilty conscience at that moment. He also felt he was unworthy, but he was not a coward.
He glanced at Jin Zhi and said confidently, "How about we fight and decide who is worthy?"
Jin Zhi laughed at him with disdain. "Your brain is only filled with battle. That's why you are unworthy. So what if you are the strongest among the princes? It doesn't mean you can handle the entire kingdom alone. What are you without your caring sister?"
He continued, "Either you sacrifice your crown, or your mother. The choice is yours!"
Jin Long's voice was stuck at that moment. He subconsciously glanced at Jin Huang. He was still fifteen, and didn't know much about court affairs.
Jin Huang glanced at Jin Long and reprimanded him immediately. "Brother, what are you doing? You are the King of the Golden Crow! Where is your majesty? How can you be threatened by a prince?"
Jin Long hesitated. "But…"
Jin Huang said in a cold tone, "Remember, the first duty of a king is thinking about his kingdom. Only then should he think about his family! What is your duty towards your country? What is your duty towards your nation?"
Jin Zhi was shocked. "You… I swear if you do anything, I will…"
But at that moment, Jin Long clenched his fist and shouted, "Guards, capture him and throw him in prison!"
Jin Zhi shouted, "You will regret it. In the future, whenever you feel lonely, you will regret today's decision. I curse you — you will forever regret sacrificing your own mother for your greed and ambition. You will be cursed by your own subjects, you will be cursed by your own friends, you will be cursed by your own family!"
Jin Long heard every word, and a seed of anger appeared in his heart against Jin Huang.
Jin Huang patted his shoulder. "You did well."
However, Jin Long wasn't in the mood. He shouted angrily, "What about mother?"
Jin Huang smiled. "Brother, you can trust me. A clown like him is worthy of harming our mother?"
She took Jin Long with her to a dilapidated house and pointed somewhere. It was an ordinary gate.
As soon as both of them entered the gate, they found a luxurious room.
Lady Rulan was calmly sipping tea and a middle-aged man was kneeling before her.
Jin Long immediately recognized the man.
He asked slowly, "Isn't he the advisor of Jin Zhi?"
Jin Huang nodded. "Yes. I long ago asked him to infiltrate Jin Zhi's palace and serve as his advisor."
Jin Long asked, "Did you use him to hint to Jin Zhi about kidnapping mother?"
Jin Huang glanced at her brother and said quietly, "Do you think I am that kind of person?"
The middle-aged man immediately replied, "Your majesty, her highness never asked me to harm Queen Mother. It was his highness, the fifth prince, who asked me to do everything. Her highness, the thirteenth princess, had long expected this and prepared this place to keep Queen Mother safe."
Jin Huang said calmly, "I never intended to harm any prince and gave them equal chances. However, if they are involved in crimes worthy of punishment, then I will punish them! They all get the outcome they deserve."
A few days later, in front of the public, Jin Huang read the royal edict.
She mentioned all the crimes of Jin Zhi and Jin Wei and declared that their crime of treason deserved death.
Both Jin Zhi and Jin Wei were publicly executed, and all the members of their families, including their sister and mother, were reduced to commoners.
With the battle between Wu and Golden Crow coming to an end, and Jin Long succeeding to the throne, all the conflicts and problems were resolved. The Golden Crow Kingdom ushered in a new era of peace.
A month later,
An awakening ceremony was held in Jinyang City.
Jin Long had already awakened his Spiritual Imprint. It was now Jin Huang's turn.
She took part in the ceremony. She was prepared this time. During the three years of her journey outside the Golden Crow Kingdom, she researched extensively about Soul attributes. After consuming the Heavenly Lotus, she could sense her Soul and was capable of creating her own Secret Techniques.
As soon as she entered the temple for her Awakening, she was finally freed. She finally gained her freedom — her freedom to think!
Even immortals can't pry into one's thoughts during awakening, since it is the time when Heavenly Dao's traces are being engraved in the Soul. A Spiritual Imprint is made up of traces of materialized Heavenly Dao. Some Spiritual Imprints are far stronger and need lumps of such traces to come together to form them. These lumps are known as fragments. Fragments of Heavenly Dao also have grades — some are high quality, and some are low.
After gaining her freedom to think, Jin Huang immediately used all her might to create a new Soul-related Secret Technique. A technique that would help her deceive those devices and let them believe she possessed a Spiritual Imprint. Even immortals can't see through a Spiritual Imprint. Thus, they can only indirectly deduce whether someone has it or not. It is normally done when one uses it, or when certain devices check what kind of Spiritual Imprint is present.
At the same time, she also simulated and deduced the state of a Warrior ascending to Rank 7. It was impossible for her to accurately know about it just from theoretical information, but she could come up with a range of possibilities and then eliminate them group by group through her abstract thinking.
The awakening ceremony didn't last more than half an hour. She came out and easily deceived the device measuring her Spiritual Imprint.
They only depicted a Rank 7 Spiritual Imprint.
Nothing unusual happened after this. Their lives returned to their usual course.
Jin Huang and Jin Long ruled the Golden Crow Kingdom for decades, until Li Gang arrived.
Jin Long also married the daughter of Shi Tian and had children with her.
Lady Rulan lived for sixty more years before she died of old age.
Jin Huang consistently eradicated all demons. She created various new crop technologies and improved agricultural output. She provided employment to all homeless people and also distributed free food to the needy, thus making the Golden Crow a heaven for all mortals.
The greatest crown is not worn upon the head, it is carried in the hearts of the people. Jin Long may be the King of Golden Crow Kingdom, but the subjects see only Jin Huang as their ruler, as their savior, and as their goddess!