Chapter 414: A Complete Mess (Fifth Update)

Rong Jin was stunned.

"Wha-what?!"

He understood every single word Elder Ye said, but when they were strung together, why couldn't he make sense of them?

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jiawen's gaze also grew heavy.

"So, Elder Ye has noticed it as well..."

Elder Ye gave a helpless laugh and waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand.

"Even if I hadn't guessed it before, seeing the situation just now, how could I not know now!"

Emperor Jiawen closed his eyes.

No wonder...

If this was the answer, then everything that had happened previously had a logical explanation.

Listening to the exchange between the two men from the side, Rong Jin was completely lost, growing more and more panicked the more he listened.

"Imperial Father? Elder Ye? What do you mean by this?! The Chosen One... isn't it your son?! How could there be another one inside?! That person must be a fake! I am the true Chosen One!"

Slap!

Emperor Jiawen stepped forward and delivered a fierce slap to Rong Jin's face!

The blow was so heavy that it sent Rong Jin tumbling directly to the ground!

A thick, metallic taste of blood surged between Rong Jin's teeth; half of his face went numb, and his ears rang incessantly.

His mouth moved stiffly as he spat out a mouthful of blood, which contained a broken tooth.

Rong Jin's eyes were filled with disbelief.

His Imperial Father had always taken pride in him and valued him immensely; let alone striking him, even reprimanding him was rare!

Now that he had been struck so hard that he lost a tooth, how could he possibly accept this?!

In an instant, everything he had endured over the past few months flashed through his mind.

Being demoted, having his power stripped, being placed under house arrest...

He had even nearly lost his position as the Crown Prince.

What on earth was happening?

Wasn't everything fine before? Why had it turned into this, step by step?!

"Rong Jin! You've gone mad!"

Emperor Jiawen's emotions finally spiraled out of control. He pointed at Rong Jin's nose and cursed angrily.

"What do you think you are?! The Chosen One? How could the Chosen One be so incompetent and filthy! You are nothing but a waste! In the past, I must have truly been blind to appoint you as Crown Prince!"

Too many things had happened this day; Emperor Jiawen's nerves had been stretched to the limit. Until this moment, seeing Rong Jin's undisciplined and arrogant manner, the final string finally snapped!

Being cursed out so mercilessly, Rong Jin was completely dazed.

In his panic and helplessness, his words began to lose all logic.

"Imperial Father, on what basis can you conclude that I am a fake?! I know, you simply look down on me! But, the Empress Dowager told me this herself! Mother would never lie to me! The Chosen One must be me, it can only be me!"

Elder Ye frowned as he watched Rong Jin's near-manic state.

Before he could speak, Emperor Jiawen suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Ridiculous! Just because your mother told you, it must be true?! Rong Jin, just how brainless must you be to say such things?!"

Rong Jin gritted his teeth and said, "At worst, we can go confront Mother, we can—"

"Confront her?" Emperor Jiawen's expression suddenly turned frigid. "You probably don't know yet, but your mother is already dead."

The words were spoken lightly, yet they were like countless sharp blades stabbing into Rong Jin's body!

His body trembled slightly, and the blood in his chest and abdomen surged. He finally couldn't hold it back and spat out another mouthful of blood, collapsing despondently to the ground.

"No... impossible..."

Mother had only told him that secret today; how could she be dead?!

"It seems that before she died, she spared no effort to make arrangements for you. Unfortunately—you are still just useless mud that cannot stick to a wall!"

But Emperor Jiawen finally understood the Empress's series of actions.

From beginning to end, she had done it all for Rong Jin!

"The Chosen One? Heh! It seems you still haven't recognized your current identity!"

The true Chosen One, as Elder Ye had said, was predestined.

Rong Jin actually still naively believed that person was him?!

Even if he had harbored illusions before, now that he had reached this point, he should have woken up completely!

"Who is it... if it isn't me... then who is the Chosen One?"

Rong Jin murmured in a hoarse voice, his eyes filled with despair.

He thought this was a great opportunity to turn his life around, but he never expected... it was nothing more than a dream.

And it had been ruthlessly shattered just as it was beginning.

Emperor Jiawen's face was dark, and he remained silent for a long while.

In truth, he wanted to know the answer even more than Rong Jin did!

But with their current strength, how could they possibly enter?!

"Your Majesty, let us wait until we are out of here to discuss the details! Every move we make here can likely be seen by that person," Elder Ye advised in a low voice.

Emperor Jiawen rubbed his face vigorously.

"Fine! Let us leave first!"

Elder Ye nodded, then looked toward a certain spot in the darkness, his lips curling into a mirthless smile.

"You two have been watching for quite a while; surely you are willing to come out now?"

***

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Liuyue finally saw a light appearing before her eyes.

Her heart leaped with joy, knowing that it was the exit!

She quickened her pace to move forward, and the flying disc following behind her immediately caught up.

Mu Qinghe had been tossed around quite violently, but fortunately, he had not woken up.

Just like that, the two finally crossed the exit and stepped completely out of the Imperial Mausoleum!

The sky ahead was bright!

Chu Liuyue looked back and realized they had indeed left Sijin Peak and arrived in the mountain forest beside it.

And what had sent them out just now... was also a teleportation array.

However, that array was extremely inconspicuous; one wouldn't notice it at all without looking closely.

*Clatter.*

The net on the flying disc suddenly loosened, and Mu Qinghe fell to the ground again.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chu Liuyue saw his eyeballs seem to move.

Mu Qinghe was about to wake up!

(End of Chapter)