67: Chapter 67 Eliminating the Traitor

Since the Shanhai Principality was far from the Great Yan Empire, separated by at least two principalities and one empire, and with border checkpoints sealed off, a Mortal like you without a True Qi Spiritual Root could never reach the Great Yan. Thus, you had to abandon the idea of immediately going to the Great Yan Empire to find your sister.

You continued to help Prince Yin contact his former subordinates. Besides that, you also tutored Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai in his studies, accompanied him in cultivation, and secretly investigated the traitors within the Earl's Manor...

Qi Xiaobai possessed a Wood-type True Qi Spiritual Root with exceptional talent. By the ninth month of your simulation, he had reached the Middle Stage of the Martial Artist Rank.

In your memory, you felt this should be called Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, but you didn't know why the Zhenwu Continent used a different ranking system, even calling 'Spiritual Qi' as 'True Qi'.

As for investigating the traitors, Prince Yin had Jing Ge assist you. Whenever force was needed, Jing Ge would handle it. No matter who was found, they were to be killed without mercy.

You quickly uncovered several traitors. Besides maids and servants, one of them turned out to be a concubine of Prince Yin. The concubine knelt before you and Jing Ge, begging for her life, and then began to undress...

Jing Ge chopped her head off with one swing of his blade!

"I never thought a woman who once shared the bed with the family head would also be a spy placed by Qi Yuan in the manor..."

After killing Prince Yin's concubine, Jing Ge pursed his lips, his face full of anger.

Su Fan nodded. "Look at how many husbands and wives are inseparable when sweet, happy as immortals, but once they turn hostile, they wish to stab each other ten thousand times. That's human nature!"

"Yeah, people are damn complicated!"

Jing Ge said, but quickly added, "But Little Master, you're different from them. You're good! You almost don't seem like a person of this world!"

Su Fan smiled and said, "You flatter me!" Then, with a hint of emotion, he recited, "If life were only as it first seemed, why would the autumn wind mourn the painted fan..."

"If life were only as it first seemed..."

Jing Ge savored the verse, then burst into loud laughter from his rugged face, slapping Su Fan's small shoulder hard. "Little Master, you're so learned! That's brilliantly said... Hehe, if life were only as it first seemed, hehe, damn wonderful!"

Su Fan rubbed his shoulder, which was already red and swollen, and rolled his eyes at the guy.

Can't you be gentler?

I'm a Mortal, not so durable...

"If life were only as it first seemed, hehe, if life were only as it first seemed..."

Jing Ge seemed to treasure the line, muttering it over and over, afraid he might forget it.

After finishing everything, the two went to report to Prince Yin.

Prince Yin laughed heartily. "Qi Yuan, Qi Yuan, you never expected I'd kill all the people you placed around me!"

Saying that, he brought out a box containing ten gleaming gold bars.

"You two did well. Take this reward and split it."

Su Fan took it, thanked the family head, and without a second thought, split it fifty-fifty with Jing Ge on the spot.

Jing Ge was stunned, looking at Su Fan in surprise. "Little Master, without you, I couldn't have found the traitors. You deserve the most credit. I'm just a brute. You take eighty percent, I take twenty—that's more reasonable!"

Su Fan glanced at him. "Only with our cooperation did we succeed. Of course, we should split it fifty-fifty."

Prince Yin looked at the two with satisfaction and intervened, "You two needn't argue. Just split it evenly. I'm very pleased to see you, civil and martial, working together harmoniously. Remember this: after I die, you must assist my son in the same way. Then I will die without regrets..."

At this point, his face showed sorrow, his eyes burning with unwilling anger. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth. "Qi Yuan, you bastard! Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"

...

The Royal Palace.

"Atchoo!"

Qi Yuan, wearing a large-sleeved dragon robe and dozing on the throne, sneezed abruptly.

The eunuch attendant wiped him with a soft handkerchief. He leaned back on the throne and asked slowly, "Recently... has Qi Yin... made any moves?"

The attendant replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, the old servant just received intelligence that several of our spies placed in his manor have mysteriously disappeared. We don't know what happened."

"Disappeared?"

Qi Yuan narrowed his cold eyes, playing with a pair of mermaid pearls in his hands, and continued slowly, "Be sure to find out what's going on..."

"Yes, this old servant will investigate."

"No need to investigate," Qi Yuan immediately changed his mind. "You go directly with my decree to reduce the number of servants in the Earl's Manor by half again..."

Then he picked up a mermaid's eyeball and slowly tossed it into his mouth. With a hard bite, the thick green juice burst out!

After chewing a few times, Qi Yuan suddenly let out a chilling laugh. "Dare to kill my people?! Fourth Brother, how exactly do you want to play with me? I'm quite looking forward to it..."

His cold demeanor at that moment made even his closest attendant dare not approach.

A maritime official, holding a red ledger, entered the hall, knelt, and reported, "Your Majesty, according to the year-end statistics of the Maritime Office, since Your Majesty ascended the throne and issued the new edict and fishing ban, the mermaid pearls harvested from the East Sea have increased tenfold compared to last year. After selling them to inland neighboring countries, the total profit is 15,320,000 strings of cash, more than triple the national fiscal revenue of last year."

Hearing this report, Qi Yuan stood up and burst into wild laughter, looking around. "Listen, listen! Just the revenue from East Sea mermaid pearls alone is three times more than the entire fiscal revenue of last year under the late king!"

Then, looking toward the sky, he murmured, "Father, you looked down on me, but I've done better than you..."

"Issue a decree: this New Year, grant court officials and inner court staff triple year-end salaries!"

"Long live the King! Long live the King!"

...

...

"By the King's decree, reduce the number of servants in the Earl of Dongzi Manor by half. The decree is to be executed immediately!"

The palace eunuch stood arrogantly at the gate of the Earl's Manor, proclaiming the decree.

Prince Yin led a group of servants outside the gate to receive the royal decree. Upon receiving it, his eyes were full of anger, but he had no choice but to follow the decree and dismiss half of the servants.

Thus, the entire Earl's Manor was left with only 100 servants and 10 warriors, making the vast mansion seem empty.

Now, as the end of the year approached, snowflakes fell profusely.

The young boy stood quietly, gazing at the swirling snow, as if memories awakened from the depths.

"Cave... snow... canyon... white dragon..."

Those blurry images gradually became clear in his mind, like a mysterious painting.

However, when he tried to delve deeper into his memories, a sharp pain struck, as if tearing his head apart.

Only his sister Su Ying's face became clearer—the girl with a runny nose, her face transforming over and over before his eyes...

"Yingzi, it's New Year. Are you well?"

He whispered softly, his voice dissipating in the cold wind, carrying endless longing...