Northern Song Dynasty Imperial Palace.
Zhao Ji and Huang Shang were both dumbfounded.
Duan Yu?
The heir of the Prince of Zhennan?
And he wasn't even the King's biological son.
The famously charming and romantic Prince of Zhennan was about to face a public scandal of epic proportions.
Great Li Empire was a vassal state of theirs, so technically Duan Yu could be considered one of their own.
But neither Huang Shang nor Zhao Ji had ever thought of Duan Yu that way.
As for the Prince of Zhennan and Duan Yu, both men secretly felt a sense of schadenfreude.
==========
Ming Imperial Palace
Pfft!
Zhu Houzhao sprayed a mouthful of tea, the corner of his lips twitching.
This Hidden Dragon Ranking seemed to be stirring up drama now.
The previous rankings hadn't revealed identities in such detail.
"What is it, Your Majesty? Do you know this Duan Yu?" the Empress asked, puzzled.
He was just a prince from a small state. How had he caught the emperor's attention?
Zhu Houzhao chuckled and immediately recounted the tangled, chaotic story of Duan Yu's family.
The Empress was left speechless.
From now on, Duan Yu's fate would likely be completely transformed.
Zhu Houzhao silently speculated.
No matter how carefree Duan Zhengchun usually was, he couldn't possibly act like nothing had happened after this.
He had put a green hat on others for years, only to discover he himself had been wearing one for more than a decade.
==========
As they stared at the ranking list in the sky, people across the Nine Provinces became eager spectators, gleefully gossiping.
It quickly became the hottest topic of discussion.
The name Duan Zhengchun shook the entire Nine Provinces.
==========
Great Li Empire – Prince of Zhennan's Mansion
Bang!
Duan Zhengchun smashed a priceless antique in rage, his eyes bloodshot.
"Yu'er is not my son?"
"Dao Baifeng, how could you do something so disgraceful? I... I…"
Duan Zhengchun was consumed by fury toward the woman who had humiliated him.
But after a long while, he finally let out a dejected sigh.
Given his understanding of Dao Baifeng, it had to be an act of revenge.
In the end, all the fault lay with him.
Now that the ranking had been made public, he had no idea how to face others anymore.
In the past, he took pride in having affairs with other men's wives, feeling no shame whatsoever.
Now, all he felt was bitterness.
What an ironic twist of fate.
==========
Western Xia Empire, First-Class Hall.
Residence of the Four Evildoers.
"Boss, you're amazing! I never imagined that Duan Yu kid would actually be your son!"
"Yeah, boss, when did you manage to seduce the Prince of Zhennan's consort?"
"What better way to get back at Duan Zhengchun than putting a green hat on him! Haha, boss, you really are the best. I admire you!"
Duan Yanqing was completely stunned.
He had a son?
The woman he knew as Guanyin Bodhisattva turned out to be the King's consort?
A wave of indescribable joy surged in his heart.
All past hatred vanished in an instant.
He was overwhelmed with happiness.
==========
Heavenly Dragon Temple.
"Ancestor, Duan Yu is not truly the heir of the Prince of Zhennan, yet he has learned our Six Meridian Divine Sword. Should we take it back?"
"The Six Meridian Divine Sword is the highest martial art of our Great Li Empire royal family. Given his identity, he is unqualified to learn it."
"Amitabha. Everything happens by fate."
"No matter what, he still carries the bloodline of the Great Li Empire royal family. Unlike Duan Yanqing, whose mind is twisted, Duan Yu is kind-hearted. He is worthy of learning the Six Meridian Divine Sword."
Whether it was Duan Zhengchun or Duan Yanqing, both were ultimately part of the Great Li Empire royal bloodline.
To the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple, such internal struggles meant little.
As long as the person belonged to the Great Li Empire royal line, it was enough.
"How will we explain this to Emperor Baoding?"
"Let Emperor Baoding and the Prince of Zhennan handle it themselves. We need not interfere."
==========
Northern Song Dynasty Territory, Gusu City.
"Young Master Duan, are you alright? You don't look so well."
"Yes, we should find a place for you to rest."
Wang Yuyan, A Zhu, and A Bi looked at Duan Yu with worried expressions. His face was pale.
Murong Fu and his followers, on the other hand, were secretly gloating.
Murong Fu, who had always been jealous of Duan Yu, was inwardly overjoyed.
Bao Butong, who had never liked Duan Yu, began to mock him sarcastically.
"Young Master Duan, now that your true identity has been revealed, do you think the Prince of Zhennan will send someone to kill you to erase the royal family's greatest disgrace?"
"Right, and what about Duan Yanqing of the Four Evildoers? He's your enemy, but now he's also your father. Will he come to rescue you?"
"What a mess. Relatives become enemies, enemies become relatives? What a tangled web!"
Duan Yu, already overwhelmed with anxiety, now felt complete panic.
"Miss Wang, I have urgent matters to attend to. Please excuse me. If fate allows, we shall meet again."
He had just revealed his most humiliating and broken side to his beloved goddess.
Even if he still longed to stay, he couldn't remain.
He needed time to think about how to face his 'father,' his mother, and his 'enemy.'
"To think that the once graceful and virtuous consort of the Prince of Zhennan turned out to be a promiscuous woman!"
"And to have birthed such a shameless bastard as Duan Yu!"
Bao Butong was getting bolder, his words filthier and more unbearable.
"That's enough, Third Brother Bao. Watch your words."
A trace of disgust flickered in Wang Yuyan's eyes.
"Not at all. That Duan Yu brat–"
"Enough, Third Brother Bao. Whatever the case, we and Duan Yu were once acquainted. There's no need to become mortal enemies."
Bao Butong was about to say more, but seeing Wang Yuyan's displeasure, Murong Fu quickly intervened.
His cousin had changed greatly recently, and he didn't want to offend her further.
Besides, Duan Yu was now a disgraced man, no longer worth his concern.
It was better to focus on rebuilding her affection for him.
==========
A Lonely Mountain Peak,
Qiao Feng stood atop the summit, a look of sorrow on his face. He took a long swig of wine.
"So Second Brother's background is this complicated too!"
"Ah, poor brother. But alas, I can't help you right now."
Now that the truth of his Khitan heritage had been exposed, Qiao Feng had fallen from a revered leader of the Beggar Gang and a great hero to a reviled Khitan traitor.
His life's ups and downs had given him much to reflect on.
Now that his sworn brother's origins were revealed as well, he felt even more emotionally conflicted.
Heaven was truly unfair.
How could it toy with the brothers like this?
Wait… with the Golden Rankings now appearing, maybe he could find clues about their eldest sworn brother.
One day, he would personally kill the one who had ruined his life.