Chapter 2267: Chapter 2267: Powerless
The Fourth Prince was being besieged and beaten by a large group of Imperial Experts, fighting all the way from the Imperial Palace gate into the depths of the palace.
Long Rui and Xuexue were sitting sideways on a big tree in the Imperial Garden, leisurely watching the show...
"Prince, we lured them into the Imperial Palace, and we’re just sitting here watching the fun. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?" Xuexue’s bare feet swung back and forth on the tree branch; she couldn’t have looked more comfortable.
Down in the Imperial Garden, the Fourth Prince was fighting the Imperial Guards to the death, exhausted and half-dead, and was anything but comfortable.
Originally, as long as the Fourth Prince admitted his identity, the Imperial Experts and Imperial Guards wouldn’t have dared to really do anything to him. But the Fourth Prince had ghosts in his heart; with the way he looked now, he couldn’t show his face, so he didn’t dare admit who he was at all. Several times he tried to find a chance to escape, but was blocked by the Imperial Experts. Anxious and furious, he was terrified that his imperial father would see him in his current state.
Long Rui and Xuexue didn’t expose the Fourth Prince either.
They weren’t stupid. If they exposed him now, there’d be no show to watch.
After all, whatever else he was, the Fourth Prince was still the Emperor’s son. If the Imperial Guards and Imperial Experts knew, they definitely wouldn’t dare lay a hand on him, right?
Rather than that, it was better not to tell them, just let them fight each other to the bitter end. Once one side was beaten half-crippled, then they’d bid farewell.
This move of theirs was called "watching tigers fight from across the mountain ridge"—hurting others while benefiting themselves. Why not enjoy it?
Long Rui watched Xuexue in amusement, noticed a stray lock of hair hanging over her face, and reached out to tuck it gently behind her ear. He said softly, "That’s what the Emperor deserves. As the Fourth Prince’s own father, he didn’t teach him properly and let the commoners suffer miserably. It’s about time he got a taste of what that feels like."
Xuexue was just about to say something when her eyes suddenly flashed. She saw, not far away, a large group of people approaching, lanterns in hand, heading in their direction.
Xuexue: "Prince, look, someone’s coming."
Long Rui: "So late at night—who is it?"
"Looks like the Emperor." Under the dim lantern light, Xuexue saw that the person walking in front was dressed in bright yellow.
In this dynasty, only the Emperor was allowed to wear yellow robes. If anyone else was found wearing them, there was no excuse that could save them; they’d be dealt with as a rebel on the spot, straight to the chopping block.
Normal people wouldn’t dare wear yellow clothes—unless they were tired of living.
So Xuexue instantly recognized that it was the Emperor.
Just as the Emperor was about to arrive at the Imperial Garden, Long Rui, sitting up in the tree, suddenly shouted, "Fourth Prince, the Emperor is here! Aren’t you going to surrender already?"
The Fourth Prince, already struggling under the siege of so many experts, was a bit overwhelmed. Caught off guard by Long Rui’s shout, his hand trembled in fright, and a Hidden Guard seized the opening to thrust a sword clean through his thigh...
"Ah...!"
"Courting death."
The Fourth Prince was enraged. His whole robe suddenly billowed though there was no wind, his eyes turned even darker and redder, and his ten fingernails abruptly lengthened. Five talons curled into hooks as he gathered his strength and viciously slashed at the Hidden Guard who had stabbed him...
The Fourth Prince’s sudden burst of power was terrifying. The Hidden Guard was caught completely off guard; his chest was gouged open, and blood gushed out in a rush. Before he could even figure out what had happened, his whole body collapsed to the ground, breath gone.
The Fourth Prince’s sudden move shocked everyone else; they all scrambled back several steps.
At that moment, they again heard Long Rui’s icy voice from the tree: "Fourth Prince, your Evil Cultivation has gotten stronger and stronger. You must have killed quite a few people to reach this level, right?"
