"How did you find me?" Ling Xiao's expression was indifferent, but his tone was filled with genuine puzzlement.
After all, he wasn't the real Great Qin Young Lord. This Xiao Beifa clearly looked like a peerlessly fierce general; the bloody aura around him couldn't have been gathered without slaughtering at least a hundred thousand people.
A blade like this, paired with a War God like Ning Tiance... who in the Western Frontier could stand against them?
Calculating roughly, it seems that in just a few days, three great imperial dynasties have already fallen into place?
Marvelous!
The unification of the Western Frontier, a monumental task for a thousand years, is close at hand!
"Young Lord! The Pill Emperor left a last testament, saying he had arranged matters for you. If the turmoil could be quelled, you would surely appear three years later. Then we were to bring you back to Qin to inherit the throne!" Xiao Beifa had no doubts. The ring and the Spirit Flame aura were both present; this person was undoubtedly the Young Lord.
"Oh, what happened to the Pill Emperor..." Ling Xiao had no idea who this Pill Emperor was. Or rather, he hadn't expected the forces behind Jiang Yu to arrive so quickly.
He had planned to thoroughly plunder the good-for-nothing son-in-law's luck before sending him to his doom, so he hadn't bothered to seize his memories.
However...
This was fine too. He could use this to deceive that Son of Fate, the good-for-nothing!
"The Pill Emperor used a heaven-defying art to seal a strand of the Heaven-Earth Demonic Flame within your body. He then used his own cultivation to set up a method, spending three years to fuse it with your bloodline... and then... he disappeared..." Xiao Beifa lowered his head slightly, seeming somewhat heavy-hearted.
"Why were you unable to return in time during the upheaval back then?" A cold intent flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes. He hadn't dismissed the idea of planting a Soul Imprint on Xiao Beifa, searching his memories, and completely controlling him.
But for now, he couldn't break away to go to Great Qin. If this man returned and someone noticed something amiss, it would likely cause another storm.
Besides, Xiao Beifa had no Luck Points. Ling Xiao couldn't determine if he was truly submitting.
If he rashly entered his Sea of Consciousness and it was a trap, it would be extremely dangerous.
Weighing both options, Ling Xiao decided to be a bit more cautious.
"Young Lord, forgive me!!" Xiao Beifa bowed his head, his voice already tinged with fear.
"Back then, the Great Qi Emperor personally led his army to violate our nation's prestige. I... was solely focused on resisting the enemy and didn't pay attention to the storm brewing in the capital..."
"Oh, so the rebellion in Great Qin has been completely pacified now?" This was what Ling Xiao was most concerned about. He didn't want to finish his business in Great Xia, go meet his dear cousin, and then get ambushed and killed.
Jiang Yu was a Son of Fate, protected by the Heavenly Dao.
But he wasn't!
"Young Lord, rest assured. The rebels have been exterminated to the tenth degree of kinship! From princes down to palace guards, all have been slaughtered!" Xiao Beifa gritted his teeth. A bloody aura seemed to surge around him, overshadowing the heavens and the earth.
"I cannot return to Qin for the time being. You all return first and await my orders. Also... anyone connected to the events of that year, show no mercy, kill them all." Ling Xiao let out a cold laugh, the immortal radiance on his face dissipating.
Xiao Beifa's eyes flashed with surprise, but then he smiled.
The Young Lord has grown up!!
He was stationed at the border year-round and had only seen Jiang Yu once in his childhood. Although the Young Lord's appearance had changed somewhat, this decisive, ruthless demeanor was exactly the same as the former Lord's!
"Yes!!"
Watching the three Divine Emperors depart as hurriedly as they came, Ling Xiao's expression gradually darkened.
Xiao Beifa didn't recognize him.
But that didn't mean the rest of the Great Qin imperial clan wouldn't recognize Jiang Yu.
Especially that cousin.
However... faces are easy to explain away.
Back then, to evade the pursuing enemies, the Pill Emperor used an extremely profound method to alter my appearance.
As for how profound... just use your imagination.
From Xiao Beifa's words, Ling Xiao roughly understood a few things.
The Pill Emperor wasn't Jiang Yu's father; the Great Qin Lord was.
However, their direct lineage had now been completely slaughtered.
As for the Pill Emperor's identity, Ling Xiao guessed he was probably Jiang Yu's master or guardian.
Perhaps he knew about the peculiarity of Jiang Yu's divine physique, which was why he sealed that strand of Heaven-Earth Demonic Flame within his body.
Wait...
Demonic Flame?
Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly, a smile suddenly curling on his lips.
It seems this Son of Fate, the good-for-nothing, has some other great uses.
Plunder his luck, make him take the fall.
Search his soul... Cousin, I stand before you now, how much do I resemble the past?
---
Dragon Fortune City, Huayuan Palace.
This was the residence of Xia Yanran and Jiang Yu, adjacent to the imperial palace.
In the main hall, Xia Yanran gazed gloomily at Jiang Yu before her, her pretty face showing an indescribable disappointment.
Although!!
That Upper Realm lord had ultimately spoken up, resolving Jiang Yu's embarrassment.
But...
"Jiang Yu!! You were utterly disgraceful today!! You actually gave a stone ring to the Empress Dowager as a birthday gift? You really... disappoint me so much!" Xia Yanran gritted her silver teeth, especially when she remembered the look in that supreme existence's eyes...
Quite inexplicably, Jiang Yu was becoming more and more unpleasant to look at.
"Yanran! You've truly misunderstood me! That ring was given to me by an elder on his deathbed! He... he was a sixth-grade Divine Emperor, how could he possibly deceive me? I suspect they just didn't look caref..."
Slap!!
Before Jiang Yu could finish, Xia Yanran directly slapped him across the face.
"Jiang Yu!! Can't you learn from that lord, be honest and low-key? If you don't have something, you just don't! Why force yourself to show off? Do you think fooling me means you can fool the whole world?!" Xia Yanran let out a deep sigh, her pretty face growing even darker.
She understood that Jiang Yu actually wanted to prove himself, to let the people of Great Xia know he wasn't a good-for-nothing.
But... you could at least bring out a decent spiritual treasure!
The thought of that broken stone ring made Xia Yanran's heart burn with anger.
"Yanran! You're right. That young master... is indeed upright and honest in his actions. I'm also very grateful to him! But I..." Jiang Yu clenched his teeth, preparing to come clean to Xia Yanran about everything.
"Fifth Princess, a decree from His Majesty!!" Just then, an old eunuch suddenly walked into the hall from outside.
"Fifth Princess Xia Yanran, hear the command! By His Majesty's oral decree, you are to go to the capital's guesthouse tonight. The Second Prince of Great Qi has matters to discuss with you." The old eunuch cast a cold glance at Jiang Yu, a sinister smile appearing on his aged face.
"What!!!" The expressions of both Jiang Yu and Xia Yanran froze, especially the former, in whose eyes a strange flame seemed to ignite.
"Fifth Princess, the sedan chair to the guesthouse is right outside. The Huayuan Palace is also already guarded by soldiers. If you haven't come out in one hour, this old servant will have to call someone to invite you. Use this hour... to bid farewell to the Royal Son-in-Lief." Having said that, the old eunuch didn't forget to mock Jiang Yu a few more times. "Royal Son-in-Lief, be content. These three years, you've eaten enough soft rice. If you don't roll out now, it might be your head that rolls next."
"You!!" Jiang Yu gritted his teeth fiercely. One hour is enough!!
By then, the seals within my body will have completely dissipated, my talent will be fully revealed, and the Great Xia Emperor will understand who he should be currying favor with!!
Just...
Back then, Master said that after three years, if the Great Qin rebellion was quelled, someone would naturally come to bring me back to the court.
I wonder... if I still have a chance to achieve the imperial throne!
If I do... humph, I'll make everyone who looked down on me kneel before me!!
"Jiang Yu... you should leave..." Xia Yanran's eyes reddened slightly, not because she was reluctant to part with Jiang Yu, but because...
Once she attended to Qi Deqiang, she would completely lose the chance to become that supreme existence's maidservant, right?
Ah, perhaps this is just my fate!
"No!! Yanran... don't worry. One hour is enough! You will be fine." A dark shadow flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes.
But the moment his words fell...