With one snakegirl at his left, a mermaid at his right, and a doegirl to lead the way, Huan Yi crossed the Meat Forest, reaching the Deer Pavilion where the Silver Maidens awaited, welcoming the Demon Child with thrilling dances and enchanting melodies. Alas, the Demon Child didn't have enough time left to fool around, and so didn't indulge in pleasure.
Now comfortably seated by an oval table, Huan Yi confronted Zi Shou, who sat in the seiza form, nervously holding on his thighs. Two doegirls massaged Huan Yi's shoulders, while Xiao Qing knelt by his left, pouring him a cup of tea on one side, and warm wine on the other.
'Your master, Wen Tianhua, has arrived in Linzi. Zi Shou, do you understand what that means?' Huan Yi asked in a mental message, and though he had come to the conclusion that Huan Yi was likely waiting for Wen Tianhua's return to reveal his plan, the seventh prince still turned pale.
'Please enlighten me…senior!' Zi Shou didn't have the ability to communicate mentally. But by relying on the Spiritual Channel established by Huan Yi, the seventh prince had no trouble replying to Huan Yi's mental messages.
'Simple. It means it is high time you decide what kind of king you want to become. The type that answers to his subjects, or one that holds the world in his palm.' Huan Yi asked and waved his hand, dismissing the monstergirls.
Now alone, Huan Yi and Zi Shou faced one another. The seventh prince trembled at Huan Yi's words, images of his past, of his master's teachings, of his father's cruel actions, surfacing in his mind.
"Am…am I really not…my father's son?" Zi Shou asked after a moment of silence, the words causing Huan Yi's lips to curl into a smile.
"That's a question you can easily answer. Think about it, little man. What type of father tries to have his son murdered? What type of father fears his son's growth, rise and backing?
Your successes become your father's fears, and your failures help him sleep at night. Ask yourself, can a father truly behave that cruelly? Ask yourself, does his behavior towards you match the way he behaves with his other sons?" Bringing the teacup to his lips and pushing the wine towards Zi Shou, Huan Yi seriously asked.
Without hesitation, the seventh prince gulped the wine down. It was already his third cup, yet his nervousness and anxiety weren't going down. Worse, they only got stronger. Huan Yi was right. To his other children, Zi Xian was a strict but loving father. But Zi Shou, he always kept at a distance, even showing frustration at his cultivation speed.
There was no proof to back it up. But since the assassination attempt that Zi Shou had suffered in his childhood had been carried out by Royal Guards, the likelihood that it'd been ordered by Zi Xian was close to 100%.
Could a father truly treat his son that cruelly? Zi Shou couldn't believe it. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that…he wasn't Zi Xian's son.
The seventh prince had yet to answer, but by relying on his Eye of Dancing Devils, Huan Yi could sense all his emotions and desires, painting an accurate picture of the seventh prince's current state of mind.
"Then whose son am I? My…master's?" Zi Shou blurted out. By now, after being exposed to the dark side of the Wen clan, Zi Shou had gotten disillusioned by Wen Tianhua's teachings.
Could a man that empowered his relatives to create such criminal enterprises, a man that turned a blind eye to the human trafficking they carried out, could such a man truly be an example of morals and virtue?
No! He was just a hypocrite! A generational hypocrite that asked of others standards that he couldn't live up to! Why could such a man not cuck his king and impregnate his niece? That would explain the Jade Bloodline that Zi Shou was born with.
Be it Zi Xian or Wen Tianhua, from the moment that Zi Shou was born, both had been playing with his life, causing him to suffer for things that weren't in his control. One was cruel and unjust, the other cowardly and hypocritical! Both deserved to be damned! As Zi Shou's thoughts reached this point, his eyes turned red, his fists trembling as demonic energies took shape around him. Sensing these changes, Huan Yi sighed.
"Zi Shou, why did you come to Linzi?" Huan Yi asked, the words making Zi Shou shiver instantly.
"N-naturally for the wedding." Zi Shou gave a tentative reply, avoiding eye contact and sweating as he spoke.
"Evil as I might be, I can understand the pain of a man left rotting in heartache. Open yourself to me, Zi Shou, let me take care of everything, and you will never suffer again," Huan Yi said, his voice like whispers that repeated in Zi Shou's mind. The seventh prince's eyes glazed over, Demonic Energies flaring as his heart surrendered to lust, love, greed and selfishness.
"I..senior I…came for Dongfang Bai! I don't want her to marry Wen Tiexin! I…love her." At last, Zi Shou revealed the true reason for his presence in Linzi. Satisfied, Huan Yi nodded in approval.
"And what about Zi Xian and Wen Tianhua?"
"To hell with them! All they've done is make my life more difficult than it was ever meant to be! I have a Jade Bloodline and a peerless constitution. I should have been the darling child of my nation, enjoying glory and splendor from infancy to adulthood! But instead, no matter where I go, I'm surrounded by fear, self-interest, betrayal and treachery!
Why? All because I was born into the royal family? I don't care who my father is! I must take control of my destiny and put all those scoundrels on their knees! Wen Tiexin is a scoundrel! He doesn't deserve Dongfang Bai! She is mine! My happiness! Mine! And I will do anything to make sure that no one can take her from me!"
"Even giving me full control of your soul? Be careful. Once you say yes, there is no turning back." Overwhelming demonic energies erupted from Huan Yi's Eye of Dancing Devils, concealing the pair in a veil of darkness.
The groundwork for a contract had been set up. Zi Shou's eyes took a purple shade, and without hesitation, the seventh prince prostrated himself at Huan Yi's feet.
"Yes! Yes! I don't care about what I have to do! We only live once, and I will live splendidly! So long as you can help me clear my name and marry Dongfang Bai, my soul is yours!" Zi Shou could still remember the day he'd met Dongfang Bai.
She was like a field of blooming flowers, with matchless purity, and lighting up the world with her mere presence. For her, Zi Shou stopped hesitating, embracing the demons in his heart, and letting his soul fall completely to Huan Yi's corruptive influence.
In that instant, Huan Yi too pictured Dongfang Bai, but for entirely different reasons. In his mind, the mask of purity had been torn down, replaced by the image of a girl drunk on pleasure.
The Demon Child stretched his right hand out, and as the black star dot in his left hand caused his arm to shake and burn, Huan Yi extracted a batch of silver strands from Zi Shou's soul. A miniature spectral version of the seventh prince appeared in Huan Yi's right hand, vanishing subsequently.
"Then little prince, it's time to get to work."