Chapter 255 Wang Feng’s Fatal Injury

The Nine Gods Empire, the capital city of Jiuding.

The grand palace, the vermilion Wenti Gate slowly opened.

Today’s court session had just concluded, and a group of ministers emerged from the vermilion gate, clustering in small groups, most chatting and laughing.

Crown Prince Long Zhen was prominently at the center of the ministers, surrounded by several key officials, each congratulating him: "Prince Zhen, your impassioned speech and incisive analysis before the throne were truly eloquent and gratifying!"

"How could the Fifth Prince trust a bunch of people who would betray their own kin for money? Haha, this failure was inevitable, and it’s only reasonable that the League of Blades is dissatisfied."

"The Fifth Prince is too aggressive and overly confident. Sigh, I can only hope that Prince Zhen’s heartfelt words today will make the Fifth Prince reflect."

Long Zhen said lightly, "Fifth Brother’s intentions were good, but his methods were a bit extreme. I believe Father’s attitude today will make him reflect."

The crowd exchanged glances and all laughed.

The struggle between Zhen and Xiang has long been no secret in the court. Previously, they were both equally favored by His Majesty. Although Long Zhen currently holds the position of Crown Prince, to be honest, his seat is not entirely secure.

This time, the Fifth Prince Long Xiang spent a large sum of money to have the Dark Hall take action, working with a spy organization that had been embedded in Ice Spirit for many years, aiming to present a grand gift to Long Kang and completely overshadow Long Zhen’s standing in the Emperor’s heart. However, who would have thought it would end up being a fiasco? The Ice Bees’ attack on the city was grand, but ultimately came to nothing, instead making Oscar of Ice Spirit famous worldwide, with his Ice Age technique intimidating all sides.

Now, the League of Blades is widely reporting on this incident, portraying the Principality of Ice Spirit as a model of miracles. The Sea Race and the Eightfold Assembly all sent their congratulations, further boosting Ice Spirit’s reputation and influence. At the same time, it gave the League of Blades a handle to strongly condemn the Nine Gods, using the bodies of the spies from the Nine Gods’ organization as evidence, and demanding various compensations.

Compensation is definitely out of the question; the Nine Gods naturally denied everything, and at worst, engaged in verbal sparring with the other side. But everyone with clear eyes knows what happened. The Nine Gods’ rebuttals were weak and powerless, and their refusal to admit guilt was purely a display of stubbornness, violating the trilateral agreement and losing credibility, leaving the Nine Gods in a very passive position.

Long Zhen smiled slightly, turned his head, and saw Long Xiang walking out from behind with a sullen face. He paused briefly, waiting with the ministers, and greeted him with a smile: "Fifth Brother."

"What does Elder Brother want to say?" Long Xiang’s expression was somewhat cold. Although Long Kang did not make him relinquish control of the three organizations, he placed him under house arrest for a month to reflect, which was already a significant sign of displeasure.

Long Zhen smiled and shook his head, "What needed to be said was already said during the court session. Elder Brother has no intention of targeting you; it was merely a discussion of the facts. I hope we don’t hurt the harmony between brothers."

"Ha ha!" Long Xiang burst into laughter: "Big Brother, rest assured. The court is a place for free speech. I can distinguish between public and private matters."

"Fifth Brother's clear distinction between public and private affairs puts my mind at ease," Long Zhen smiled. "Would you like to gather at my Guanghe Palace tonight? Your sister-in-law greatly enjoyed the Nourishing Dew you sent her through someone else. She wishes to thank Fifth Brother in person."

"If your sister-in-law likes it, that’s all I need to hear. I’ll have more sent over later," Long Xiang clasped his hands. "I am under imperial punishment and cannot neglect my duties! I won’t intrude!"

With that, he strode away with several people in tow.

Long Zhen watched his retreating figure, and the Grand Secretary beside him gently shook his white beard, smiling. "Fifth Prince seems quite anxious, truly rare to see."

Long Zhen smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Fifth Brother’s palace will likely not be peaceful tonight."

………………

Bang!

A precious piece of porcelain shattered, and the servants in the palace fell to their knees, trembling with fear, not daring to raise their heads.

Long Xiang’s eyes blazed with fury: "Did you all see that? Long Zhen’s pretentious act on the court, damn him for even trying to guide me? Ha ha ha ha! This waste of space knows nothing! And those damned old men on the court, always talking about stability, what stability? They only see the weakness of the Blade, but they don’t see the winds of reform it has already stirred. If Qin Hongwu and his gang succeed, with the full support of the Sea Clan, they’ll unify the world in no time!"

Boom!

As he spoke, he slammed his palm angrily on the nearby pearwood table, shattering the sturdy, three-to-four-centimeter-thick table into pieces. The thunderous sound echoed through the palace, deafening.

"Your Highness, please calm down, please calm down..." The servants around him trembled in fear, bowing continuously on the ground.

"This was just an accident..." Only Feng Buxiu dared to counsel Long Xiang at this moment.

The Feng family was a prestigious clan among the Nine Gods, holding one of the seventeen founding seats of the nation.

Feng Buxiu, around forty years old, with a face as fair as jade and a feather fan in his hand, exuded the air of an elegant scholar. He managed everything related to the Mi Group and was Long Xiang's right-hand man. He smiled and said, "Although the letter from the Dark Hall is vague, reliable information suggests that the retreat of the Ice Bee was not due to Oscar's efforts but more likely related to Karida and Wang Feng, who happened to be there at the right time. They also managed to evade the assassination attempt by the Nightmare Lord, the Child Emperor."

"Those two again?!" A sharp gleam flashed in Long Xiang's eyes as he glanced at Long Luo beside him: "Long Luo, if you had taken this matter more seriously back then and eliminated this person, we wouldn't have so many troubles today!"

That man was named Wang Feng, merely a traitor from the Pu Group. Such a person originally did not deserve to be known by Long Xiang, but after his most trusted Long Luo was defeated by this young man, followed by three consecutive failed assassination attempts by the Wild Group, which resulted in significant losses, these unprecedented events made Long Xiang remember his name. He coldly ordered, "Feng Buxiu, handle this matter!"

Feng Buxiu advised, "Your Highness, now is the peak of the storm. Acting rashly may not succeed and could even invite greater trouble. Wang Feng is like a toad, mainly annoying, but it's not worth making a big fuss over him. Karida is the vanguard of the reformists."

"I just want to kill him; this piece of rotten meat has disgraced me!"

"Your Highness." Long Luo's voice sounded, and standing behind Long Xiang was none other than Luo Lan, the former Rose.

Luo Lan is Long Luo, a royal offspring, the youngest son of Prince Hong.

Since the age of eleven, he has lived in the Blade as Luo Lan. After the Rose affair was exposed, Long Xiang spent great effort to bring him back to the empire. Since then, he has stayed by Feng Buxiu's side, assisting in managing the Mi Group. Prince Hong is a staunch supporter of Long Xiang's faction, so Long Luo cannot be overly criticized, but upon his return, Long Luo has no substantial position, essentially being sidelined.

"Your Highness, I have an idea," Long Luo said with a smile. "We have overlooked a key factor, which is also the fatal flaw of Karida and Wang Feng. Wang Feng is indeed a genuine dandelion... How can such a person be trusted by the Blade?"

"Hmm?"

"The true blade in this world is not the truth but rumors," Long Luo smiled. "Rumors can kill."

"Go on."

"The best part is, this is not just a rumor but a solid fact," Long Luo continued with a smile. "I have been undercover in the Rose for many years and know the personalities of its members well. The Dharma Master of the Rose, though not lustful or greedy for wealth, is extremely covetous of power. It's unlikely he would join us, but he can be used. If we cleverly hand over Karida's fatal weakness to him, we can achieve multiple goals at once." Long Luo spoke firmly, "Your Highness and Mr. Feng often say that one should get up where they fell. I once failed against Wang Feng and am willing to take responsibility for this matter to make amends!"