Not until night fell did Xie Tian leave the Imperial Garden, a heaviness in his bloodshot eyes.
"Did you know all along?" Xie Tian asked Xie Ren.
"The Shen family is enigmatic, especially this branch in the Nine States."
Xie Tian was somewhat shocked, "Are you saying that His Majesty's lineage is not originally from the Nine States? Then, where do they come from?"
"You don't need to know that right now."
Xie Tian sighed, looking up at the night sky. Suddenly, he noticed a star so bright it was startling, yet so faint it was frightening, and he couldn't help but murmur, "Six years..."
"Not six years, Shen Shao lied to you."
Xie Tian came to an abrupt halt, panic flashing in his eyes.
"At most, only four years."
After a silence that lasted half an hour, Xie Tian finally spoke with difficulty.
"Why?"
"I don't know how he managed to survive."
Xie Tian understood.
