Princess Yun Shu, the entire family of the West Gate Guard, Xia Chenhua, Xia Chenguang... In just over two months, the number of enemies who had died at his hands had already reached nearly one hundred.
The three royals, in particular, each held a high and powerful position, wielding considerable influence.
In contrast, the family of the West Gate Guard, which accounted for the largest number of deaths, wasn’t worth a single finger of a Prince or Princess, even with nearly a hundred people combined.
It was precisely the deaths of these three royals, occurring one after another in such a short period, that enraged Emperor Xia. Consequently, Xia Wuyang, who had recently clashed with the three of them, was also added to the list of suspects.
Fortunately, after just a few days of observation, Emperor Xia’s men dismissed their suspicions. Xia Wuyang was acting just as he always did, showing no signs of anything unusual.
His body grew weaker by the day, his actions became increasingly muddled, and he had almost no capable people by his side. No matter how one looked at it, he did not seem capable of killing the likes of Princess Yun Shu, Xia Chenhua, and Xia Chenguang.
Besides, while Xia Wuyang had clashed with Xia Chenhua, he had only lost a bit of face. It was nothing compared to how badly Wei Xianren and Liu Jun had treated him in the past.
If Xia Wuyang hadn’t even retaliated against Wei Xianren and Liu Jun, why would he do so against Xia Chenhua?
The situation with Princess Yun Shu was similar. They had only had a minor verbal spat upon meeting, during which Princess Yun Shu had sneered at him a few times.
Afterward, he had joyfully accepted the Qiuci Dancers that Princess Yun Shu secretly sent over. He was utterly infatuated with them, keeping them in Wenhua Hall to this day and indulging with them from time to time. He even verbally expressed great gratitude to the person who had sent the Qiuci Dancers.
Even if he had known the Qiuci Dancers were from Princess Yun Shu, he likely wouldn’t have resented her—and besides, Xia Wuyang supposedly didn’t know.
As for Xia Chenguang, there was even less to say; the two of them hadn’t had any recent conflicts.
Therefore, despite a few coincidences, there was more than enough reason to dismiss any suspicion falling on Xia Wuyang.
After a few days, no one was watching Xia Wuyang anymore, and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, it had cost him some valuable Cultivation time.
’I can’t be so rash in the future. They say a gentleman doesn’t let a grudge last overnight, and it’s certainly more satisfying to take revenge on the same day.’
’But before I have enough power, it’s better to be cautious. I can wait for the attention to die down before killing again. That way, I’ll avoid suspicion.’
’Alternatively, I could wait until someone else has a conflict with my target before I make my move. That would be safer, too.’
’Of course, there’s another way: kill the target before a new conflict even arises. Take the Third Prince, for example... We haven’t had any recent clashes, but we had several intense ones decades ago, and he tried to harm me many times back then.’
’I’m going to kill him sooner or later anyway. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to wait for the next conflict. I can just kill him first.’
’That way, even if Emperor Xia investigates, he’ll surely prioritize whoever clashed with him recently, not me, who had conflicts with him decades ago.’
After all, so many years had passed. If one wanted revenge, they would have taken it long ago. Why delay until now?
Of course, this was just an example. He did not yet have enough power to get revenge on the Third Prince. As one of the princes with the most authority and Power, the Third Prince was a strong contender to be the next Crown Prince.
With a plan in mind, Xia Wuyang continued his Cultivation with peace of mind. On the surface, he remained immersed in debauchery, too lazy to even leave Wenhua Hall. His days were filled with nothing but feasting, drinking, and revelry.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Xia Chenguang had also died, Princess Ling Yi immediately recalled all her spies and ordered them to stop investigating the theft.
She was terrified that the thief, in a fit of rage, would strike at her from the shadows and make her die from "Qigong Deviation" as well.
Although every Imperial Physician said that the deaths of Princess Yun Shu, Xia Chenhua, and Xia Chenguang were accidents—caused by either a latent injury flaring up or Qigong Deviation—how could there be so many coincidences in the world?
Especially in the case of the two brothers, Xia Chenhua and Xia Chenguang. Princess Ling Yi knew their relationship wasn’t good; there was no way Xia Chenguang would die from Qigong Deviation brought on by excessive grief.
This was very likely the thief’s doing. ’I don’t know why they haven’t targeted me,’ she thought, ’but to avoid provoking them, I’d better just behave.’
Thus, Princess Ling Yi resolutely stopped investigating the theft, acting as if her treasures had never been stolen in the first place.
’What are a few treasures compared to my own life?’ she thought, even though it still stung a little.
"Sigh..."
Princess Ling Yi sighed. She hid in her Practice Room, quietly focusing on her Cultivation and not daring to leave her residence.
But she hadn’t been cultivating for long before she remembered that both Xia Chenhua and Xia Chenguang had died from "Qigong Deviation" while practicing. A new wave of fear washed over her, and she no longer dared to cultivate. She curled up in a corner of the Practice Room, terrified the thief would strike at her next.
’If I’d known how powerful that thief was, I never should have launched such a wide investigation. I wonder if I’ve provoked them.’
’They managed to silently burglarize the even more heavily guarded Zhengxin Hall and even took down two Princes, Xia Chenhua and Xia Chenguang, who died horribly. It’s terrifying to think how powerful that thief must be.’
’They have to be a powerhouse of at least the Upper Three Grades, maybe even at the Super Grade Level. I don’t understand why they would target Princes and Princesses like us.’
’Even if a practitioner that powerful wanted to move against our Great Xia Royal Family, they shouldn’t be targeting ordinary Princes and Princesses like us. They should be aiming for the few contenders for the Crown Prince’s seat, or some of the high-ranking Princes and Ministers.’
’Isn’t bullying Middle Three Grades Princes and Princesses like us a bit beneath them?’
Princess Ling Yi wanted to cry but had no tears. It never even crossed her mind to suspect her "dear older brother," Xia Wuyang. Or rather, she had subconsciously dismissed him as a possibility from the very beginning.
’Her dear older brother was such a useless good-for-nothing, an old man with one foot in the grave. How could he possibly have the power to cause such a commotion?’
"Don’t run, my beauties! Let this Prince catch you!"
Meanwhile, in Wenhua Hall, Princess Ling Yi’s "dear older brother," Xia Wuyang, was playing a game of tag. Any of the Qiuci Dancers, stunning beauties from the Fox Race, or lovely maidens from the Cat Race he caught had to perform for him, and their performance had to meet his satisfaction.
The Qiuci Dancers moved with the grace of startled swans, the beauties of the Fox Race cast alluring, silken gazes, and the maidens of the Cat Race were as fluid and nimble as water... Dozens of stunning women, each with her own unique style, danced around him like fluttering butterflies.
All manner of delicacies, desserts, and fine wines were laid out... and of course, there was also the Dragon and Tiger Elixir, placed nearby for Xia Wuyang to take as he pleased.
But what no one noticed was that while the Crown Prince seemed to be acting recklessly, his footwork was actually that of the Pile Techniques from the Dragon Tiger Fist, and the Qi Blood within his body surged like a dragon.
His every move subtly incorporated the essence of the Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique, while the arcane principles of the Nether Acupuncture Needle and the Soul Capturing Technique flowed at his fingertips.
A Mental Force Field silently expanded to envelop all of Wenhua Hall, ensuring that not the slightest disturbance could escape his perception.
This Crown Prince, outwardly the most dissolute, was in reality the most diligent Practitioner in the entire Imperial Palace.