Chapter 713: Chapter 422: The New Emperor_3
He sneered and said, "In this regard, you are quite like Father Emperor."
King Chun paused in his action of cutting ingredients, but soon resumed as usual, his grip on the black iron kitchen knife as steady as a rock, slicing the jade mushrooms into thin slices like cicada wings.
King Gong continued, "For the Imperial Throne, what have you done? You’ve done nothing—only cooking. As for me, long ago, I started planning and plotting. Li Rui thought he was smart, placing assassins in Li Xuanjing’s mansion, so I sent people to infiltrate the Li Family and kill Li Xuanjing’s foolish son. Unfortunately, he managed to escape. You thought that attempt to assassinate Li Xuanjing’s family was by Li Rui? Fool! That was my handiwork. You pair of fools, when have you not been played by me at my whim? Tell me, do you think you deserve to be Emperor?"
King Chun’s expression remained calm, methodically placing the cut ingredients into the soup pot.
King Gong took a deep breath, his throat involuntarily moved as he praised, "This soup smells good. It’s truly a pity you aren’t a chef."
He slowly lifted his hand, saying, "Elder brother, don’t blame me. The struggle for the throne has always been this way..."
However, as soon as he lifted his hand halfway, King Chun pressed it down.
King Chun said, "If you have anything to say, say it outside. Don’t ruin my soup; it’s been simmering for a long time..."
King Gong’s face turned pale with shock. Even with his full cultivation of True Qi, he was unable to raise his arm.
Three Semi-Saints from the famous families were equally astonished.
"Semi-Saint?"
"King Chun too has hidden depths!"
"Which family’s Semi-Saint is this? How have we never seen him before!"
On King Gong’s face, the shock quickly turned to intense jealousy. He swiftly retreated behind the three people, saying, "So what if he’s a Semi-Saint? He’s alone. Are the three of you afraid of him?"
The three had long been tied to King Gong, so naturally, they had no other choice now.
Just as they all stepped forward, planning to quickly deal with King Chun, their bodies suddenly froze.
Three heads flew up, rolling several times on the ground.
The necks of the three famous family’s Semi-Saints were already empty; unknown blades had sliced their heads off smoothly, and the odd power sealed their blood within, ensuring it didn’t dirty the floor.
King Chun lightly kicked the three heads out.
The three headless bodies were also flicked by his foot out of the kitchen.
He stretched out his hand, gently patting the frozen King Gong on the shoulder, saying, "Don’t underestimate a cook..."
With a wave of his hand, three Semi-Saints had been slain, King Gong’s mental defenses were thoroughly shattered. His knees buckled as he knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he said, "Elder brother, please, don’t kill me..."
King Chun waved his hand and said, "I won’t kill you. You may go."
Outside the kitchen, the Xia Emperor watched the scene with satisfaction.
Indeed, he hadn’t misjudged. Although Li Chun possessed a merciful heart, which wasn’t suited for being Emperor, it was something the other Princes lacked, yet it was exactly what he wanted...
Unexpectedly, the son he had ignored and viewed as incompetent for forty years brought him the greatest surprise.
King Gong saw the Xia Emperor and crawled over, clutching his leg and tearfully pleaded, "Father Emperor, save me!"
The Xia Emperor glanced at him; in truth, Li Gong’s temperament was most like his own, making him most suitable to inherit the throne.
Consequently, he couldn’t possibly pass the throne to him.
He looked at King Chun, saying solemnly, "I have schemed my whole life with the aim that someday, everything the sun and moon shine upon and all that the rivers flow through would fall under the realm of Daxia—making the entire continent part of my Li Dynasty. Alas, I was deceived by that treacherous minister Li Xuanjing, and now merely by myself, I cannot achieve it..."
The Xia Emperor placed his hand on King Chun’s shoulder, saying, "I wish to pass this grave responsibility unto you."
King Chun shook his head and said, "Thank you, Father Emperor, but this life of mine only desires cooking soups, not being an Emperor."
The Xia Emperor felt a surge of delight and then asked, "Then, with Li Xuanjing having deceived us father and son in such a manner, do you not desire to avenge us personally?"
King Chun fell silent, and the Xia Emperor continued, "I know you have no interest in the throne, but I’m willing to give you an opportunity. After you exact your revenge, you can return the throne to me. How about that?"
Upon hearing this, King Gong was stunned for a moment before quickly clutching the Xia Emperor’s leg, saying urgently, "Father Emperor, if you pass the throne to me, I swear, whenever you wish, I will immediately return the throne to you..."
The Xia Emperor quickly waved his sleeve, causing King Gong to be flung to the side.
He understood himself, and thus he understood Li Gong; if the throne came into his hands, would he ever relinquish it? Plotting to harm brothers was already within his capability; when the time came, he’d likely kill him, his Father Emperor, without hesitation.
The more one desires the throne, the less it can be granted to them.
The less one wants the throne, the more suitable they are for it.
With another wave of his robe, a prepared decree for passing the throne floated mid-air.
With yet another wave, the Jade Seal also flew out from his sleeve.
The Jade Seal flew above the decree and slowly descended.
An intense, dazzling golden light burst forth from the decree.
King Gong, leaning against the corner, finally felt his spine bend down in futility upon witnessing this scene.
Henceforth, he would be thoroughly cut off from the throne.
As the light from the decree grew ever stronger, within the Xia Emperor, a power of utmost strength gradually began to peel away.
Yet from within King Chun, an incomparable aura emanated.
Even Peak Half-Saints would feel doomsday dawn before them under this aura.
While this aura resided within the Xia Emperor, though powerful, it carried a sense of decay.
However, in King Chun, this aura brimmed with majesty and vitality.
At that same time, all of Chang’an felt this heart-stopping power.
At the Li Mansion, the Left and Right Prime Ministers simultaneously lifted their heads.
The Right Prime Minister, his expression solemn, said, "The Emperor has passed the throne..."
With the national fate upon the Emperor, he won’t last long, but if he passes the throne to another Prince, for at least the next thirty years, time won’t be able to affect the new Emperor at all, making matters increasingly tricky...
Inside King Chun Mansion.
Once bereft of that great power, only then did the Xia Emperor feel the abundant life force of this body; with his Martial Path Half-Saint cultivation, originally he could easily live past three Jiazi, but eroded by the nation’s fate, his life span was only about ten years left...
But if only the new Emperor could unify the continent and then pass the throne back to him, he would regain unparalleled strength and endless life span!
He looked at King Chun and said, "Qi Country and Chu Country are already no threat. Despite the School of Cross and Vertical being treacherous and sly, under the current circumstances, they have no choice but to support Daxia. Once you annex Zhao Country and unify the world, ascending to the Seventh Realm will be within reach!"
The Xia Emperor eagerly said, "By then, you can return the throne to Father Emperor and go pursue whatever you wish. Every recipe in the world, Father Emperor will find for you..."
"I won’t return it."
Before the Xia Emperor finished his sentence, his smile froze on his face.
He laboriously looked at King Chun, unable to believe, "What, what did you say?"
"I won’t return it."
King Chun spoke again, walking to the stove where the soup was simmering, gently removing the lid of the soup pot, allowing steam with its rich aroma to overflow.
He picked up the soup ladle beside him, carefully skimmed the foam from the soup, tasted it, and smiled, "Not bad."
The Xia Emperor stared intently at King Chun, pale-faced, his body trembled a little, then staggered backward, knocking over the wooden rack holding precious ingredients.
The steam from the soup pot blurred King Chun’s face, and at this moment, the Xia Emperor suddenly realized that he didn’t understand at all, not even a bit, this son whom he hadn’t taken a proper look at for decades.
With the soup ladled into the insulated soup bowl, King Chun inhaled the aroma deeply and said, "Perfectly timed, it’s time to take this to Xuanjing..."
[PS: Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!]
