The Traitor

Translator: CinderTL

Xu Sanyan was completely unaware of the events that had transpired in the Cui Family. As soon as he returned home, he immediately took the precious medicine to his room and instructed everyone not to disturb him.

As each piece of precious medicine was consumed, the characters on his status panel began to change.

[Xu Sanyan]

[Age – 18/180]

[Realm – Celestial Being Realm (Initial Stage)]

[Cultivation Method – "Supreme Truth and Absolute Stillness Sutra" (Mid Stage)]

[Mystical Arts – "Blood Demon Corpse Refining Method" (Not Yet Mastered)]

[Techniques – Perfect Circle Stance (Peak Stage). Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Peak Stage). Horse Appraisal Technique (Peak Stage). Excavator Maintenance & Repair (Initial Stage)...]

[Vitality – 30]

He had already accumulated thirty points of "Vitality," but the plus sign indicating a breakthrough in his realm still hadn't appeared. However, he estimated that it shouldn't be far off.

Half an hour later, Xu Sanyan pushed open the door and stepped out. A servant had been waiting outside for quite some time and hurried forward upon seeing him. "Master, someone from the Prince's residence has been waiting for you for a while now."

"Mm."

Xu Sanyan arrived at the main hall and saw a richly dressed woman sitting in a chair, quietly observing him. Two men who appeared to be guards stood behind her.

The noblewoman, seeing Xu Sanyan's handsome and dignified appearance, was quite satisfied and revealed a slight smile at the corner of her mouth.

"You must be Xu Sanyan. I am Qiyuan's mother. I apologize for the sudden visit, but I hope you won't mind," the Consort said with a smile.

Xu Sanyan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Consort."

So this was his future mother-in-law?

Not bad. She had a voluptuous figure and a dignified appearance, somewhat similar in demeanor to Madam Wu, the wife of the village chief, but with less worldly shrewdness and more noble grace.

"Hehe, I happened to have some free time and couldn't suppress my curiosity, so I came to meet you. Truly, you live up to the Prince's high praise. You are indeed a young hero."

The Consort, like any mother-in-law, found herself growing fonder of her future son-in-law the more she looked at him. Moreover, Xu Sanyan's appearance was truly impeccable.

After chatting for a while, the Consort sighed and said, "I suppose you've heard that Qiyuan's situation is rather complicated. It's a bit of a grievance for you. If you have any requests, don't hesitate to bring them up—I'll do my best to accommodate them."

Her tone was sincere.

Xu Sanyan shook his head with a smile. "You are too kind, Consort. I've heard that Miss Qiyuan is knowledgeable and kind-hearted. As for her appearance, I truly don't mind."

Xu Sanyan spoke from the heart. He genuinely didn't care about Yang Qiyuan's appearance. Of course, he didn't care about her inner qualities either.

Even if she were uglier than Big Yellow Tooth, he could still accept her. He could just cover her face and make do.

If it really became unbearable, he wouldn't force himself. They could simply live separately.

The Consort smiled. "That's very good."

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Sanyan asked, "May I ask, Consort, I've heard that the Prince has several cultivators under his command. Why haven't I seen them?"

The Consort's expression became slightly unnatural. "Those three Celestial Beings—two of them have accompanied Xinyou to the front lines to resist the imperial army. The other one, a female cultivator, remains in the Prince's residence, discussing the Dao with the Prince day and night."

Xu Sanyan nodded. So that was the case. The "Xinyou" the Consort mentioned was the Third Young Master.

"After I marry Qiyuan, may I ask what arrangements the Prince has in store for me?"

Prince Rui wouldn't allow a Celestial Realm warrior like him to remain idle at home. He would surely have some plans for him.

The Consort shook her head. "I don't know. Most likely, you'll be sent to the military. I've heard that the situation on the front lines is not looking good. The battle is becoming increasingly intense, and the Prince is considering personally going to the front to take command."

Xu Sanyan nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that after the wedding, he would have something to do.

The Consort's visit was simply to meet her future son-in-law. Now that she had seen him, she didn't stay much longer. Xu Sanyan saw her off.

Watching the Consort's plump buttocks sway as she stepped into the sedan chair, he couldn't help but think of Madam Wu, the bandit chief's wife. He wondered if she felt lonely after he left.

...

In the dimly lit dungeon beneath the residence of the Eldest Prince.

Yang Xinyi sat on a wooden chair, using a naked, insane woman as a footstool.

Yang Xinyu stood respectfully in front of him, his head bowed, not daring to look around.

He recognized the insane woman. She was a concubine the Eldest Prince had taken in recently. She had said something wrong, displeasing the Eldest Prince, and had ended up in this state.

"How is the situation on the front lines?" the Eldest Prince suddenly asked.

Yang Xinyu immediately replied, "General Feng has sent a letter. The Silver Mountain Pass is now in a precarious situation and may not hold for much longer."

The Silver Mountain Pass was one of the most important fortresses protecting Xiang Prefecture. It was easy to defend but difficult to attack. It was guarded by General Liu Zhenwu, a Celestial Realm warrior under Prince Rui.

If this pass were lost, the imperial army could advance unimpeded for a hundred miles, reaching the important Heavenly Sun City in Xiang Prefecture.

"Hehe, not bad. That old man must be getting restless."

The Eldest Prince chuckled softly as he stroked the woman's disheveled hair. The woman truly seemed like a dog, even licking his palm with her tongue.

Yang Xinyu remained silent. Prince Rui would never have imagined that the traitor was the Eldest Prince, his own chosen successor!

The defense layout and troop information of the Silver Mountain Pass had all been leaked to the imperial court by the Eldest Prince. His goal was to lure Prince Rui to the front lines, where he would then cooperate with the imperial court to trap and kill Prince Rui in Heavenly Sun City.

Yang Xinyu didn't understand why his elder brother would do such a thing. They were all in the same boat. If Prince Rui died, they would also find it difficult to survive. This wasn't the way to usurp the throne.

But since he couldn't figure it out, he stopped thinking about it. In any case, whether Prince Rui or the Eldest Prince died, it would be a good thing for him.

The Eldest Prince stood up and walked over to a human stump hanging on the wall. He casually inserted an iron needle into the stump's acupoints and said, "Qiyuan and Xu Sanyan are getting married. What do you think I should give them as a gift?"

The human stump couldn't speak. The intense pain stimulated him, causing him to writhe wildly in an attempt to escape the agony, but it was futile.

Yang Xinyu glanced over and felt a shiver run through him. He pursed his lips and said hoarsely, "Perhaps... some jewelry?"

"No, no... jewelry is too vulgar."

The Eldest Prince shook his head repeatedly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I have something special to give them. They will definitely like it!"

Yang Xinyu wisely didn't ask further.

The Eldest Prince walked to the first cell and pointed at the girl inside. He said to Yang Xinyu, "Go and pluck out her eyes. Tell the kitchen to prepare a new dish for tonight."

"Yes."

Yang Xinyu instinctively clenched his fist, then quickly relaxed it, afraid that the Eldest Prince would notice anything unusual.

The girl locked in this cell was Wang Chengming's daughter, the one who hadn't even reached her coming-of-age ceremony. She was also the one he had personally brought here.

Yang Xinyu felt that his own mindset was changing. He seemed to be... becoming more and more like the Eldest Prince.

Moments later,

A piercing scream echoed from the cell, accompanied by the Eldest Prince's maniacal laughter, turning the place into a living hell.

Yang Xinyu held a pair of bloodied eyeballs in his hand, his body trembling uncontrollably. The girl had passed out from the unbearable pain.

"Let's go."

The Eldest Prince stepped onto the stairs and waved his sleeve. The dungeon door opened by itself, and a ray of sunlight shone in, falling on the insane woman's face.

Yang Xinyu instinctively turned to look. At this moment, the insane woman knelt on the ground, her eyes no longer filled with chaos but with a longing for the outside world.

She... didn't seem to be insane?

Yang Xinyu sighed deeply in his heart. In a place like this, perhaps it was better to be insane than to remain sane.

(End of the Chapter)

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