Chapter 18: Dai Mubai
The Imperial Palace, Spirit Cat Palace.
The Spirit Cat Palace was the residence of the Empress. Since generations of empresses hailed from the Zhu family and possessed the Nether Spirit Cat Martial Soul, the palace was named in their honor.
After returning from the Royal Arena, the Empress had been in a rage, smashing many items in the Spirit Cat Palace.
"What's troubling Mother?" the Crown Prince asked.
"Ever since the Third Prince lost to the Fourth Prince, Her Majesty has been furious. The Third Prince has been kneeling inside for hours. Please, Your Highness, go and speak with her. Her Majesty only listens to you," a worried palace maid explained.
As he opened the palace doors, the first sight he saw was Dai Mubai kneeling on the ground.
Dai Mubai's head was lowered, his golden hair covering his face, making his expression unreadable. His forehead was bleeding from where the Empress had thrown a cup at him.
"Useless waste," Dai Weisi sneered coldly, his eyes filled with disdain. "You were level 17 and still lost to someone who'd just gained their first Soul Ring. Truly worthless."
Dai Mubai kept his head down, silently enduring the criticism.
"Mother, why trouble yourself over this failure?" Dai Weisi said, turning to the Empress. "So what if he lost? Do you really think that wretched child can succeed in the competition for the throne? As long as I'm here, I'll ensure his life ends before he ever gets that chance."
The Empress's sigh was full of frustration. "Am I angry because he lost? I'm angry that I ever put any faith in this waste."
Hearing his mother's scathing assessment, Dai Mubai's entire body trembled. His throat tightened, and hot tears began to fall. Losing to Dai Yao had been painful but tolerable. But hearing his own mother call him useless was too much to bear.
Though both the Empress and Dai Weisi noticed Dai Mubai's distress, neither bothered to comfort him. This was how it was in the Xingluo royal family—a place devoid of affection.
Only the victor could gain everything.
"Each Xingluo prince enrolls at the Royal Academy. When he arrives, I'll teach him a good lesson myself," Dai Weisi said, trying to reassure her.
The Empress sighed again, finally voicing her real concerns. "I detest that wretched child, but I can't deny his potential. He's even more talented than you. Once he's at the academy, with Dai Hengyu looking out for him, getting rid of him won't be easy."
Dai Hengyu, a royal prince and vice principal of the Royal Academy, was a powerful influence, helping the royal family maintain control over the academy.
"Besides, once he grows, he'll become a serious threat to you. Add in your brother's ambition, and if they unite, it will be tough for you to inherit the throne smoothly."
"Mother, don't worry. I'm not concerned about my brother, and certainly not about that immature little brat, Dai Yao," Dai Weisi said with full confidence. To him, Dai Yao was nothing more than a minor threat.
In truth, only the Second Prince, who was at level 25, posed a threat to Dai Weisi. Dai Yao, just a few days ago, hadn't even been a Soul Master. How could he possibly pose a serious challenge?
"Mother, remember you're not only the Empress of Xingluo but also a Zhu family elder. Since Zhu Zhuqing is part of the Zhu family, can't you…" Dai Weisi suggested with a sinister grin.
Unlike Dai Mubai, who fought honorably, Dai Weisi was ruthless and pragmatic, willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals. If it had been him fighting Dai Yao, he wouldn't have allowed any chance for his opponent to gain an advantage.
In his view, any tactic that led to victory was fair game. He had no qualms about exploiting weaknesses or fighting dirty, as long as he won.
Hearing Dai Weisi's suggestion, the Empress's eyes lit up. She immediately turned to a maid. "Go, bring that girl, Zhu Zhuqing, to me."
She cast a contemptuous glance at Dai Mubai. "You useless waste, leave! Do you really think I want you lingering here?"
Dai Mubai rose and turned to leave, looking defeated and hollow. The vibrant energy he had displayed in the arena was gone, replaced by the posture of a broken man. He was only nine years old, yet he felt like an old man, burdened by sorrow.
He looked up at the bright moon, a wave of despair washing over him, and hot tears traced his cheeks.
Dai Yao might be a prince, but so was he. Neither could afford to lose.
If Dai Yao had lost, people would have dismissed it, saying he was too young and his defeat was understandable. But for Dai Mubai, being overpowered by a younger prince would forever mark him as an object of ridicule.
In the competition for the throne, there was no second place. Every failure ended the same way—with death.
Since birth, he had never received motherly love. The pride his mother showed whenever she praised his older brother had filled him with longing. He was just a child, and he, too, wanted to be someone his parents were proud of.
But in the Xingluo royal family, that desire was nothing but a distant dream.
Hunched over like an old man, his once-bright spirit from the duel nowhere to be seen, he walked out of the Spirit Cat Palace in defeat.
…
Shortly after Dai Mubai left, Zhu Zhuqing was summoned to the Spirit Cat Palace.
The Empress gripped Zhu Zhuqing's chin between her thumb and forefinger, her tone ice-cold. "Such a pretty face… wasted on that wretched child."
Zhu Zhuqing winced from the pressure, yet she dared not resist.
"I hear you want freedom. You want to escape the Zhu family's fate?" the Empress asked.
Those simple words seemed to hold infinite allure. A glimmer of longing crossed Zhu Zhuqing's otherwise cold expression.
"I can give you that freedom," the Empress continued, her voice soft but calculated. "There's something I need you to do for me. Once it's done, you'll be free—no longer a puppet to anyone. What do you say?"
…
A few days later.
The Cold Palace.
Dai Yao shrugged off his ceremonial robes, lying back on his bed, feeling exhausted.
"What a tiring ordeal," he muttered to himself.
These past few days had been nonstop—there had been so much to handle. After winning the duel, he had a mountain of matters to deal with. He'd paid his respects to the elders in the ancestral hall of White Tiger Mountain; then there were the noble ceremonies and the endless rituals of inheritance. It had left him physically and mentally drained.
There had even been a suggestion to construct a new palace for him, the Fourth Prince's residence. But Dai Yao refused, preferring the Cold Palace. Of course, the Cold Palace had been renovated and was now in good condition.
Besides, he would soon leave for Xingluo Royal Academy and wouldn't be returning frequently. There was no need for a new palace.
Above all, he didn't want a life of luxury corrupting his character, which he prided himself on keeping sharp and resilient!
The main reason, though, was financial—he couldn't afford the cost of a palace. Although the royal treasury allotted each prince a sum of money, it was a mere drop in the bucket compared to what a residence would require.
With everything finally settled, the arrangements for his betrothal were now in place.
The engagement ceremony itself would be simple, with only a few important family members as witnesses. The Queen would represent Zhu Zhuqing's side, while Elder Five would represent him, as his mother was gone and the Emperor had little interest in him.
Thinking back to the Queen's dark expression at the engagement ceremony made him chuckle.
In the next day or two, Zhu Zhuqing would arrive at the Cold Palace.
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