Chapter 223 - 112: Zhao Ci’s Point-Blank Ultimate, Little Auntie Carelessly Loses Her First Kiss

Chapter 223: Chapter 112: Zhao Ci’s Point-Blank Ultimate, Little Auntie Carelessly Loses Her First Kiss

Feng Kucha didn’t dare to speak.

He didn’t dare to ask, either.

’It must be related to the Feng Family’s Demon-Binding Rope.’

’Five Poison Sect... doesn’t that freaking correspond to the Dian Nan Yang Family?’

’Corpse-Driving Sect... The Xiangxi Tan Clan.’

’Those two are clearly a bit frightening.’

’The others don’t seem as obvious, but since Old Deng said so...’

He asked cautiously, "Imperial Father! Are these all related to the great clans?"

Zhao Huan waved a hand weakly. "Keep flipping!"

Zhao Ci did as he was told and flipped to the back. To his surprise, there was even a year-by-year statistical report. The number of cases related to these organizations had skyrocketed over the last decade or so. The timing was rather thought-provoking—it was just a few years after the "Eighteen Golden Years" had begun.

’No wonder Old Deng said that despite eighteen years of development, the lives of the common people hadn’t improved. Instead, the greed of certain individuals had swelled to no end.’

’I don’t know about the others.’

’Just how much wealth did the Cao Bang extort from protection fees alone?’

’They’d only had a few years of stable development, and the Dragon Slayer Warriors had already become the new dragons. At this rate, they couldn’t reconquer the fucking Northern Domain.’

’No wonder Old Deng is so desperate to clamp down on the seven great families’ interests.’

"You are Princes! You are my sons!"

Zhao Huan propped himself up. "You all have your maternal clans behind you, and you’ve received much from them. But you must always remember that you bear the destiny of the Zhao Clan, the very fate of the Great Yu!

What you must do is establish a ten-thousand-year golden age for the Great Yu and recreate the Immortal Martial Dynasty.

And not, for the sake of short-term gains, become puppets for the greedy and corrupt!

Do you understand?"

Zhao Yong prostrated himself. "Your son has been taught a lesson!"

[Zhao Yong’s Current Wish]: Assist Imperial Father in rebuilding the Immortal Martial Dynasty. May the Great Yu last ten thousand years, may the Zhao Clan last ten thousand years! Wish Completion Reward: Insight +10000, Imperial Destiny Battle Robe x1.

Zhao Ci: "..."

’Kid.’

’You’ve totally bought into it!’

He was somewhat speechless but replied with feigned excitement, "Your son will remember!"

"Good!"

Zhao Huan was greatly pleased. He wanted to laugh heartily but was too out of breath. "With those words from you two, I can rest easy! Ci!"

Zhao Ci cupped his hands. "Your son is here!"

Zhao Huan said in a grave voice, "Your Ninth Imperial Brother once harmed you. Can you forgive him?"

"I won’t!"

"Then how will you conduct yourself?"

"I will repay injustice with justice!"

Zhao Ci snorted. "During the Mansion Competition, I will have plenty of opportunities to compete with my Imperial Brother. Let him be ready to face me!"

Zhao Huan asked again, "Yong, and what about you?"

Zhao Yong was overcome with shame. "The Mansion Competition is not a matter for me alone. If I don’t compete, I won’t be able to answer to my Mansion Officials. But Lao Shi sparing my life today is a great kindness, and I will do everything in my power to repay this debt. If he is still not satisfied, my head is his for the taking at any time."

Zhao Huan nodded. "Excellent! Both are fine sons of my Zhao Clan! Ci, you may go back and rest."

"Yes! Your son takes his leave!"

Zhao Ci cupped his hands, then turned and left the Imperial Study, cursing inwardly.

’This Old Deng was definitely testing me.’

’But that test was just a side dish tonight, at best.’

’This whole tear-jerking drama was performed entirely for Zhao Yong. With one move, he drove a wedge between Zhao Yong and the Crown Prince and gained a top-tier pawn in the process.’

’And then there’s me.’

’A supporting actor worthy of an Oscar, and I don’t even get a single tael for my performance fee.’

’The only silver lining is that Old Deng really put the fear of God into Yongzi. That guy probably won’t dare to pull any more dirty tricks on me.’

「Inside the Imperial Study.」

Zhao Huan leaned down and took Zhao Yong’s arm. "Yong, get up!"

"Thank you, Imperial Father!"

Zhao Yong stood up, tears streaming down his face, and supported Zhao Huan’s arm with a complicated expression.

Zhao Huan asked, "Did the Crown Prince’s people come looking for you today?"

"They did!"

Zhao Yong quickly recounted, in full detail, how one of the Crown Prince’s ’shadows’ had sought him out.

Zhao Huan asked again, "How will you conduct yourself?"

Zhao Yong clutched the *Criminal Investigation Guide*, took a deep breath, and said, "Targeting Lao Shi is of no benefit to the nation. I have four Mansion Officials, and two of them, Feng and Zhu, are backed by the Crown Prince Faction. It would be unwise to investigate the Cao Bang and the Corpse-Driving Sect. When I receive my mission from the Ministry of Justice, I will focus on the Salt Gang and the Five Poison Sect!"

’The Salt Gang... as far as I know, they’re inextricably linked to the Yellow Sea Gongshu Clan, a staunch part of the Fourth Prince Faction.’

’I had previously considered cooperating with Prince Ying’s Mansion to eliminate Zhao Ci first, but now it seems we’re about to go head-to-head.’

"Excellent!"

Zhao Huan nodded slightly.

Zhao Yong took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "But, the Crown Prince..."

’He knew full well.’

’Not a single word of what was said in the Imperial Study today could be heard by outsiders.’

Zhao Huan smiled faintly. "I have a way to make him give up. You need not worry."

"Thank you, Imperial Father!"

Zhao Yong breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Zhao Huan stared at him for a long time, then sighed softly. "The reconstruction of the Yun Dynasty is at hand. It should be upheld by the wise and virtuous. The Crown Prince’s vision is clouded by profit. You, in turn, must exert yourself!"

Zhao Yong: "!!!"

’What... what does he mean?’

’Those two short sentences contained an explosive amount of information.’

He pretended not to have heard the last part of the sentence and asked excitedly, "Imperial Father! What do you mean when you say the reconstruction of the Yun Dynasty is at hand?"

"You will find out tomorrow!"

Zhao Huan clapped him on the shoulder. "Your father has prepared a great gift for you, but whether or not you can obtain it will depend on your performance in this Mansion Competition!"

Zhao Yong: "!!!"

...

[System Notification]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Insight +100, Fatherly Love and Filial Piety Talisman x1.

[Fatherly Love and Filial Piety Talisman]: Use on a target to make them lose their ability to speak until they have called the user "Dad" ten times.

’So vile!’

’I love it!’

Leaving the Imperial Study, Zhao Ci headed straight for Wangshu Palace.

He had already achieved First-Grade Tendons and Meridians, so the Celestial Demon Body Refining wasn’t urgent.

He’d just sat through a brainwashing session with Old Deng. Although he hadn’t received any tangible benefits, the groundwork laid by this session would definitely be of great use with Gu Xiangzhu.