20: Third Prince

The remaining dozens of people were so scared that they scattered and fled.

You shouted to stop your subordinates who wanted to pursue: "Stop chasing! Burning the grain is more important!"

Everyone quickly lit the fires, and over a hundred carts of grain and fodder instantly burst into a raging inferno, illuminating the entire mountain road.

After picking up the waist token from the Grandmaster's corpse, you quickly led your team to withdraw.

On the way, you finally realized: You just killed a Grandmaster?

This was too easy, right? Whenever you sparred with Jin Lili and the others at the Martial Arts Academy, weren't you always drenched in sweat?

Not to mention fighting the Martial Arts Champion Zhang Rui; you couldn't beat him at all.

As you thought about it, you suddenly realized—

So, Grandmasters also have different ranks.

Those who come out of the Martial Arts Academy are all the elite of the elite.

If that's the case, wouldn't you be able to crush ninety percent of Grandmasters outside?

After returning to the military camp, you reported your war achievements truthfully.

The person in charge of the review was General Kuang Tianyou—this person graduated from the Martial Arts Academy in the same year you entered; he is a Senior from the Martial Arts Academy.

In the Zhenxi Army, official ranks from low to high are: Centurion, Chiliarch, Deputy General, General, and at the very top is the Marshal.

Kuang Tianyou flipped through your battle report and suddenly slapped the table, standing up: "How bold! You dare to falsely claim military merit?"

You were prepared and took out the evidence—the Grandmaster's identity waist token.

Who would have thought that Kuang Tianyou wouldn't even look at it and threw the waist token directly to the Chiliarch Wu Bin—this was Marquis Wu's own nephew!

"This is clearly Chiliarch Wu's merit!" Kuang Tianyou sneered, "Someone, give him one hundred heavy strokes according to military law!"

Jin Lili hurriedly pleaded: "General Kuang, considering our shared ties at the academy..."

"Yes," Song Zhanpeng also chimed in, "please deal with it lightly."

"How about..." Zhang Rui suddenly interjected: "Let's just give him thirty strokes?"

"This is a Genius," Wu Bin looked at you with contempt, "our Zhenxi Army cannot accommodate such a big Buddha; it's better to expel him from the Zhenxi Army."

You just smiled.

You only blamed yourself for having inferior strength and background; this time you had to swallow your pride.

In the end, you were expelled from the Zhenxi Army.

As you were leaving, you heard ear-piercing laughter erupt from the tent behind you—

"Hahaha, is this that number one Genius?"

"A piece of trash who couldn't even get the Martial Arts Champion title!"

"The Dean has long disliked him!"

You clenched your fists tightly, your nails digging into your flesh.

You knew clearly in your heart—

Wu Bin is from the Marquis's estate, and Kuang Tianyou and Zhang Rui are taking sides.

Who else would dare to offend Marquis Wu?

If you have to blame someone, blame yourself; after the Dukes Residence fell, the Marquis's estate took over the Zhenxi Army.

As a "Genius" with no background and no strength, you deserved to be ostracized.

You remembered this humiliation.

You hope your real-life self can see this and vent your frustration for you in the future!

Watching the simulated Qin Chen yawning, he barely managed to perk up.

"Don't worry, I've got it all recorded; I'll help you take revenge later."

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyelids couldn't hold up anymore, his head tilted to the side, and he fell straight asleep.

The fifteenth year,

Since leaving the Zhenxi Army, you returned to the Imperial Capital, bought a house, and began to live a secluded life.

For over a year, you seemed to have evaporated from the world.

Even Jin Lili and Song Zhanpeng, who you used to be closest to, didn't contact you again.

You were happy with the peace and quiet, cultivating every day and occasionally taking some bounties from the Vermilion Bird Tower to earn extra money.

One day, you felt really bored, so you came to Wangyue Tower.

Not long after you sat down, a gorgeously dressed Young Master walked in with two guards.

The attendant shouted at the top of his lungs: "Where the hell is the manager? Get out here immediately!"

You are a regular at Wangyue Tower and know that the manager is named Lou Yang.

However, the true backer of Wangyue Tower is the Grand Secretary.

Daring to cause trouble here? Are they tired of living?

But the next scene made your jaw drop—

As soon as Manager Lou saw that Young Master, he immediately bowed and scraped: "So it is Young Lord Wu who has graced us with his presence. What are your orders?"

Young Lord Wu casually threw out a tael of silver: "From today on, this Wangyue Tower belongs to me."

Lou Yang stared at the silver on the floor, his face turning green.

This is clearly a blatant robbery!

"Young Lord, this matter is not something I can decide..."

"Less nonsense!" Young Lord Wu waved his hand impatiently, "Go tell your master."

Lou Yang could only grit his teeth and go report the news.

You waited for a long time in a private room on the second floor, but the Grand Secretary's people never came.

It seems that even the Grand Secretary is unwilling to offend the Marquis's estate.

Ever since Marquis Wu replaced the Duke, the Marquis's estate has become increasingly arrogant. This Young Lord Wu is even more ruthless than Fang Chen—forcibly seizing private residences, killing people in the streets, bullying men and women...

In private, everyone calls him the "Number One Villain of the Imperial Capital."

But strangely, even the Emperor turns a blind eye.

You also learned not to meddle in other people's business—mainly because this is beyond your capabilities.

The sixteenth year, your mother wrote you a letter—Qin Yu had gone missing.

The seventeenth year, you heard a bombshell piece of news at the Vermilion Bird Tower—the Chief Imperial Physician of the Imperial Hospital, "Medicine Bodhisattva," had been assassinated.

The eighteenth year, Young Lord Wu proposed marriage to Cheng Rongrong and was rejected; the Marquis's estate actually colluded with the Martial Alliance to frame the Grand Secretary, leading to the Grand Secretary's home being raided and his family wiped out. Cheng Tianrui went missing, and Cheng Rongrong was forced to commit suicide.

The nineteenth year, a sudden coup occurred in the Imperial Palace; the Emperor's whereabouts were unknown, and the Third Prince ascended the throne.

These major events that should have happened were all advanced!

You thought about it carefully and understood—the Marquis's estate acts much more ruthlessly than the Dukes Residence did back then, completely disregarding the consequences.

Feeling frustrated, you went to the Vermilion Bird Tower to have tea with the Tower Master, Ye Wuhen.

Over the years, you have often taken missions at the Vermilion Bird Tower, and combined with your status as a Grandmaster, Ye Wuhen has always wanted to recruit you into the Vermilion Bird Tower.

"Old Qin, the Imperial Capital has changed; have you considered joining the Vermilion Bird Tower yet?" Ye Wuhen poured you tea.

"I'm just a second-rate Grandmaster; you're giving me too much credit, Little Ye." You teased Ye Wuhen, who is about ten years older than you.

"If you, the former number one Genius, are second-rate, then all the Grandmasters in the world are good-for-nothings."

"Just empty fame from my youth."

"By the way, I have some interesting news; want to hear it?"

"Tell me! Tell me! I love gossip the most!" You perked up.

"One bottle of true qi pellet per piece of news, how about it?"

"That depends on whether it's worth it!"

Ye Wuhen lowered his voice: "The Martial Arts Champion from your year, Zhang Rui, is actually the Third Prince, Xiao Rui."

The teacup in your hand dropped to the floor with a "clatter."

No wonder Zhang Rui wanted to pull you into the Zhenxi Army back then!

No wonder the Marquis's estate would help the Third Prince seize the throne!

So it turns out the Third Prince was pushing all of this from behind the scenes!

"The Marquis's estate has made the Imperial Capital a mess these years, but it's actually to eliminate dissidents," Ye Wuhen continued.

You suddenly realized: "This is testing obedience! Those who don't resist are co-opted, and those who resist are eliminated."

"Correct," Ye Wuhen nodded, "It both eliminates opponents and reorganizes forces; killing two birds with one stone."

You looked towards the Imperial Palace and couldn't help but sigh.

Who could have thought that Zhang Rui would suddenly transform into the Emperor!

You suddenly thought of the key point: "Didn't the Imperial Family's Great Grandmaster handle this?"

"Haha," Ye Wuhen laughed, "Have you forgotten who the Dean of the Martial Arts Academy is?"

"Xiao Tianci?" You were stunned.

"Exactly! With that old immortal around, the Xiao Family's reign is as stable as Mount Tai." Ye Wuhen sipped his tea.