Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Lost Red Pearl, Inadvertently Luring the Red-Eyed

Just then, Feng Xin, who was kneeling behind Xie Lian, spoke up grimly. "His Highness did indeed mention it yesterday."

All eyes moved to him, and Feng Xin continued.

"Recently, His Highness has been putting a lot of thought into the Heavenly Procession, and yesterday he suddenly came up with the extraordinary idea of jumping off the tower to simulate celestial descent without changing anything else in the programming. At the time, His Highness was in the middle of rehearsals and couldn't excuse himself, so he sent Mu Qing to pass on word to the State Preceptor and request the go-ahead."

He raised his head, slight anger in his eyes.

"Mu Qing returned and told His Highness that the State Preceptors had been informed, so His Highness performed today under the impression that he had permission. Who knew that the State Preceptor was never told and that we almost ruined the event!"

The cultivators all looked at each other in dismay.

The State Preceptor asked, "Who knew of this?"

The three Deputy State Preceptors shook their heads, all denying that they knew anything. The State Preceptor turned to Mu Qing, his stormy expression turning into one of indignant anger.

"Mu Qing, you intentionally withheld this communication?"

His words and expression showed he already firmly believed that Mu Qing had purposely sabotaged the event. Xie Lian glanced at the silent, thin youth kneeling on the side and pondered his words before he spoke.

"State Preceptor, I think there must be some kind of misunderstanding here."

Hearing this, Mu Qing slowly looked over, his gaze profoundly dark but not lingering.

Xie Lian said, "If he had purposely held back word, once the event was over and we all compared notes, his deceit would be exposed and there'd be no way he could escape responsibility. Mu Qing is not a short-sighted imbecile, and he wouldn't have come up with such a low tactic. Besides, with the God-Pleasing Martial Warrior missing, what advantage does his demon opponent have? Please hear him out, State Preceptor, and then draw your conclusions."

Finishing his speech, Xie Lian inclined his head.

"Tell us, Mu Qing. What happened?"

Mu Qing lowered his eyes and said softly, "I did pass on what His Highness bade me to say yesterday."

The State Preceptor frowned. "Wouldn't we know ourselves what you did or did not say? When did you tell us?"

"Yesterday, an hour after the evening lesson, when the four State Preceptors were resting at Sixiang Palace, this disciple spoke from outside the window," Mu Qing said.

The State Preceptor turned his head to his three fellows, looking puzzled. "Yesterday, after the evening lessons? What were we doing then?"

Just as he asked, he remembered, and traces of awkwardness colored his face. The other three Deputy State Preceptors also coughed nervously, their responses ambiguous.

"Nothing really. Just…resting is resting!"

Seeing how the State Preceptors stammered, everyone understood immediately.

The Royal Holy Temple was a place of quiet meditation and training, and there was very little entertainment save for small games that could serve as amusement. One of them, the most popular one, was playing cards.

Cards could only be played in secret, seen by no one. The State Preceptors had long been bored out of their minds residing at the Royal Holy Temple, so they were heavily addicted. When they started playing, they would forget everything and everyone and fall into a state akin to hysterical obsession or drunkenness. Nothing from the outside world could be heard. If Mu Qing had told them anything at that time, how could they possibly hear?

One of the Deputy State Preceptors said, "Oh, um…maybe there were too many people, your voice was too quiet, and we didn't hear clearly. Yeah, we didn't hear clearly."

The State Preceptor, on the other hand, was doubtful. "Did you actually go to Sixiang Palace yesterday?"

"I absolutely did," Mu Qing said, and as proof, he relayed without fault the dress, look, and accent of the guard standing at the door.

The State Preceptor had to believe him, but still he frowned. "If you had gone to Sixiang Palace, you could've just passed on the message to the trainee outside the door or entered the chamber and spoken to us in detail. Why speak outside by the window? You didn't even confirm whether we heard?"

Mu Qing responded softly, "This disciple tried. This disciple spoke politely to the shixiong guarding the door, but for some reason that shixiong had to make things difficult and wouldn't let me into the chamber or pass on word for me. He mocked me and drove me away."

After a pause, he continued, "This disciple had no other choice, so I went around to the other side of Sixiang Palace and tried to pass on the message through the window. After I spoke, I heard one of the State Preceptors say 'I get it, now leave,' so this disciple took that as consent to His Highness's plans and returned."

The State Preceptors pursed their lips and didn't speak.

At the height of a round of cards, who would pay attention to whatever was said outside? If they heard anything, of course they'd respond offhandedly with "I get it, I get it." But they probably didn't even know where the voice came from!

Xie Lian knitted his brows. "That such a thing would happen! Which trainee was that impudent? He's got guts to be so disrespectful to one of my messengers."

Although Xie Lian was usually friendly and rarely put on airs when interacting with others at the Royal Holy Temple, he was still nonetheless the esteemed son of the king, the prominent crown prince. Even as he knelt before the statue of a god, he had not shown any humility. So with this sudden turn to sternness, he was authoritative without needing fury. Everyone fell quiet, and the State Preceptors wore unreadable expressions on their faces.

"Why didn't you report this to me when you returned yesterday?" Xie Lian asked.

Mu Qing turned around while still kneeling, and prostrated, his voice quiet. "Your Highness, there's no need to look further into the matter with that shixiong. I didn't say anything after returning yesterday simply because I don't want to make this into a big deal. In any case, it's nothing major. If Your Highness was to defend me openly, it would hurt the camaraderie between everyone."

Xie Lian disagreed, sounding upset. "What 'camaraderie' are you talking about? The kind of camaraderie that's used to abuse others?"

Hearing this, the State Preceptors sitting on the side looked even more agitated. At the end of the day, something like this happened because the State Preceptors disliked Mu Qing. When they were displeased, the trainee attendants naturally followed their lead—not to mention that Mu Qing himself simply wasn't very likable. So, not only did fellow trainees avoid helping him, they went out of their way to make things difficult for him at every turn.

Of course, their high and mighty disciple wasn't trying to ridicule them on purpose, but he certainly did take a jab.

Mu Qing was continuously making concessions in his story, but Feng Xin couldn't listen for another minute and suddenly interjected.

"It really was nothing major, but you had to go and make it complicated. If you had told the trainee at the door that you came to deliver a message at His Highness's command, would he still have the gall to block your way? Also, right before we departed today, the State Preceptor asked you where His Highness went. Why did you answer so vaguely? Could you not have said clearly that His Highness was on top of the tower waiting for the procession to start?"

Mu Qing immediately argued back, calm and steady, "I thought the State Preceptor already knew and didn't expect to be asked that question, so I was confused. But right after, I told the State Preceptor that His Highness had already said not to worry, that the procession could start without delay as planned, and that His Highness would be back promptly. His Highness might not have been there at the time, but there were many at the scene who heard me, so how can you say I did this intentionally? Or that I was being vague?"

Feng Xin stared at him angrily. But if he thought about it carefully, Mu Qing did in fact say all that—the problem was that the State Preceptor was too anxious and didn't want to make hasty decisions. If he was going to pick at faults, there really wasn't enough evidence to prove anything.

Just then, Xie Lian spoke up again. "All right, all right. It was all just an untimely mistake, a misunderstanding. Let's count it as bad luck, so stop fighting."

Feng Xin looked extremely displeased, but mindful of his position, he dared not be clamorous in the Palace of Divine Might and stopped talking. The State Preceptor didn't want to pursue this topic anymore either. After all, if they must get to the heart of the topic, wasn't he at fault too for being too engrossed in card games? Thus, he simply waved and sighed.

"Let's talk about that later, and we shall put our heads together and think of a way to see how this situation can be salvaged. The three of you are dismissed; go remove your costumes and do whatever else you must."

Xie Lian bowed and rose to his feet immediately. Feng Xin and Mu Qing both properly kowtowed once before rising, following Xie Lian, who was about to leave. Xie Lian had one foot over the threshold when he heard the State Preceptor speak up again.

"Your Highness."

Xie Lian turned his head.

"Both His Majesty the King and Her Ladyship the Queen asked after you today. If you have time in the next few days, go and see them," the State Preceptor said.

Xie Lian grinned. "This disciple understands."

After leaving the Palace of Divine Might, the three of them traversed a large portion of the summit and returned to the training hall built especially for the crown prince: the Palace of Xianle. There, Xie Lian could finally remove his ceremonial garb.

As mentioned before, for the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, the ceremonial attire of the God-Pleasing Martial Warrior was exceedingly strict in every detail. Each accessory and fold had meaning and could never be mismanaged. For example, the outer robe was white, symbolizing divine purity. The inner robes were red, symbolizing canonical tradition. The golden crown that fastened the hair symbolized imperial power and wealth, and the white plumes folded away by the heart symbolized the flight to ascension. Loose corded ribbons along the sleeves symbolized his duties to carry the common people. And so on, and so on.

It was easy to imagine that, from head to toe, both wearing and removing it was no simple task. However, as the esteemed crown prince, naturally he needn't do anything himself. He only had to stand and open his arms wide in that refreshing, fragrant chamber and chat with Feng Xin while he waited for his personal attendant Mu Qing to help him remove layer after layer of the God-Pleasing costume.

The outer white robe of the God-Pleasing costume was of high quality—the pattern of the thread was exquisite and detailed, and the fringes were sewn with intricate light golden patterns, elegant but not frivolous. In comparison, the black martial gi of the demon costume was like the difference between heaven and earth. Mu Qing himself hadn't removed his black gear yet, his hands full with the God-Pleasing costume he had removed from Xie Lian. His fingers twitched, imperceptibly stroking the material of that white robe.

Next to him, Xie Lian removed the golden crown, letting his long hair loose as he sat down on the edge of his sandalwood bed. He kicked off his snow-white boots and waited for someone to bring him fresh clothes. He waited for a bit but noticed that Mu Qing wasn't moving, so he tilted his head.

He asked, "What's wrong?"

Mu Qing quickly snapped out of it and replied, "The costume seems dirty in some places."

Xie Lian hummed thoughtfully and said, "Bring it over and let me see?"

Sure enough, the snow-white attire was marked by two distinct little black handprints. Xie Lian took a look and remarked, "They're probably from that little kid who fell from the sky. He was grabbing on to me and wouldn't let go. The child's face was wrapped in bandages, so maybe he had taken a tumble elsewhere or something. Feng Xin, did you check him out?"

Feng Xin was just wrapping up the sword and long saber used during the God-Pleasing performance, and he replied gloomily, "No. I took him out of the palace and was about to take a look at his face, as you asked, but he kicked me in the shin! It actually fucking hurt."

Xie Lian fell over on the bed laughing, pointing at him. "It must be because you're so mean. Otherwise, why didn't he kick me but did kick you?"

"I wasn't mean!" Feng Xin cried. "That damn kid ran away so quick, it was like he was possessed by the devil or something. If he hadn't, I would've picked him up upside down and shook until he cried from fright."

Mu Qing turned the white robe over in his hands. "I hope that kid isn't a beggar—he's so dirty. A simple grab left black prints like these. Your Highness, the God-Pleasing costume can't be dirty. Isn't that another bad omen?"

Xie Lian stayed lying on the bed, and he casually grabbed a book from the headboard and used it to cover half of his face. "Three times around the capital—my good name's already going down in history with that incredible record. If it's dirty, it's dirty. Just wash it."

After a pause, Mu Qing replied quietly, "I will do my best to be careful when I wash it."

Xie Lian flipped through the book and came to a page illustrating the art of the saber, and he remembered the vigorous sparring earlier that day onstage. He smiled.

"Mu Qing, you fought well onstage today."

Mu Qing's shoulders stiffened.

Xie Lian continued, "It was only today that I discovered you're much more skilled with the saber than you are with the sword."

Mu Qing's face relaxed, and he turned around. There was even a little smile playing on his lips. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Xie Lian answered. "But you might've been too hasty. Swinging a saber isn't like swinging a sword. Look here…"

The moment the topic shifted to martial arts, Xie Lian became highly enthusiastic—even more possessed than the State Preceptors playing cards. He jumped off the bed without even putting on shoes, demonstrating his point on the spot using his hand as an imaginary saber. Mu Qing wore a complicated expression, but after Xie Lian demonstrated a few moves, he started to watch seriously. Feng Xin, on the other hand, swung the now-properly-wrapped long saber and chased Xie Lian back onto the bed with it, scolding as he did so.

"If you're going to show off, at least put on your shoes before you do! You're the crown prince! Hair loose and feet bare, what a disgrace!"

Xie Lian was just at the height of his excitement when he got chased onto the bed like a duck to a pen. He sulked.

"All right! Jeez," he said and ran both hands through his long hair, ready to tie it up before continuing his lecture to Mu Qing. Suddenly, he frowned. "That's weird."

"What is it?" Feng Xin asked.

Xie Lian pulled at his earlobes. "One of the earrings is gone."

The people of Xianle believed that the pinnacle of Daoist cultivation was the harmony of yin and yang, the unity of male and female. The forms of the gods were inexhaustibly changing and naturally unbound by gender restrictions, shifting male or female as they willed. And that belief was woven into the design of the God-Pleasing costume. Throughout history, every God-Pleasing Martial Warrior was adorned in accessories that possessed the form and details of both sexes: earrings, bracelets, and so on. When Xie Lian was preparing for the role, he pierced his ears and put on a pair of earrings.

They were a pair of magnificent, deep red coral pearls that gleamed resplendently, lustrous and smooth and extremely rare. However, when Xie Lian was combing his hair just now, only one of the red coral pearls from the pair was left.

The moment he said it was lost, Mu Qing's relaxed expression froze again, but the other two did not notice at all. Feng Xin looked all over the chamber first, inside and out, but returned empty-handed.

"You're so scatterbrained that you can even lose things worn on your ears. I didn't see it in the Palace of Xianle, so I'll go out and search the roads. It better not have gotten lost during the parade."

Xie Lian was puzzled too, but he also didn't care that much. "Maybe. If it did, then there's no way you'll find it. If it's lost, it's lost."

Mu Qing, however, brought out the broom he usually used to sweep. He said quietly, "That pearl is too precious, we should at least try to look for it. Maybe it rolled under the bed or a shelf."

He then started sweeping, and Xie Lian responded, "Why don't we call for a few more hands to help?"

"Crowds get handsy. We don't want anyone sneaking it in their pockets before we find anything," Feng Xin said offhandedly.

Mu Qing was quietly checking under the bed, but when he heard Feng Xin's words, his face momentarily turned a shade of deathly white. He shot to his feet, and CRACK, the broom in his hands snapped in two. Xie Lian was startled.

Ever since they left the Palace of Divine Might, Feng Xin had been filled with complaints about Mu Qing, but he never let any of them loose. Now that he saw Mu Qing blow up first, he got angry too.

"What are you doing, breaking things so suddenly? Who pissed you off now?"

Mu Qing replied coldly, "Why don't you tell me straight what you really want to say, instead of casting shadows where there are none? I have nothing to do with the lost pearl."

Feng Xin had always been a straightforward individual, and this was the first time he heard someone accuse him of "casting shadows where there are none." He laughed from sheer anger. "Why don't you tell that to yourself?! What did I say? I didn't say you stole it, but you got all flustered. What, feeling guilty?"

Xie Lian broke out of his shock and sat up on the bed, crying "Oh no!" in his head. "Feng Xin, that's enough!"

A few veins popped on Mu Qing's forehead. Feng Xin really didn't think much of it and asked in confusion, "What?"

It really wasn't the right time for Xie Lian to explain, so he could only try to pacify Mu Qing. "Don't misunderstand. Feng Xin was just making offhand comments. He wasn't targeting you."

Mu Qing clenched his fists tight, then released them, and at last took control of his temper. However, his eyes were growing red, and he turned to Xie Lian, enunciating each word as he stared at him.

"You…don't keep your promises."

"No! You're wrong!" Xie Lian cried.

Mu Qing closed his mouth and took a few breaths, then cast a furious stink-eye at Feng Xin. Without another word, he dashed out the door. Xie Lian jumped off the bed and was about to give chase, but he was yanked to a stop mid-step.

"Your Highness, you haven't even put on shoes! It'd be a disgrace to go out with your hair down and in such a mess!"

"Help me stop him!" Xie Lian ordered.

"At least put on your shoes first and tie your hair," Feng Xin said. "And leave him be. He's always moody like this. Who knows what nerve we touched to make him go mental out of the blue?"

Mu Qing was long gone by then, and Xie Lian knew he wouldn't be able to catch up anyway. Instead, he grabbed for a hair tie to fasten his hair in a rush.

He sighed as he did so. "He wasn't going mental. You just said the wrong thing by accident."

Feng Xin brought Xie Lian's usual white training garb out of the closet and threw it at him. "What did I say wrong?"

Xie Lian replied as he slipped on his boots. "I can't tell you. Either way, come with me to find him and tell him it was all a misunderstanding, that you weren't accusing him of anything."

Feng Xin frowned. "What can't you tell me?"

Xie Lian's lips were sealed tight. Feng Xin was growing more suspicious and thought back on Mu Qing's furious expression just now.

He spoke up suddenly. "He didn't actually steal from you before, did he?"

Xie Lian immediately made a vigorous shushing gesture with his hand. "No! No!"

Seeing him like this, Feng Xin was even more sure. "So that's it! No wonder his face changed so drastically—it's because I touched a raw nerve! When did he steal?"

"Not so loud!" Xie Lian hushed anxiously.

Feng Xin hushed his voice. "Something like that happened and you didn't tell me?! Tell me now!"

Since Feng Xin was already suspicious, Xie Lian figured if he kept lying, it would come out either way. He had to woefully relent.

"It doesn't really count as stealing, but…" Xie Lian sighed. "I'll start from the beginning. Do you remember, two years ago when I first entered the Royal Holy Temple, there was a time when I lost a leaf of gold foil?"

Hearing this, Feng Xin's eyes widened, and he slapped his thigh. "It was then?!"

Three years ago, Xie Lian begged and pestered in all manner of ways

until his parents finally relented and allowed him to enter the Royal Holy Temple for training before the age of twenty. A year later, when construction was completed on the Palace of Xianle, Xie Lian jubilantly entered the mountain.

When Xie Lian first moved in, the amount of luggage he brought personally wasn't particularly large. He had only two carriages full of books and two hundred treasured swords. But the queen loved her son dearly and was afraid that the ascetic life would be too quiet and austere, so later she ordered twenty servants and four large carriages full of the crown prince's most beloved trinkets to be sent to Mount Taicang. It was an impressive, dramatic sight as those caravans drove up the mountain. Included in this care package was a set of the one hundred and eight leaves that made up a Golden Foil Palace; building a palace out of gold foil was a popular game enjoyed by the Xianle nobility.

At the time, so much luxury appearing on the mountain caused a small wave of complaints. The Royal Holy Temple consisted of serious cultivators who weren't that familiar with the prince's character just yet, and although they couldn't say much publicly, there was much grumbling behind his back: Did His Highness the Crown Prince come to train or to play? What could this son of the royal family cultivate if he only came for the fun of it?

When Feng Xin heard those complaints, he had a mind to dispute them, but Xie Lian told him not to worry about it with a smile.

"It's only natural they should think that way. They'll know soon enough that I'm not here to play games. And they'll also know soon enough who among us is the true number one in this generation of trainees."

However, not long after, there was an incident.

Xie Lian was trying to send back as many of the four large carriages and servants from the queen as possible. But when he was going through the inventory, he found that in the pack of one hundred and eight leaves of gold foil, one was missing.

That set of gold foil sheets had been packed in the carriages, and once at Mount Taicang, it had never left the Palace of Xianle. If it wasn't lost on the road, then it had been stolen. Nothing was found on the road, so Xie Lian brought it up offhand to the State Preceptor.

Assuming it had been stolen, the State Preceptor was enraged that someone within the Royal Holy Temple would commit the crime of robbery under the allure of golden foil. He was determined to recover the golden leaf at all cost, and if it should be found on anyone, the punishment would be severe to the utmost. Thus, the over three thousand disciples of Mount Taicang were caught completely off guard when they had to drop what they were doing to be forced into teams to search room after room, chamber after chamber, of every single training hall.

It was a huge rigmarole that exhausted everyone. Yet unexpectedly, halfway through the search, Xie Lian abruptly changed his tune and apologized for causing everyone trouble and said he suddenly remembered that he had already lost a leaf from that set of gold foil while he was still at the imperial palace. There should only be one hundred and seven leaves total after all.

To investigate the whereabouts of the missing gold foil that night, the Royal Holy Temple went through a great deal of pain and was thrown into total confusion. So when His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly announced that they should forget the whole thing when everyone was sweating with exhaustion, it was inevitable that many of the other disciples felt aggrieved. Thus, for the longest time afterward there was talk behind his back, things like: "Well, he's the crown prince, so he gets to call the shots, and hopefully next time his memory will be better and he'll remember the important things before calling for an investigation," and so on. Feng Xin was furious listening to it, but Xie Lian still told him not to mind it and to quietly give it time.

Sure enough, after that, Xie Lian crushed all three thousand disciples completely and proved that he fully deserved the title "Number One of the Royal Holy Temple." And because he was genuinely friendly and didn't rely on his background, his reputation gradually improved amongst his peers.

Feng Xin wasn't one to remember the petty details, so he had forgotten this had happened. Now that it was brought up again, it dawned on him, and he was both shocked and angry.

"It was Mu Qing who walked away with that gold foil?!"

"Shh!"

Xie Lian hushed him and looked around to make sure no one was around.

"That gold foil leaf fell out of the rattling carriage while coming up the mountain. Mu Qing was passing by while carrying water and found it in the bushes. He kept it under his bed and hadn't figured out what to do with it, but that very night the State Preceptor suddenly struck, ushering everyone out to search their rooms. I didn't know him at the time, just saw an errand boy who looked distraught. Later, while I was sitting outside, he came up to serve me tea and admitted everything. That's how I found out."

"Taking without telling is stealing! So you helped him bury the whole incident and told everyone that gold foil was lost in the imperial palace?"

While they were talking, Xie Lian had finished dressing and headed out the door. "That's how it is."

Feng Xin was going to die from rage. He followed after Xie Lian. "Your Highness, do you know just how many people talked about you behind your back when you first came to the Royal Holy Temple?"

"Keep it down," Xie Lian said. "He really did look quite distraught at the time. Pale as a ghost. People here at the Royal Holy Temple already dislike him, so if I had said anything, his life here would be over. Our places in life are different, and we stand at different vantage points in this matter. The consequences can't be compared."

Just then, a few young trainees approached them and gave courteous bows, their faces full of smiles while greeting them.

"Your Highness!"

Xie Lian answered back with his own matching smile, and the two parties brushed past each other. He said to Feng Xin, "See, I told you to give it time. Now I get along with everyone, and who'd dare say anything bad about me?"

The two of them entered Mu Qing's bedchamber but didn't see a soul, so they left to keep searching.

"I already thought it strange at the time, since I hadn't heard that you'd lost any leaves at the palace," Feng Xin said. "But I can't believe you didn't tell me about this for two years! You even told me that you met him while he was sweeping!"

"He asked me later not to tell anyone," Xie Lian said. "I agreed, so of course I wouldn't tell, not even you. Since you know now, that means I went back on my word. But you mustn't tell anyone else."

"How does that even count as going back on your word?" Feng Xin said. "It's not like you told me anything, it's his own guilty conscience making him freak out that gave him away."

"No, no. You promise me right now that this stops here. Otherwise, I'll break up my relationship with you, and you'll be cursed to never find a wife!" Xie Lian threatened.

Feng Xin snorted dismissively. "You, break up with me? The day after our breakup everyone in the Kingdom of Xianle will know one thing: His Highness the Crown Prince fainted from tying his sock strings too tight while dressing—FINE! I won't say a word! Who gives a fuck about gossip anyway?"

After a pause, he still decided to comment. "I bet he thinks I'm always picking on him because I know about this gold foil business. But really, I just don't like people like him. A grown man overthinking so much of this and that; he must've suspected you told me a long time ago. Not even concubines in a harem have minds as convoluted as his. It's so annoying!"

"He's not as bad as you make it sound," Xie Lian said. "The Royal Holy Temple had never lost anything before, meaning this was the first time he took something, and at the end of the day, it was for his mother… Well,anyway, he already swore that he would never do it again, so giving him another chance wasn't wrong. And he kept his word. Besides, when that little kid fell today, if Mu Qing hadn't cooperated with me, the parade wouldn't have ended so smoothly."

Feng Xin clicked his tongue. "You're already going down in history for only making it three rounds around the capital, so of course he won't vex you further. Your Highness, I'm telling you, I don't believe a word he said at the Palace of Divine Might. Who here in the Royal Holy Temple doesn't know that when the State Preceptor plays cards, he hears and sees no one? He had to pick that time to pass on the message and stubbornly refused to clarify under whose orders he was sent. It's like he was purposely trying to screw things up."

Xie Lian shook his head and said gravely, "To be honest, I may have been thoughtless in regard to this. I know Mu Qing is disliked, so I originally wanted him to run more errands for me—I thought that if I let people know he's my personal attendant, they'd be nicer to him. But I didn't realize they were already so nasty. Not only did nothing get done, he got bullied too. If you think about it from another angle, you'll find his moodiness understandable."

Feng Xin disagreed wholeheartedly. "Why are you blaming yourself for his moodiness? You're the crown prince! How did you end up owing anyone anything for showing them favor? Your Highness, I really don't understand why you think so highly of him."

Xie Lian grinned. "Feng Xin, did you know—there are so many people in this world that are nothing but rocks in my eyes."

Feng Xin didn't understand. Xie Lian walked with his hands clasped behind his back.

"There are rocks everywhere, but precious jades are hard to come by. When it comes to martial arts, I've only ever seen two people who could be called jades. One is you. The other is him." He suddenly stopped and turned his head, eyes bright. "I genuinely think that Mu Qing is extremely gifted. How could I let such a precious jade be left to collect dust, denied from showing its beauty simply because of its background and temper?" Xie Lian looked determined. "No! I think that's wrong. You ask why I think so highly of him? It's the same reason I think so highly of you. Those who are destined to shine, I must let them shine. Besides, I don't believe that goodwill brings bad returns."

Feng Xin stopped too. After listening to Xie Lian's speech, he scratched his head.

"As long as you know what you want, how you go about it is your business."

"Right. So. Where did Mu Qing run off to?" Xie Lian asked.

Just then, another couple of young trainees approached them, baskets in their hands, horsing around. When they saw Xie Lian, they called out to him in chorus, their voices happy.

"Your Highness!"

Xie Lian responded with a smile too. The trainees came up to them and thrust their baskets before the pair, saying happily, "Will Your Highness have some cherries? They've already been washed in the springs, very clean and very sweet!"

The baskets were full of small, round cherries, vivid red and looking quite adorable. Xie Lian and Feng Xin picked out a few to eat, and they were indeed juicy and sweet.

One of the young trainees asked, "When we walked over, we faintly heard Your Highness asking about Mu Qing. Are you looking for him? I think we saw him when we were passing through the cherry wood."

"Is that right? Thanks for letting me know," Xie Lian said.

Thus, the two hurried to the cherry wood. Atop Mount Taicang, other than the abundant wild maples, there were also numerous fruit trees: peaches, pears, oranges, and many others, including cherries. The fruit trees were nourished by springs, bathed in the mountain's mist and sunny dew, and bore fruits filled with spiritual energy. After offering a portion as tribute to the palace, the rest were reserved for the disciples in the temple, who could munch on them after a hard day's work. But outside the Royal Holy Temple, it would be hard to buy even a single one with a hundred gold pieces.

The cherry trees stood in many neat rows, and within the fresh, new leaves drooped dozens of cherries like red coral beads, looking delightfully enticing. Xie Lian and Feng Xin walked for a while searching for Mu Qing in the woods, but soon after, they heard quarreling voices coming from just ahead of where they were, and they automatically slowed to a stop.

Ahead of them stood four or five white-robed trainees, each with a basket in hand, appearing to have come to pick fruit. However, they weren't circling any fruit trees but rather a person. Even from afar, their hearing was keen enough that they could clearly hear the particulars of the quarrel.

One of the young men said, "No wonder there's seemed to be less fruit in the woods lately. So someone's been squatting here and stealing."

A soft voice replied, "The fruit growing on Mount Taicang can be picked by any disciple at the temple, so how is it stealing? Besides, there are hundreds, thousands of fruit trees here. There's no way there's less fruit by my power alone."

The voice belonged to Mu Qing. From the sleeve corner that could be seen through the crowd, it seemed he had already taken off the black demon costume and changed back into his usual plain training outfit.

The trainee humphed. "Of course, if you were only picking fruit for yourself there wouldn't be noticeably less, but you don't just pick for yourself, do you? You sneak them down the mountain for other people. Exploiting your benefits—how shameless."

Xie Lian understood now. The trainees who couldn't stand Mu Qing were picking on him again.

Mu Qing came from a very poor family. His mother, who lived in the city at the foot of the mountain, led a meager life. In the past, she made a little money from occasional seamstress work, but after her eyes deteriorated, she could no longer even do that. She had to wait for Mu Qing to bring home the money he earned running errands on the mountain. Sometimes, he would pick some fresh fruit from Mount Taicang for her to try. It wasn't anything major since there weren't any rules against it, but when said out loud, it still sounded dishonorable. To publicly mock him over it like this was even more embarrassing.

Mu Qing's voice was chilly. "Zhu-shixiong, we rarely speak, but you pick on me again and again. Yesterday, you wouldn't let me through to Sixiang Palace to pass on my message. How have I offended you?"

That young man named Zhu was indeed the trainee who had guarded the door to the Sixiang Palace, and when he heard the incident from the day before mentioned, his anger flared.

"You're the one who carelessly messed up your job and almost botched that event, so why are you blaming me? You should blame yourself for acting all secretive and making people think you're up to no good. If you had just said outright what you were doing, nothing would've happened. Thanks to you, His Highness almost messed up his important duties, and I got yelled at by the State Preceptor!"

As he griped, he threw the basket on the ground and motioned for everyone to surround and attack.

Xie Lian couldn't watch anymore and shouted, "Stop!"

The trainees were all shocked at the sound of his voice. They turned their heads and called out, "Your Highness!"

Xie Lian and Feng Xin approached. By then, Zhu-shixiong had already grabbed Mu Qing by the collar and pushed him against the trunk of a tree, though the brawl had not yet started. If they really did fight, Mu Qing would've gained the upper hand, even one against twenty. Nevertheless, if he wanted to stay at the Royal Holy Temple, he knew he must never raise his fist.

Xie Lian smiled. "What's everyone doing?"

Zhu-shixiong was a decent, plain-looking young man who looked up to the crown prince. Hearing Xie Lian's inquiry, he froze and quickly let go of Mu Qing.

"Um, this, we were…"

Xie Lian continued to smile. "Although I don't know why everyone is quarreling, Mu Qing is my personal attendant. Anything he does is generally under my command. I didn't realize offense would be taken if I had him pick some fruit for me?"

The trainees all bowed. "No, no! So it was His Highness who asked him to come! We misunderstood!"

On the side, Mu Qing leaned against the tree, at first taken aback to hear Xie Lian say he'd come under His Highness's command. He quickly fixed his collar, lowered his head, and didn't speak. Cold sweat was rolling down the backs of the trainees as they profoundly apologized to Xie Lian, then to Mu Qing, and finally picked up their baskets and hurried away, escaping the cherry wood.

Xie Lian saw the basket Mu Qing had brought on the ground and bent to pick it up, passing it to him. "Want some help?"

Mu Qing didn't take the basket, but he raised his head and watched Xie Lian with an unreadable expression for a moment before he spoke. "Your Highness."

"What is it?" Xie Lian asked.

"Why must you always show up at times like these?"

Xie Lian only made a sound of confusion, but Feng Xin grew upset. "What do you mean? Is it wrong to come and save you?"

Mu Qing cast him a glance and took the basket.

Just then, Feng Xin stiffened his neck and said rigidly, "Listen up! What happened before was my fault! I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, I just made some offhand comments. There's no need for you to overthink it or suspect anything. I don't care for anyone other than His Highness, and I'm not interested in gossip. That's all I have to say, so stop being so difficult!"

"PFFFT!" At first, Xie Lian thought his tone was too aggressive, but toward the end, it became strangely funny. Mu Qing glared at Feng Xin, and Xie Lian waved his hand. "All right, all right. Everything Feng Xin said is true. Let's just forget what happened. Nothing's happened."

A moment later, Mu Qing said begrudgingly, "I'll look for that red coral pearl again later. Maybe it was dropped on the street."

Xie Lian thought it might be a bad idea to appear that he didn't care, so he replied, "All right. If you have the time, then thank you. But if it was dropped in the streets, somebody will have picked it up by now."

It seemed Mu Qing had nothing more to say, so he collected the bunches of cherries that had fallen on the ground and put them back in his basket. He hadn't picked that many in the first place. As he moved to leave the woods, Xie Lian saw many more enticing fresh cherries and casually picked a bunch, dropping them into his basket. Mu Qing was slightly taken aback.

Xie Lian said, "Next time you want to pick fruit for your mother, just say you're picking them by my command and no one will say anything. The State Preceptor told me to return to the palace for a few days, so I plan on leaving tomorrow. Why don't you make a trip down the mountain too? But let's head back for today."

It took a while, but at last Mu Qing muttered in a quiet voice, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The next day, Xie Lian descended the mountain with Feng Xin and Mu Qing in tow.

The moment they reached the foot of the mountain, they saw a shining, golden carriage right outside the huge mountain gates. A young man, dressed in a collared brocade top with a whip in hand, was lying in the front seat of the carriage; his legs were crossed, and he looked smug and important. The second he saw Xie Lian exiting the gates, he leapt to his feet and ran toward him in a mad dash, shouting in obvious joy.

"Cousin Crown Prince!"

This youth was of course Qi Rong. Only he would have the free time to wait aimlessly for Xie Lian at the foot of Mount Taicang.

He skipped over and happily exclaimed, "My patience has finally paid off!"

Xie Lian grinned and ruffled his hair, laughing. "Did Qi Rong grow taller again? How did you know I was returning to the palace today?"

Qi Rong giggled. "I didn't. I just waited and knew you'd have to come out sooner or later. I refused to believe I couldn't catch you."

"Free, aren't you?" Xie Lian said helplessly. "Are you studying properly? What about sword practice? If Mother asks me to check your studies again, I won't make excuses for you."

Qi Rong blinked, his eyes shifty, and suddenly he jumped up and down. "Never mind all that! Look at my new carriage! Cousin Crown Prince, come inside, ride my carriage back to the palace!"

He grabbed Xie Lian's hand and pulled him to the carriage, but Xie Lian could sense danger.

"You're driving?"

Feng Xin and Mu Qing approached too. Technically, servants should sit at the front, but Qi Rong's face fell immediately, and he cracked the whip in his hand.

"I asked Cousin Crown Prince to get on, but I didn't invite you two. You think I'd let lowlifes touch my golden carriage? Get the hell outta here!"

Xie Lian quietly snapped, "Qi Rong!"

Feng Xin had met Qi Rong many times before and already knew his foul mouth and vulgar, condescending attitude. But Mu Qing had never entered the palace before and so had naturally never gotten the chance to meet Prince Xiao Jing. Qi Rong was feeling extremely aggrieved, but seeing Xie Lian about to walk away, he painfully and begrudgingly condescended to let the two shitty lowlifes board his precious golden carriage.

However, as soon as they entered the carriage, all three of them immediately regretted their decision. Qi Rong drove like a madman, whip in his hand lashing nonstop, screaming who-knows-what. The white horse shrieked in shock, and they thrashed down the streets with wheels spinning frantically. Qi Rong refused to stop no matter how much Xie Lian screamed for him to do so. They almost crashed into a number of pedestrians and stalls, and it was thanks only to Feng Xin and Mu Qing—who sat at the front and grabbed the reins to guide the horse—that this berserk journey did not cost at least twenty lives.

When they finally reached the palace and the carriage slowed down, Xie Lian, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing all breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. Xie Lian wiped away his cold sweat. The other two had been lashed by Qi Rong's whip a number of times, and their hands were covered in welts.

Qi Rong rose to his feet, one leg stepping on the white horse's behind. He proclaimed proudly, "What do you think, Cousin Crown Prince? I drive pretty well, right?"

Xie Lian dismounted the carriage and replied, "I'm going to tell Father and Mother to confiscate your carriage."

"WHAT?!" Qi Rong cried in shock.

Regarding Xianle culture: First, they loved gold. Second, they loved precious stones. Third, they loved beauties. Fourth, they loved music. And fifth, they loved art. The Palace of Xianle was thus the most distinguished place, where all that they loved coalesced. Traversing the large courtyard, walking down the crimson hallway, not everything was gilded or built of jade—there were also masterpiece paintings hung all around, for example, and soft music wafted in the air. It created the illusion of paradise.

The palace was Xie Lian's home, the place where he grew up. Feng Xin was chosen to be his personal guard at the age of fourteen and had long since gotten used to these sights. However, it was Mu Qing's first time seeing such a building, and he couldn't help but be awed. Yet the more awed he was, the more careful he became, and the more he didn't dare to allow others to sense what he was feeling, didn't dare take a wrong step.

Xie Lian went to meet with the queen straightaway. She was resting at Qifeng Palace, leaning on a small tea table and tasting new brews. She had already received the message that the crown prince had returned, and with eyes crescent-shaped in joy, she extended both arms before her son had even come near.

She said, "Finally willing to come home and see your mom?"

Feng Xin and Mu Qing stood guard outside. Xie Lian entered the chamber with Qi Rong in tow, and he reached out to take his mother's hands when he approached.

"Didn't I just visit two months ago?"

The queen grumbled, "What a heartless child. Even Rong-er knows to keep an old woman like me company, but here you are, sounding all self-righteous when you haven't come home in two months."

Xie Lian chuckled. "And how is Mother old? You look no older than a teenager! It's like we're of the same generation."

The queen was very pleased hearing these words of praise. Even if she had a son as old as Xie Lian, because of her status and wealth as a member of the noble Min clan and wife of the King of Xianle, she was very well maintained and still looked the part of a noble beauty. Still, the word that left her lips was a light admonishment. "Flatterer."

Xie Lian glanced at the small tea table and saw a jaded cup, its contents emitting a strange fragrance. He curiously asked "What's this?" as he picked it up.

But the queen warned, "Don't drink it! That's not something you should drink!"

Xie Lian was curious. "Why can't I drink this?"

The queen reached for the small jaded cup and took it from him, poured a bit of its contents on her handkerchief, and pressed it gently to her face a few times.

"Mount Taicang recently sent a batch of fresh fruit. I don't like cherries, but there's a method of making them into paste for facials, so I squeezed some for fun. There's not much use for it and I was about to have it thrown out, so you can't possibly drink it!"

Xie Lian smiled as he listened but suddenly recalled the events of the previous day. There were very few times in a year where Mu Qing's mother could taste cherries, and Mu Qing himself was bullied just for trying to pick some. It was something of a sensitive topic, and Xie Lian was afraid Mu Qing would be uncomfortable listening to it, so he smiled and changed the subject.

"Then do you have anything that I could eat?"

The queen chuckled. "The way you make it sound, people will think I starve you. But you've been a picky eater ever since you were young, I can't plump you up. You've gotten so thin since you went to the mountain. Today you'll eat whatever I tell you to, with no fussing."

Mother and son conversed for a while, and the queen asked about the incident during the Heavenly Procession with great concern.

"By the State Preceptor's report, it sounds serious. What's going to happen? Will you be punished?"

Xie Lian didn't have the chance to answer before Qi Rong cut in.

"Hmph! That wasn't Cousin Crown Prince's fault. He wasn't the one who fell off the wall. If anyone must be punished, it should be that little non-croaker!"

What the heck is a "little non-croaker"? Xie Lian thought. Before he could correct Qi Rong, however, the queen simply laughed.

Then, she happened to notice the two outside the manor and asked, "Who's the child next to Feng Xin? It's the first time I've seen another

person by your side." Xie Lian replied cheerfully, "That's Mu Qing. He's the one who played the demon on stage yesterday."

Hearing this, anger flashed across Qi Rong's face.

The queen said, "Really? Have him come in so I can see his face. Feng Xin can come in too."

Thus, Feng Xin and Mu Qing entered the chamber and knelt before the queen. She took her time looking over Mu Qing and said to Xie Lian, "I thought he fought rather well yesterday, a fairly respectable child. Looking at his face, you'd think he'd be a gentle minister—no one would suspect he could be so tenacious wielding a saber."

Xie Lian grinned. "Right? I think he's quite good too."

Qi Rong, on the other hand, commented coolly, "Oh? The demon yesterday was him?"

Xie Lian heard his tone and felt dread. Sure enough, the next second, Qi Rong suddenly exploded. He snatched the small, jaded cup from the little tea table and swung it right at Mu Qing's face.

"Here! Your reward!"

Fortunately, Xie Lian was faster. He smacked Qi Rong's hand, forcing him to drop the cup so the splash didn't make it to Mu Qing's face. Xie Lian pulled him back by the collar.

"Qi Rong, what are you doing?!"

Even as he was seized, Qi Rong still ranted and raved. "Cousin, I'm helping you discipline an impudent servant! Before you showed up yesterday, he sure was enjoying himself, hogging the limelight! Who do you think you are? The star of the Heavenly Procession? Gonna overthrow the heavens too?!"

The queen was stunned. "Rong-er, what…what are you doing?"

Mu Qing's face was spared the splash, but his clothes weren't. Because the queen hadn't given him leave to do otherwise, he stayed kneeling on the floor, his face ghastly pale and gloomy. Xie Lian passed Qi Rong to Feng Xin.

"Don't let him hit anyone."

Feng Xin only used one hand to restrain Qi Rong, but Qi Rong kicked and punched, spitting as he shouted.

"And who do you think you are to have the damned nerve to touch me so casually?!"

Xie Lian could feel his head throbbing. "Qi Rong, you're getting more and more out of control!" He then turned to the queen. "Mother, I forgot to mention something. Please confiscate his golden carriage."

Shocked, Qi Rong yelled, "NO! NO! WHY? THAT'S YIMU'S BIRTHDAY GIFT TO ME!"

"Even if it is, it must be confiscated," Xie Lian said. "We almost caused a disturbance in the streets! You'd best not touch it again until you learn how to drive properly."

The queen made a noise of surprise and asked, "Disturbance? What disturbance?"

Xie Lian recounted the crazy saga of Qi Rong's driving. Qi Rong was furious, his eyes rimmed in red.

"COUSIN CROWN PRINCE IS WRONG! I DIDN'T RUN OVER A SINGLE PERSON!"

Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "That's because we stopped you!"

Qi Rong struggled out of Feng Xin's hands and ran out of Qifeng Palace in a mad fit, not turning back even when the queen called out to him.

She said helplessly, "I'll talk to him tomorrow about confiscating his carriage." She sighed. "That child has wanted a carriage for the longest time, so when his birthday came around and he still desperately wanted it, I gave it to him. Who knew it'd turn out like this? Had I known, I wouldn't have done it."

"Why must he have a carriage?" Xie Lian wondered.

"He said it's so he can go to Mount Taicang any time to bring you back to the palace," the queen replied.

Xie Lian fell silent, learning that at the end of the day, it was a gesture of goodwill. After a moment, he spoke. "It'd be better to instead find him a good teacher and restrain that temper. He can't keep going on like this."

The queen sighed. "And what teacher can restrain him? He only ever listens to you. And we could hardly have him go to the mountain to cultivate with you. The State Preceptor would die before taking him on as a disciple."

Xie Lian found the idea both hilarious and horrifying. He shook his head. "With a temper like that, if he entered the Royal Holy Temple, he would cause havoc for sure."

Both mother and son were deeply troubled by this, but they didn't have any ideas, so they let it go for the time being. That evening, after having seen his parents and caught up, Xie Lian rose to leave the palace.

It was a well-known fact that the crown prince was obsessed with cultivation, and ever since he entered the Royal Holy Temple, he visited his parents less and less. The king didn't comment much on the matter, but the queen was always reluctant to see him go. After leaving the palace, Xie Lian casually strolled around the imperial capital accompanied by Mu Qing to visit his home as he'd suggested the day before.

The tall, opulent red gates and the impoverished slums were only a street away from each other. Mu Qing's former home was tucked into a dark alley off the most bustling area of the imperial capital.

The three of them had just turned into the alley when five or six children in rags surrounded them. "Gege! Gege is back!"

Xie Lian was a little confused at first, wondering why they would call a stranger "gege." But then he discovered that the "gege" they were calling to wasn't him but rather Mu Qing. The children called out to him sweetly, but Mu Qing ignored them.

"There's nothing this time. Don't 'gege' me so easily." His face was wooden, but his voice wasn't cold. He turned to Xie Lian. "Don't mind them, Your Highness, they're just kids from the block."

Still, this group of children obviously knew him well, so they were clearly used to playing with him and weren't scared at all. They giggled and surrounded them, their dirty little hands extended, begging for treats from Mu Qing. In the end, Mu Qing reached for the gem-like red cherries in his bag and handed them out.

Feng Xin was astonished at this sight, as if Mu Qing doing anything like this was nothing short of a miracle. It was no wonder, since Mu Qing's pretty-boy face always looked extremely selfish and coldhearted; he seemed like the type that, seeing someone die from starvation on the streets, would still keep a tight grip on his own food.

Xie Lian, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all.

At first, he also wanted to find something to give to the children. But he didn't usually carry sweets on his person, and having Feng Xin give coins would be too much like dismissing beggars, so Xie Lian didn't think it would be appropriate.

Suddenly, there was a boom and a cacophony of galloping noises from the main street, the long shrieking whinny of a horse, and people screaming.

The three of them stopped, then Xie Lian rushed out of the alley. The main street was in chaos; stalls toppled and people on the ground—it was total confusion. The pedestrians were all fleeing, and red apples and yellow pears rolled all over the ground. But before he could figure out what was happening, he heard the crazed laughter of a young man.

"OUT OF MY WAY, GET OUT OF MY WAY! IF YOU'RE THAT BLIND, I DON'T CARE IF YOU GET TRAMPLED!"

Feng Xin swore. "It's Qi Rong again!"

Sure enough, Qi Rong stood atop his magnificent golden carriage looking malicious. He was lashing his whip wildly, the white horse howling from the strikes.

"Stop him!" Xie Lian shouted.

The golden carriage whooshed by them, and Feng Xin acknowledged with an "Understood!" before charging on ahead. Xie Lian was about to go check for any wounded among all the toppled stalls and knocked-over pedestrians left in the wake of Qi Rong's mad ride, when suddenly he noticed something wrong. He whipped his head around and saw that there was something being dragged along behind the golden carriage, attached with a long, thick hemp rope. At the end of the rope was a large sack that appeared to have something struggling inside.

It looked like there was a person in that sack.

At that moment, Xie Lian could only feel his blood run cold. The next second, he rushed forward.

From all the whipping, that white horse was galloping like it was running for its life, furiously spinning the wheels of the carriage. Feng Xin was trying to hold the horse back but probably wouldn't be able to stop it immediately. Xie Lian raced up to the carriage in only a few steps, unsheathed his sword, and struck down. The rope snapped in two, and the sack dropped to the ground, rolled, and came to a stop.

Xie Lian bent forward to inspect it. The sack had been dragged for who knows how long and was torn from the scraping. It was extremely dirty and drenched in blood; it looked like a bag for a dead body.

Another swing from his sword, and the rope tied around the opening was cut. He opened the bag, and there was indeed someone inside. What's more, it was a young child!

Xie Lian ripped open the entire sack. The child within was curled in a ball, hugging his head tightly. His filthy clothes were covered both in giant footprints and fresh blood. Even his hair was matted with blood. He was a mess, and it was obvious he had been severely beaten, so badly that he didn't even look human anymore. Judging by his size, he was only seven or eight, and a tiny creature. He was shaking like a layer of his skin had been forcibly peeled off. Truly incredible that he was still alive after such a violent beating and being dragged through the streets!

Xie Lian reached out a hand to feel his neck and found that his pulse wasn't too weak. He sighed a breath of relief. He immediately picked up that small body, then turned around and barked a furious order.

"Feng Xin! Arrest Qi Rong!"

He could not believe that something like this could happen in the Kingdom of Xianle. Under the light of day, on the main street, a member of the nobility stuffed a live human in a sack to be dragged behind a horse carriage! If he hadn't seen and stopped it, this small child would've been dragged to death this day!

From some distance away came the sounds of whinnying and the angry roars of Qi Rong, and soon after, Feng Xin yelled back, "He's been stopped!"

Xie Lian rushed toward them just in time to hear Qi Rong howl in rage.

"YOU DAMNED AUDACIOUS LOWLY SERVANT, YOU DARE HURT ME?! WHO GAVE YOU THE BALLS?!"

Turned out, Feng Xin couldn't stop the horse, so he tried to snatch the reins instead. Of course, Qi Rong wouldn't let him, so the two pulled back and forth, and in a moment of carelessness, Feng Xin bumped him and pushed him off the carriage. Qi Rong fell to the ground and rolled a few times, scraping his knees. Seeing that he was surrounded by onlookers, he felt nothing but rage and embarrassment.

However, Xie Lian cut in. "I did!"

Qi Rong opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finally crying, "Cousin Crown Prince!"

Xie Lian said angrily, "Look at what you've done! Qi Rong, I really…"

Just then, he felt the child in his arms jerk. He had loosened the hands hugging his head and was peeking up at Xie Lian from the gap between his elbows.

Xie Lian immediately restrained his anger and lowered his head to soothe him in a gentle voice. "How do you feel? Do you feel pain anywhere especially?"

The child was amazingly still alert, not unconscious from pain, nor frozen in shock. He shook his head. Xie Lian noticed that what little of his face was visible was bleeding, and he was about to check for other head injuries, but the child firmly clutched half of his face with his hands, stubbornly refusing to show him.

Xie Lian coaxed, "Don't be afraid, everything's fine. I only want to check your injuries."

The child, however, pressed his hands down harder, revealing only one large obsidian eye, looking panicked. But this panic didn't seem like it stemmed from a fear that he would get beaten but rather that something would be discovered.

Looking at this little face, half-covered with only one eye to be seen, Xie Lian suddenly realized he might've seen this child somewhere. He squinted as he thought.

Qi Rong saw his upset face and explained, "Cousin Crown Prince, that little non-croaker ruined your grand ceremony yesterday, so I avenged you. Don't worry, I was careful, he won't die."

Sure enough, the child held in his arms was the one who fell from the city wall during the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession the day before!

No wonder Xie Lian thought he looked familiar. This little child hadn't even changed; he was still wearing the same outfit as the day before, but because of all the beating and dragging, he was filthier and the clothes looked nothing like they had yesterday. He didn't even look like the same person.

Xie Lian couldn't hold back his anger anymore. "Who told you to avenge me?! It has nothing to do with this child—it wasn't his fault!"

Qi Rong justified, "Of course it's his fault. If not for him, you wouldn't have been scolded by the State Preceptor!"

This ruckus was getting out of hand, and the crowd watching was growing, the onlookers whispering to each other. Just then, Mu Qing approached, and Qi Rong pointed his whip at him, expression laced with hostility.

"And you! You lowly servant. I can tell this one doesn't know his place just from the look of him. If you don't discipline him, sooner or later he's going to overthrow you and step on you, his master. I helped you discipline him, but you turned around and defended him instead, and told on me too. Now Yifu and Yimu are not only ignoring that I did it for you, they're even gonna confiscate my golden carriage! Cousin, that was my birthday gift! I've wanted it for over two years!!"

Mu Qing gave Qi Rong an unreadable, sweeping look. Xie Lian laughed from sheer rage.

"I don't need your help, not like this. Are you really avenging me? Or are you avenging yourself?"

"…Cousin, why would you say that to me?" Qi Rong asked, confused. "And what have I done wrong in being on your side?"

Xie Lian couldn't talk sense with him. "Qi Rong, listen here. From now on, you're not allowed to touch this child. Not even a finger! Do you hear me?!"

Just then, Xie Lian felt a pull on his neck. He was wrapped up in a fit of anger, so it startled him. He looked down and saw that the young child had buried his face in his chest, his arms tightly circled around Xie Lian's neck. Xie Lian felt him shake uncontrollably and thought he was in pain.

He asked hurriedly, "What's wrong?"

That child was covered all over in mud, grime, and blood—filthy and unkempt. It all smeared onto Xie Lian's white robe, but Xie Lian didn't mind at all. He gently patted the child's back to comfort him and soothed him in a low voice.

"I'll take you to the doctors right now."

The child didn't respond, but he hugged Xie Lian even tighter. He held on with a death grip and wouldn't let go, as if he were holding on to a lifeline.

Qi Rong could see that Xie Lian wasn't going to acknowledge his goodwill, his heart solely with outsiders. And when he saw that kid sullying Xie Lian's robes with bloody, muddy smears, his anger flared. He raised the whip to lash the back of the child's head.

Feng Xin was standing to the side, and in a split-second, his leg flew out and kicked Qi Rong right on the arm.

There was a loud CRACK, and Qi Rong screamed. The whip fell to the ground, and his right arm dropped limply at an abnormal angle. He stood there frozen in disbelief, and it was a while before he slowly raised his head, glaring at Feng Xin, enunciating each word…

"You…DARE…BREAK MY ARM!"

The words chilled them to the bone. It was only after he kicked that Feng Xin realized what he had done, and his face changed, but Mu Qing's face changed more. It was one thing for them to detest Qi Rong behind his back, but for a personal guard to transgress this badly and accidentally break the arm of royalty, that was something completely different!

Xie Lian had his hands full with that child when it happened, and the path behind him was packed with onlookers—dodging the blow wouldn't be easy, but he would have managed it fine given the chance. But Qi Rong had come at him with such aggression and so little warning that Feng Xin moved too fast without thinking, and Xie Lian didn't have the chance to stop him. Now everything was in even more of an uproar, and Xie Lian didn't have time to think. His clothes were getting soaked with blood—if they delayed any longer, the child might die right there.

Xie Lian made a split-second decision, inhaled deeply, and shouted in a clear voice, "Everyone, if you were pulled into this incident today, please record any damages or losses. I will take all responsibility without fail!"

Then, he turned to Feng Xin and Mu Qing.

"I need to save the child first. Take Qi Rong away, and don't let him cause any more havoc outside."

Done with his instructions, Xie Lian ran toward the palace with the child in his arms. Feng Xin heard the command, his expression back to normal, and he picked up the raging Qi Rong before following Xie Lian.

The soldiers guarding the palace gates thought it was strange to see the crown prince racing back, having left such a short while ago, but of course they didn't dare obstruct him. Thus, Xie Lian ran straight for the imperial medical office and made Feng Xin and Mu Qing wait outside the door with Qi Rong under arrest while he entered the infirmary alone.

The crown prince rarely returned to the palace and rarely gave orders, so the imperial doctors naturally rushed over with due haste.

Xie Lian placed the young child in a chair and said, "Thanks in advance, everyone. This child was beaten by several adults, stuffed in a sack, and dragged through the streets. Please check if there are any head injuries first, that's the most important thing."

Neither royal nor noble had ever brought in a wild, dirty babe for them to heal before, but the imperial medical team also knew they needed to do whatever they were told to, and they acknowledged Xie Lian's direction with a chorus of "yes, yes, yes."

One of them said, "Put your hands down first, little one."

Although the child had been docile in Xie Lian's arms up until now, he started struggling then and firmly covered the right side of his face, refusing to drop his hands. No matter how competent the imperial doctors were, if the patient would not cooperate, there was nothing they could do. The doctors looked to Xie Lian.

"Your Highness, how…?"

Xie Lian raised a hand. "He's probably afraid of strangers. It's fine, let me."

The child was sitting in a chair and Xie Lian couldn't be level with his eyes, so he bent forward and tilted his head.

"What's your name?"

The child's large eye stared at him intently, his obsidian-black pupil reflecting a snow-white silhouette. This gaze, if it must be described, was exactly as Feng Xin had said—possessed by the devil. It shouldn't be the gaze of a child.

It was a while before the child bowed his head.

"…Hong…"

His voice was tiny and soft, a little mumbled. It was like he didn't want to tell or that he was slightly embarrassed. Xie Lian only sort of heard the word "hong," the color red, then asked another question.

"How old are you?"

"Ten," the child replied.

Xie Lian was only asking offhand, hoping to lower his guard, buthearing the child's shy response of "ten," he was taken aback. I thought he was only seven or eight, but he's ten? This child is extremely malnourished and emaciated.

After a pause, Xie Lian smiled softly. "The doctors will see to your wounds now. Don't be afraid and lower your hands, okay?"

That child heard but hesitantly shook his head.

"Why not?" Xie Lian asked.

He was silent for a long time before replying, "Ugly."

His response was just that one word, and no matter how Xie Lian coaxed, he refused to remove his hands. Xie Lian promised that he wouldn't think him ugly, that he wouldn't look, but not even turning around would do the trick. What obstinance at such a young age! Without much choice, the imperial doctors could only ask him a few questions, have him recognize a number of fingers, make sure he didn't feel faint or have any headaches, check that he was perfectly conscious of what he saw and what he thought, and attend to his physical wounds.

As the imperial doctors worked, they all appeared confused, clicking their tongues in awe. Xie Lian stood guard on the side, and hearing their sounds of wonder, he asked, "How is he, everyone?"

One of the imperial doctors asked, in spite of himself, "Your Highness, did this child really get beaten and dragged along the roads in a sack?"

Xie Lian was speechless for a second. "Why would that be false?"

The imperial doctor replied, "If that really is the case, then… amazing. I have never seen anyone so tenacious. He has five broken ribs and a broken leg, and many other injuries big and small. But despite all of that, he's remained conscious this entire time and can even hold a conversation while sitting upright. Even adults would find that difficult, never mind a ten-year-old child!"

Hearing how severe the injuries were, Xie Lian inwardly became even more furious at Qi Rong. He looked at that child and saw that he was sitting there on his chair as if he felt no pain, stealing glimpses at Xie Lian with that large, obsidian-black left eye. When he noticed he'd been caught staring by Xie Lian, he immediately turned his head away.

Seeing this, for some reason Xie Lian thought the boy was both silly and pitiful. He asked, "Will his injuries heal?"

One of the imperial doctors wrapped new layers of bandages around the child's head and replied, "Not a problem."

Only then did Xie Lian relax. He nodded. "Thank you for all your hard work."

Just then, an attendant entered to notify them of the imminent arrival of His Majesty the King and the queen. Each of the imperial doctors immediately stood up and exited the imperial medical office to greet them.

Xie Lian moved the child to the bed and said, "Lie down and get some rest."

It occurred to him that the child was afraid of strangers, and all the people who would be crowding in shortly might scare him. So Xie Lian lowered the bedside curtains before rising to his feet too.

A number of guards and attendants escorted the king and the queen as they walked into the hall. The queen's face was pale.

"My dear child, why did you return so suddenly when you just left the palace? Were you hurt outside?"

"Please be at ease, Mother," Xie Lian said. "I wasn't hurt. It was someone else who was injured."

Just then, Qi Rong cried out from the corner, "Yimu, save me!"

Only then did the queen notice Qi Rong to the side, firmly held by Feng Xin and under arrest, and she was shocked. She was focused on the well-being of her son and had completely ignored everything else, but now that she saw, she asked, "Rong-er, what happened?"

The king, on the other hand, knitted his brows slightly. "Feng Xin, why are you holding Prince Xiao Jing like a criminal?"

When His Majesty arrived, Feng Xin should've bowed in greeting like Mu Qing and all the others, but because he had Qi Rong in hand and couldn't release him, he was put in an awkward situation.

Xie Lian spoke up. "It was under my command."

Qi Rong held up his right arm. "Yimu, my arm is broken."

The queen hadn't had the chance to sympathize before Xie Lian cut in harshly. "You broke an arm, but what about that child?"

"What child?" the king asked.

"A ten-year-old child," Xie Lian answered. "Powerless, vulnerable, and frail in stature. Qi Rong sent his subordinates to beat him. If not for the child's tenacity, he would've been beaten to death on the spot!"

Qi Rong looked as if he had just heard a joke, his eyes widening. "A powerless, vulnerable ten-year-old child? Frail? Cousin, you don't know just how vicious, how savage, how spunky that little non-croaker was; he only pretends to be pathetic in front of you. I called for five or six guys, and they still couldn't catch the brat. He thrashed and bit them until they were bloodied all over. If he hadn't angered me so, why else would I have dragged him behind my horse carriage?"

Hearing this, both the king and the queen's faces fell. Xie Lian drew in a deep breath and shouted, "Enough! Do you think what you've done is impressive?!"

Qi Rong wasn't one to shy away from the limelight. He was so arrogant and ostentatious that there was no way the citizens of the capital hadn't seen him. And after they saw, there was no reason he wouldn't become the talk of every dinner-table conversation in the city.

The king gave the queen a look, appearing a little grim. "Take Prince Xiao Jing away. Doctor, see to his arm. The golden carriage will be permanently confiscated. You will be confined to your palace and reflect on your actions for a month without release."

The guard behind him immediately acknowledged the order and moved forward to take Qi Rong. Only then did Feng Xin let go. Qi Rong, however, no longer cared and humphed.

"Take it, take it. I already knew today would be my last chance to drive it."

The queen sighed sadly, hearing that he had no remorse or repenting heart. Xie Lian spoke up.

"It would seem that with only a month of detention to reflect, he will still do this again. There needs to be stricter discipline."

Qi Rong was taken aback and stammered angrily, "Cousin Crown Prince, you…" But then he switched gears. "Fine. I admit it, this time it was my fault. No matter how His Majesty punishes me, Qi Rong has no complaints." His next words changed the argument's direction. "But shouldn't Cousin Crown Prince's servant also be punished? Yifu, Yimu, my arm was broken by that Feng Xin, you know!"

Hearing this, the king instantly shifted his gaze to Feng Xin, looking outraged. Feng Xin bowed his head, and Mu Qing imperceptibly shuffled two steps away.

The king berated him coldly. "Feng Xin, you are the crown prince's bodyguard. The crown prince treats you well and regards you highly, but have you forgotten your place? What is this arrogance?! Your duty is to serve His Highness. Is this how you serve him? You dare raise a hand against the crown prince's cousin, Prince Xiao Jing?"

At those words, Feng Xin was ready to kneel, but Xie Lian stopped him.

"No need to kneel."

Feng Xin obeyed Xie Lian's commands first and foremost; even under the king's orders, his priority was His Highness, and so he instantly straightened again. Seeing this, the king grew even more displeased.

"It's true that Feng Xin broke Qi Rong's arm, but the reason was to protect his master," Xie Lian said. "Besides, Qi Rong was at fault first, not Feng Xin, so why must he kneel?"

"It doesn't matter," the king said. "Either way, he has offended Prince Xiao Jing. There's a difference between masters and servants, a distinction of superior versus inferior. If I, the king, were to make him kneel—or even if I punished him with one hundred lashes—there would be nothing inappropriate about it."

Although the king wasn't as affectionate toward Qi Rong as the queen was, Qi Rong was still nevertheless a part of the royal household. He was never to be disobeyed or offended.

Qi Rong knew this very well and said with a sidelong glance, "No need for a flogging punishment. He belongs to Cousin Crown Prince; I don't want to make things difficult. As long as he breaks his own arm and kowtows before me three times, I can let this go."

The king nodded slowly to accept the decision. However, Xie Lian interjected.

"If you must punish Feng Xin, then you must punish me first. He's my servant. First of all, he's done nothing wrong, and second of all, if he was at fault, it was still done under my orders. I will take punishment on his behalf."

Hearing him, rage flashed across the king's face.

By and large, all fathers and sons in the world must go through this change. When the son is young, he idolizes his father as the greatest hero on earth, his own personal role model, and his worship is clear. However, when

the son matures to a certain age, he starts to question everything his father does. This can even brew revulsion, until, in the end, neither side will acknowledge the other.

Xie Lian's fundamental objective for entering Mount Taicang was to improve his martial arts and search for the direction of his heart. However, he was never attached to a particular place where he trained, nor his identity.

The so-called "Dao" of cultivation meant exactly what it said: "to walk the path." As long as one's heart was set on the path with a singular mind, then training could be done anywhere. He didn't need to follow any dictated norms, nor enter the Royal Holy Temple. But there was another reason why Xie Lian had begged and pestered them to let him train on Mount Taicang, and that was because he didn't really get along with his father.

As the esteemed Crown Prince of Xianle, the moment Xie Lian was born, the King of Xianle had already drawn out every detail of the path of his life, neat and orderly. It was all right when he was still young. A child had few worries, and Xie Lian only needed his parents to build gold foil palaces with him, to frolic and play. As the years went by, Xie Lian saw more and more that his father wasn't only a father, but also the ruler of a kingdom, and many of their beliefs and actions no longer agreed. For example, the so-called Royal Authority was one of the things Xie Lian loathed.

If they couldn't agree, then it was best to stay far away. Every time he returned to the palace, he spent time conversing merrily with his mother, but he never had any heart-to-hearts with his father. Neither of the two ever took the initiative to talk to each other, and it was the queen who always mediated between them.

Father and son had maintained this stalemate for many months, and now, with Xie Lian stubbornly refusing to back down, the king said, "Very well. Take his place, if you must. Let's see if you can actually withstand it!"

"Of course I can!" Xie Lian retorted.

The queen saw the two of them butting heads again and anxiously intervened, "Why must it be like this?"

Just then, Feng Xin, who hadn't spoken a word, suddenly raised his left arm and struck down on his right. There was a loud CRACK. The crowd was startled and looked toward the sound, and saw that his right arm was drooping limply, exactly like Qi Rong's. Xie Lian was both shocked and furious.

"Feng Xin!"

Cold sweat rolled down Feng Xin's forehead, and without a word, he knelt down before Qi Rong and ko, ko, ko, kowtowed three times, before Xie Lian could stop him. Quite pleased, Qi Rong laughed out loud.

"All right, I guess I'll forgive you. Why couldn't you have done this earlier?"

Even though Qi Rong's arm was also broken, he looked energized and refreshed when he left, as if he had just won a battle. As for Feng Xin, he was still kneeling on the ground. Mu Qing stood on the sidelines watching, looking vaguely ashen, but his thoughts were otherwise unreadable.

Xie Lian whipped around to face his father, yelling angrily, "YOU —!"

Feng Xin grabbed him with his left arm. "Your Highness!"

The queen also put her hands on him to pull him back. Feng Xin had followed Xie Lian since the age of fourteen, and Xie Lian knew he was given preferential treatment by the queen. Feng Xin had only done this because he couldn't bear to see the queen sad over the dispute between father and son. If Xie Lian threw a fit now, then Feng Xin's efforts would go to waste. He swallowed his outrage, but the fire continued to burn inside his heart. The king finally looked appeased and left with a grim expression.

The queen had always liked Feng Xin. She sighed. "My child, we've wronged you."

"Please don't say that, Your Majesty. This was my duty," Feng Xin replied.

Hearing this, Mu Qing's eyes flickered, and he seemed to sneer soundlessly. Xie Lian, however, closed his eyes.

"Mother, if you really can't handle Qi Rong, lock him up."

The queen sighed, nodded, then shook her head and left as well.

Xie Lian asked for one of the imperial doctors to tend to Feng Xin's right arm, and he apologized.

"Feng Xin, I'm sorry."

Once the others had gone, Feng Xin immediately changed face and clicked his tongue. "This is nothing. I dared to hit him, so why would I be scared of his revenge?" After a pause, he advised, "Your Highness, of course it's right for you to discipline Qi Rong, but don't be angry with His Majesty. His Majesty is the king, and a figurehead of the older generation, so he thinks differently than we do. Seeing the two of you fight makes the queen unhappy. She has her troubles too."

And how could Xie Lian not know his mother had her own troubles?

Qi Rong's mother was the younger blood sister of the queen, and they shared deep sisterly affections. When this sister was young and immature, at the first bloom of romance, she thirsted for freedom and broke off a good engagement to elope with a bodyguard from her palace, lured by his sweet, honeyed words. Who knew that the one she had chosen was a villain? This daughter of nobility was stuffed into a shack barely better than a doghouse, and not half a year later, the villain revealed his true nature and his taste for debauchery. Once Qi Rong was born, he became even more abusive, beating and kicking his wife and child. Finally, the mother couldn't endure it any longer, and when Qi Rong turned five, she dejectedly took him and ran away from home. Because she had long since been disgraced through that royal scandal, she closed the door and no longer stepped foot outside, spending the rest of her life in grim depression, only showing particular love and devotion to her only son.

During an upheaval, Qi Rong's mother lost her life saving the queen. Before she passed, she asked Xie Lian's mother to look after Qi Rong.

Of course, the queen did her utmost. However, it was still awkward raising someone else's son. Discipline was difficult—too strict and it would appear to be abuse, and considering familial affections, she could hardly be so harsh. But too lax, and it would lead to the kind of behavior seen today, and without restraints it would only worsen in the future. The queen often wondered—she raised Xie Lian and Qi Rong almost the same, so why were their characters so different?

Just then, Xie Lian suddenly remembered there was a small child still lying on the bed here in the medical office. He raised the bedside curtain to check, and that child had been sitting up since who knows when, looking like he'd been trying to peer out of a crack in the curtains. When Xie Lian raised the curtain, he lay down again obediently.

Xie Lian said, "Did we scare you with that quarrel just now? Don't let it bother you; it has nothing to do with you."

"Your Highness, this child's wounds have been tended to. Now he needs quiet rest," one of the imperial doctors said.

Xie Lian dipped his head slightly. "Thank you."

He then bent down again to ask, "Where do you live? I'll take you home."

That child shook his head. "No home."

Feng Xin approached, holding the arm that was now in a sling. "No home? So, he really is a little beggar?"

Seeing that this child was so emaciated and small, his clothes filthy and unkempt, it wasn't impossible to believe. If he had no home to return to, they couldn't possibly leave him at the palace or throw him out on the streets.

Xie Lian pondered for a moment, then said, "If that's the case, then let's bring him with us back to Mount Taicang."

Unexpectedly, Mu Qing suddenly spoke up. "He's lying."