199: Chapter 199 Using Both Kindness and Strictness to Completely Brainwash

Prince Jimie and Shadow Kill Prince exchanged a glance. In the moment their gazes met, they both saw the relief of surviving a disaster in the other's eyes, as well as fear that went deep into their marrow.

The two dared not hesitate for a moment; they immediately flashed forward, one on the left and one on the right, to help the unconscious Mad Blood Prince up.

Their posture was as if they were dragging a lifeless, dead dog, completely devoid of the dignity they once held as fellow princes.

Dragging Mad Blood Prince along, they hurried back to the foot of the throne.

With a crisp "thud," their knees struck the cold stone steps heavily. The sound echoed throughout the empty hall, causing one's heart to tremble.

They respectfully placed the heavily injured Mad Blood Prince at Su Changge's feet, their foreheads pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to lift them even an inch.

"King." Prince Jimie's voice rang out. That voice, usually as cold as frost, was now tinged with a faint, imperceptible tremor.

"Mad Blood offended Your divine majesty and deserves to die ten thousand times over." He paused, his voice becoming even more deferential, "Please, King, deliver the final verdict."

Succubus Prince knelt down immediately after, her usually charming and graceful voice now filled with awe: "We have no objections."

Su Changge lowered his eyes, his gaze falling upon the dying Mad Blood Prince at his feet. He pondered, should he kill this person?

No, that wouldn't do. A dead prince was merely a worthless husk. But a living prince—one who had been scared out of his wits—would serve as an excellent "negative example."

He knew well that relying solely on fear and deterrence would not last long. Blind suppression would only breed resentment among these unruly individuals.

One must combine kindness with severity; that is the way to govern subordinates. A slap followed by a sweet treat—that was the key to a long-term strategy.

"System, redeem the special effect: great dao golden lotus, for a duration of one minute." Su Changge silently issued the command in his mind.

He had used this special effect before; it was merely a pure light and shadow illusion that looked holy and peaceful, and the price was relatively cheap, costing only 200,000 emotion points.

[emotion points deducted. Special effect activated.]

The instant the command was issued, a soft golden halo radiated from Su Changge's body. The halo enveloped him like a thin veil, adding an ethereal and transcendent aura to his presence.

He slowly raised his hand and lightly pointed downward with his slender finger.

At his fingertip, a small, exquisite golden lotus, formed entirely of light, quietly bloomed.

The golden lotus left his fingertip and drifted downward as lightly as a feather.

As it descended, it split into four, transforming into four smaller streams of golden light that submerged into the bodies of The Three Princes prostrate on the ground, as well as the unconscious Mad Blood Prince.

"Hum—"

The moment the golden light entered their bodies, The Three Princes felt a warm, indescribable sense of comfort instantly spread through their entire beings.

This sensation did not increase their cultivation or heal their injuries, but it made them feel as though their Bloodline Power, filled with violent and murderous intent, had been gently cleansed by a force of ultimate purity and sanctity.

Deep within their Souls, they felt an unprecedented sense of peace and harmony; the sensation actually brought them a feeling of long-lost tranquility.

This is… This is the King's blessing!

The Three Princes were instantly shaken, their minds racing with wild speculation.

"This is… Origin power!" Succubus Prince felt the gentle, warm current within her body, her eyes filled with fanatical fervor. "The King is using His supreme Origin power to cleanse the Impurities from our Bloodline!"

"I feel… I feel that the shackles of my Bloodline have actually loosened!" Shadow Kill Prince's voice was filled with excitement, his usually steady tone struggling to hide a tremor.

This was naturally an illusion. However, enveloped in this sacred atmosphere and having just experienced such immense fear, any positive sensation was infinitely magnified by them and revered as a miracle.

They even saw that Mad Blood Prince, lying on the ground with a face as pale as paper from his severe injuries, now showed a hint of unnatural ruddiness under the glow of the golden light.

(Su Changge thought to himself: That's probably just a final burst of energy before death…)

But in their eyes, this was the supreme benevolence of a King who would not abandon even a sinner! This display of combining kindness with severity completely shattered their final defenses.

If the divine punishment from moments ago had filled them with fear, then this blessing now filled them with fanatical adoration.

The image of Su Changge in their hearts had been completely elevated from a "suspicious returner" to a supreme True God who possessed both majesty and benevolence, holding the power of life and death.

"We thank our King for the blessing!" The Three Princes prostrated themselves once more, their voices filled with gratitude and fanaticism. Their pious appearance was as if they were believers worshipping a deity.

Su Changge nodded slightly in satisfaction. Hmm, the brainwashing effect seemed quite good.

He slowly retracted his finger, and the golden light surrounding him gradually dissipated, receding like a tide, leaving only a faint aura of majesty that continued to envelop the entire hall.

He still did not speak, merely watching the people below with his calm, deep eyes.

At this moment, silence spoke louder than words. That composed demeanor was far more intimidating than anything he could have said.

Old Priest seized the moment, walked forward tremblingly, and prostrated beneath the steps, his aged body bowed extremely low.

"Report to my King." His voice was exceptionally high-pitched with excitement, even carrying a hint of a choke. "Since You left, our clan has been exiled to this realm for one hundred and eight thousand years."

"The energy in this realm is violent, the land is barren, and countless ferocious native monsters lurk all around." Old Priest's voice grew increasingly sorrowful. "Our clan… has survived with extreme difficulty."

He began to report in detail the state of the Blood clan over these countless years—the sharp decline in the number of clansmen, the degradation of the Bloodline in newborns, the depletion of resources, and the threats from other powerful creatures on this land.

His words were filled with sorrow for the past years and a fanatical longing for the future.

Because the King had returned. All their suffering would end here.

Su Changge sat upright on the throne, quietly listening to Old Priest's report. He nodded slightly from time to time, wearing a composed expression of "everything is under control," as if he had already been fully aware of these matters.

Yet, in his mind, he was rapidly calculating another matter.

"Native monsters? Other powerful creatures?" He thought to himself. "It sounds like this place is treacherous. This old man has been talking for ages, yet he hasn't mentioned how to leave this godforsaken place."

"No, once I stabilize this group, I must find an opportunity to slip away. As for this so-called 'King' nonsense, whoever wants to be it can be; I just want to go home."

Just as Su Changge was listening to the report, his mind already drifting far away, an unexpected turn of events occurred once again.