With his mouth gagged, Xu Tiannan whimpered as he watched those hands tugging at his trousers, bit by bit pulling them down.
He wanted to resist, but with his soul power sealed, he was as helpless as a weak woman. Facing two ferocious Titled Douluo, he could do nothing but await his fate.
He could neither move nor speak. His eyes bulged wide as he watched his greatest secret being exposed before his own father.
As the trousers fell to the floor, time seemed to freeze.
The two pale, beardless attendants glanced at Xu Tiannan's lower body. Their expressions did not change, but inwardly they thought,
So the Crown Prince is just like us… a eunuch. I wonder how His Majesty will deal with this.
Seeing his greatest secret laid bare, Xu Tiannan's face turned blank. His eyes dulled, his spirit collapsed, and he sat there like a walking corpse.
On the dragon throne, Xu Jing looked down, and when his gaze fell upon the absence beneath his son's waist, he coughed violently in rage.
The dignified Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire… was missing what made him a man.
This—this was enough to drive the Emperor into a fury. He must be abolished. Absolutely abolished!
Fortunately, he had discovered it in time. Otherwise, if Xu Tiannan had ascended the throne in such a state, who knew what bastard bloodline the imperial seat would end up passing to?
Tomorrow morning, the court—he would announce the removal of Xu Tiannan's Crown Prince title and appoint a new heir.
"Cough! Cough!" His frail body convulsed. Xu Jing's health had been poor ever since the coup years ago, when he fought the previous emperor and sustained injuries that damaged his very foundation. Even with the finest restorative pills of the Sun Moon Empire, his lifespan had been greatly shortened.
Otherwise, at his age and cultivation, there would have been no need to establish a Crown Prince so early.
The two attendants quickly abandoned Xu Tiannan and rushed to Xu Jing's side. One supported his arm, while the other produced a pill and fed it to him, patting his back gently.
"Your Majesty, please don't let anger harm your health."
"Yes, nothing is more important than your well-being."
These two had once been mere lowly eunuchs, but Xu Jing had discovered them and personally nurtured them until they rose to the level of Titled Douluo. For that, their loyalty to him was absolute.
After taking the pill, Xu Jing's breathing steadied, and the coughing subsided.
Looking again at his son, naked from the waist down, his eyes burned with disgust. He waved his hand irritably.
"Put your trousers back on."
Xu Tiannan sat in his wheelchair like a broken doll, unresponsive, vacant.
Xu Jing had intended to scold him, but seeing him like this, he could not even bring himself to speak harshly.
Instead, he said slowly, "Escort the Eldest Prince back to his residence."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
When the word Eldest Prince reached his ears, Xu Tiannan snapped out of his daze. He laughed and wept at the same time.
The attendants exchanged uneasy glances. Has the Crown Prince lost his mind?
Moments later, Xu Tiannan was delivered back to his mansion.
There, he lay upon his bed, eyes dull, spirit broken. His heart dead, he suddenly lunged forward and smashed his head against the wall, leaving a hole.
But as a Soul Sage with the martial soul Purple Destruction Heavenly Dragon, his body was too tough to die so easily—especially since he had not used soul power to protect himself. The pain was real, though, and sharp agony jolted him awake.
Clarity returned to his eyes, but they burned with hatred, destruction, and murderous intent.
In recent days, he had endured assassination attempts, crippling injuries, the loss of his manhood, rumors spreading across all of Mingdu, and now even the stripping of his Crown Prince's title.
Each blow alone would have been devastating, but together they shattered him. Even with his iron will, Xu Tiannan could no longer bear it.
Now, only one thought filled his mind: revenge.
The assassins must die. The scheming brothers must die. Whoever spreads the truth of his condition must die.
Even his father—the Emperor who had stripped away his heirship—must die.
Everyone who had wronged him would die.
Consumed by madness, Xu Tiannan clenched his fists.
But with his crippled body and insufficient strength, he could not yet challenge the assassins, his brothers, or his father.
So he would start with the weakest target—the one who had leaked his secret.
He searched his memories, reviewing every person he had encountered since returning from the outskirts of Mingdu. Only a handful had known of his condition: Juzi and the doctors who had treated his injuries.
But he had already silenced the doctors and healing-type soul masters. The dead could not speak.
That left only Juzi.
Yes… It must have been her. That wretched woman betrayed me!
"Juzi!" he roared inwardly. I treated you well, and yet you dared betray me. You'll pay with your life!
He shouted aloud, "Guards! Bring Juzi to me, now!"
Although his title had not yet been formally stripped, his command still carried weight as Crown Prince.
But when the guards arrived, they bowed and reported,
"Your Highness, Lady Juzi is not in the Crown Prince's residence. We do not know where she has gone."
Hearing this, Xu Tiannan became certain. Her absence confirmed her guilt in his eyes.
Thus, poor Juzi became the scapegoat for Wang Chen's scheme.
Bloodshot veins spread across Xu Tiannan's eyes. His breath came in ragged, furious gasps.
To be betrayed by the one he trusted most—such torment was unbearable.
Grinding his teeth, he growled,
"Send word to all. Find Juzi and bring her back alive!
Whoever discovers her whereabouts will receive a reward of ten thousand gold soul coins. Whoever brings her back to me alive will be rewarded with five hundred thousand gold soul coins and a Marrow-Cleansing Pill! Do you understand?"
The guards' eyes lit up red with greed. Half a million gold soul coins, plus a pill that could purge impurities and improve talent—such riches were beyond their wildest dreams.
For men with no background, no special talent, and little hope for advancement, this was a chance of a lifetime.
They left at once, filled with burning determination to hunt Juzi down.
Left alone, Xu Tiannan sank deep into thought…