"If it's not Lord Chongwu, then who could it be..." Hearing these words, Liu Dong hesitated, unable to think of a second possible candidate.
"Could it be... those foreign barbarians who have entered Yongnan Province?" Liu Dong had another guess.
Yongnan Province is an inland province, so it shouldn't be possible for them to arrive so soon.
"Never mind." However, Emperor Yanwen waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. It's just that with one less third prince, my plan has been slightly delayed."
No matter who the other party is, as long as they've entered the Yan Kingdom and absorbed the local spiritual energy, they will be used by him.
Moreover, his grand plan was about to succeed, and by that time, the other party might not even have the right to be used by him—they would instead become nourishment, which would be the best fate for them.
"By the way, how is my plan progressing?" Emperor Yanwen asked again.
"It's ready." Liu Dong replied. Seeing that Emperor Yanwen didn't scold him, he let out a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty, the Yan Kingdom should become more lively from now on..."
"That's good." Emperor Yanwen smiled with satisfaction. "It needs to be livelier. My path to the heavens must be one where I am worshipped by millions!"
At that moment, the eunuch guarding outside the palace suddenly reported, "Your Majesty, the Fourteenth Prince requests an audience."
"Oh? Let him in." Emperor Yanwen ordered.
Liu Dong stepped aside, and they saw Ji Congyun enter the imperial chamber, bending slightly with his long robe covering his face, trembling as he walked in:
"Father, Your Majesty, I come to greet you..."
Ji Congyun had always been deeply afraid of his father. Since he could remember, his father had always been cold to him, as if he were looking at someone else's child.
He had tried his best to cultivate and actively participate in various state affairs, but no matter how he performed, his father's attitude never softened, which left him quite frustrated.
However, in recent days, Ji Congyun had completely forgotten about these matters. He even stopped caring about the assassination of Shen Zhou, or the now-unreachable Zuo Cang.
The reason was that he had discovered his body was undergoing a strange transformation.
At first, patches of white scales grew on his skin, and a tail-like appendage appeared near his tailbone.
Later, the top of his head became pointed, as if something was growing.
These could still be concealed with clothing, but just a few days ago, he had turned into a monster while asleep!
To prevent the truth from being revealed, Ji Congyun had killed a few of his close guards.
He knew that the truth was about to come out, so he decided to confess to Emperor Yanwen voluntarily.
Seeing Ji Congyun's manner, Emperor Yanwen seemed to have guessed the reason for his visit. He ordered, "Lower your hand."
Ji Congyun lowered his arm, revealing the scales that had spread up to his neck, along with the sharp horns on his forehead.
"Father, I might be sick, which is why I look like this!" Ji Congyun explained nervously, his words stammering with fear.
Then, he saw his father's mouth curl into a smile.
For a moment, Ji Congyun stood still, forgetting his fear. His normally stern father was actually smiling at him?!
"It's nothing..." Emperor Yanwen waved his hand and smiled. "This is actually very good news."
"Good news?" Ji Congyun was even more confused.
"Liu Dong." Emperor Yanwen looked at the elderly eunuch by his side.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Take my son to understand the situation." Emperor Yanwen ordered.
"Right now?" Liu Dong looked slightly surprised.
"Yes, right now." Emperor Yanwen nodded.
"Understood." Liu Dong walked up to Ji Congyun. "Fourteenth Prince, please follow me."
"Alright..." Ji Congyun nodded. Though still a little confused, since his father had given the order, he could only comply.
He followed Liu Dong out of the imperial chamber.
...
"Where is this place..."
Ji Congyun shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
Ahead of him, Liu Dong's figure walked slowly, which helped him regain his bearings.
Right, his father had instructed him to follow Liu Dong, but how did he get here? He couldn't remember.
Ji Congyun looked around. This was a dark, downward-sloping corridor, with no light whatsoever. The further ahead, the more it seemed like a bottomless pit.
Liu Dong's voice suddenly echoed: "Fourteenth Prince, the transformation in your body is because you possess the bloodline of a dragon."
"A dragon's bloodline?"
"Yes." Liu Dong replied. "This is the sign of your bloodline awakening. Once it's fully matured, you might even transform into a real dragon soaring in the sky."
"I see, so that's what it is..." Ji Congyun breathed heavily. "No wonder Father smiled at me. Does this mean the Ji family is truly the Dragon's descendants? No wonder the Ji family can unify the Yan Kingdom, it's all fate!"
"Correct." Liu Dong confirmed again. "However, not all of His Majesty's children have had their bloodlines awakened. Fourteenth Prince, you are quite exceptional, one of the best."
"Exceptional..." Hearing this, Ji Congyun's frustration vanished, replaced by a surge of ambition!
Great, he wasn't some useless prince after all. He still had a chance to inherit the throne!
Ji Congyun felt a bit elated, but quickly regained his composure. "So, Liu Gonggong, where are we going?"
"We're going to a place that will help you grow faster, Fourteenth Prince." Liu Dong replied.
"Alright."
They continued down the dark and long corridor for about a quarter of an hour, until Liu Dong finally spoke: "Fourteenth Prince, we've arrived."
They had indeed arrived. Ji Congyun found himself standing on a vast platform, which spanned several acres.
In the center of the platform was a dark, ominous hole, like a bottomless abyss, as if it could devour anything in its path.
Before Ji Congyun could fully understand the situation, Liu Dong pointed to the hole and gently said, "Your Highness, please jump down."
"What, what?" Ji Congyun's face stiffened. The hole was so deep, wouldn't he be crushed to pieces if he jumped?
"Are you joking with me?" Ji Congyun glared at Liu Dong angrily.
"No." Liu Dong remained calm, his expression still warm. "This is His Majesty's order, please act quickly."
Seeing Ji Congyun's fear, he continued to reassure him: "Please don't be afraid, you won't die if you jump down. It's just a different way of staying by His Majesty's side..."
"Isn't that still dying?!" Ji Congyun shouted.
"It's different." Liu Dong answered seriously. "Also, haven't you been secretly investigating where your brothers have gone?"
Ji Congyun's pupils constricted. He hadn't expected his private actions to be so clearly known by this elderly eunuch.
But what Liu Dong said next sent a chill down Ji Congyun's spine:
Liu Dong pointed again to the hole.
"I'll tell you, Your Highness, your brothers, your father, your uncles, and even your grandfather are all waiting for you in that hole..."
"Now, thinking about it, wouldn't you be less afraid?"