Chapter 123

Chapter 123

The assassin instinctively wanted to flee, but his body was too weak to move from the ground.

He considered biting the poison capsule hidden in his mouth to avoid falling into the enemy's hands and revealing information harmful to his master.

The assassin reacted swiftly, with just a slight movement of his mouth.

Biting the poison capsule would kill him instantly.

But Su Yi did not give him this chance. She quickly dislocated his jaw and said with a touch of helplessness, "Don't be in such a hurry to die."

The small wooden token was originally just a precaution.

Kangxi hadn't ordered an evacuation before the earthquake.

Even if an earthquake struck, it would ensure the little milk dragon's safety.

Kangxi didn't need it; his long lifespan and status as emperor meant he was protected by divine providence. Even in calamity, he could turn peril into safety.

But the little milk dragon was vulnerable. Until he became a true king, anything could happen.

Now, someone had targeted the little milk dragon.

Why attempt the assassination during the earthquake, aiming to kill the little milk dragon in the chaos?

How could this be a coincidence?

Even if it were a coincidence, the assassin would have been too busy escaping the earthquake to care about the crown prince. Why would he stay to confirm the palace's collapse and the crown prince's death before leaving?

Moreover, he wasn't surprised by the earthquake.

With his jaw dislocated, the assassin looked resigned.

Su Yi wanted to see if he could keep that expression as she slowly crushed his bones.

Su Yi didn't wait for him to speak. She reached out, her hand hovering above his head, her voice still gentle.

But her words betrayed her irritation, "Let's see who dares to interfere with my plans."

The assassin, initially defiant, wondered what she could do to him now.

But as her delicate, smooth hands rested on his head, he was confused.

Had she run out of tricks?

Suddenly, excruciating pain wracked his head, so intense he wanted to clutch it and roll on the ground.

The pain felt like a knife stabbing his brain, mercilessly stirring it.

He couldn't focus, his face twisted in agony.

With his jaw dislocated, he couldn't even scream, only emitting broken, hoarse cries from his throat, sweat pouring down his face.

Su Yi smiled gently, comforting him, "Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

But the assassin could no longer hear her words.

The agony he felt was beyond anything he'd ever experienced in pain training.

It was like being flayed alive.

How the hell did she make him hurt so bad without laying a finger on him?

She's a damn monster!

She didn't give a damn about his life story; she only needed to find the most recent memories to see if she could uncover the mastermind behind it all.

Whether the assassin could handle this mental torture wasn't her concern.

Su Yi raised an eyebrow, a hint of disdain in her eyes.

All she could make out was a vague silhouette—no clear front view, and the side profile was masked.

Seriously, he didn’t even get a good look at his boss?

Always staring at the ground—what the hell was he expecting to see?

Su Yi pulled her hand back, unimpressed.

"You’re worthless now."

Her words, soft but cutting, hit him as the searing pain in his chest flared up.

Blood gushed from his mouth as he was hurled like a missile toward the collapsing palace.

Su Yi was quicker. She darted into the crumbling palace and came out clutching a small figure.

Her exit timed perfectly with the assassin’s crash.

The assassin slammed into the fragile palace at breakneck speed.

The palace couldn’t take the hit—it crumbled with a deafening crash, burying the assassin in the wreckage.

Su Yi, cradling the little milk dragon, walked away without so much as a glance back.

It all went down so fast, the little milk dragon was left stunned!

Consort Rong popped up out of nowhere.

At first, he couldn’t make her out, but the moment he felt her familiar arms, he knew it was her.

The fear and panic melted away, replaced by a sparkle in his eyes and a deep sense of safety.

He stayed quiet, not wanting to mess things up, and just held onto Consort Rong’s neck for dear life.

Su Yi bolted with him, not stopping until they hit a safe, open spot.

By then, the quake had stopped, and the ground was still again.

For now, they were safe.

Su Yi looked down at the little milk dragon, who hadn’t made a peep, and finally took a moment to soothe him.

"Did you get hurt back there?"

The little milk dragon, as if he had found a safe haven, finally burst into tears with a loud cry, tightly hugging Su Yi's neck, "Consort Su Yi!" He sobbed intermittently, his nose red, looking very pitiful.

He was naturally delicate and adorable, crying like a little puppy, both pitiful and heart-wrenching.

He was genuinely terrified.

"There, there," Su Yi hugged him gently, soothing, "Don't cry, are you hurt?"

As she spoke, she pulled out her handkerchief, fortunately she had it with her, otherwise she would have had to use the little milk dragon's sleeve to wipe.

The little one was clearly scared, Su Yi comforted him softly, then checked him over to see where he was hurt.

Meanwhile, the little milk dragon, like a bullied child returning to a trusted guardian, immediately started telling Su Yi what had just happened, where he had fallen, and how much it hurt, showing Su Yi the spots where he had been hurt.

The pain was real when he fell, but it had subsided. Yet, he just wanted someone to comfort him.

Children's skin is tender, and bruises form easily from minor bumps; in just a short while, several bruises had appeared.

Su Yi checked his limbs—good, no fractures or dislocations, just superficial wounds that would heal in a few days.

But she still said with a pained expression, "Our little one has really suffered," then blew on the injured spots.

The pot-lid head, a nickname for the cat, squatted on Su Yi's other shoulder, looking at the little human nestled in Su Yi's arms, clearly unhappy and a bit jealous, his eyes showing disdain.

"What's up with this little one, why is he such a crybaby? Even the favorite human hasn't comforted him like this!"

Really irritating, making the cat envious.

But the pot-lid head didn't dare to make a fuss, because this little one was clearly not as easy to bully as the previous annoying human.

The favorite human would surely side with this little one.

Hmph!

——

Though the earthquake had ceased, many palace buildings were heavily damaged, and some had even completely collapsed.

But since everyone had evacuated in time, no one was injured, at most they were just frightened.

The danger had passed, but the crown prince's kidnapping by assassins was a dire situation, leaving no time for thoughts of survival.

If the crown prince came to harm, even surviving the earthquake wouldn't save their heads.

Both the crown prince and Consort Rong had vanished. At this time, naturally the crown prince was more important; they should have prioritized finding the crown prince over Consort Rong.

But they still dispatched teams to search for both the crown prince and Consort Rong.

Those tasked with finding the crown prince were deeply troubled.

The crown prince had encountered assassins, all the guards and Shadow Guards protecting him were dead. It was clear that in the enemy's hands, he was in grave danger.

If they had immediately sent more people to search after knowing the crown prince was missing, they might have been able to intercept, but the fatal thing was, before they could send more people to look, the earthquake happened.

Now they couldn't even begin the search.

And when the earthquake happened, it was obvious that those who kidnapped the crown prince wouldn't protect him.

When the earthquake struck, they were too busy saving themselves, how could they protect the crown prince? They probably wished the prince would die in the earthquake.

Just the thought of this possibility left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

If the Crown Prince couldn’t be found, they had no idea how to face the Emperor’s fury.

Despite this, they had to stay alert and search meticulously, each wearing a grave expression, the atmosphere thick with tension.

At this point, even the slightest sound would put them on edge.

Suddenly, someone heard a faint noise and immediately drew their sword, tense and ready. The others followed suit, their swords drawn in unison, each poised for battle, their grips tightening on their sword hilts.

They had to be ready to react swiftly in case of a sudden enemy attack.

When the figure emerged, everyone couldn’t help but beam with relief. “It’s the Crown Prince!”

The little milk dragon’s eyes were red, as though he’d been crying, but aside from his slightly dirtied clothes, he appeared unharmed.

Seeing the Crown Prince safe and sound, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief; their heads were spared.

Immediately, a leader stepped forward and knelt. “Greetings, Your Highness. Are you unharmed?”

By then, the little milk dragon had already been soothed.

Recognizing their attire and confirming they were here for him, he remembered to maintain the dignified demeanor of a Crown Prince, as his father had taught him. “Yes, I am unharmed.”

Though the little milk dragon was still young, children often idolize their fathers and unconsciously mimic them, so at that moment, he was mimicking his father’s usual demeanor and actions.

Despite his youth, his face bore a resemblance to Kangxi’s, and his imitation at that moment was strikingly reminiscent of him.

Though still childlike, this display left everyone inwardly marveling. Truly, he was the Crown Prince most valued by the Emperor.

It’s worth noting that the Crown Prince was only five years old—still a child. First kidnapped by assassins, then caught in an earthquake, it would’ve been natural for him to appear before them seemingly unharmed but terrified and crying.

But he didn’t.

This was truly surprising.

But now wasn’t the time for questions; they had to take the Crown Prince back to report immediately.

After all, those assassins in the palace might not have left yet, and they could suddenly attack, catching them off guard.

It was better to take the Crown Prince back immediately to avoid any further complications.

Due to the Crown Prince’s demeanor, the leader dared not directly pick him up, but only after receiving the Crown Prince’s permission did the leader carry him.

After being picked up, the little milk dragon did not move around, nor did he reach out to wrap his arms around the leader’s neck and lean on his shoulder, despite being tired.

He glanced in a certain direction, then quickly lowered his eyelids, pursing his lips, looking somewhat dejected.

——

Those assassins were naturally more skilled than the average guards, and their moves were deadly, well-trained, and coordinated, making the guards no match for them.

If the Shadow Guards had joined, it would have been a tough battle.

But with the master personally taking action, the Shadow Guards had no chance to fight back. The plan went smoothly, leaving no survivors to prevent anyone from reporting back.

By the time they realized something was wrong and called for people to check, it was already too late.

They only suffered minor injuries and took advantage of the earthquake to withdraw without any hindrance.

The person tasked with taking the Crown Prince away was nowhere to be found, and never returned to report.

That person had the best qinggong among them, and handling a young Crown Prince should have ensured he arrived ahead of the others.

His failure to return could only mean one thing.

He likely failed.

By then, they had already left the palace, and the tremors had subsided.

The Crown Prince was missing, and even if they didn’t react immediately, the palace would surely have increased its guard and patrol presence, making it highly likely they’d be discovered if they tried to investigate.

Once discovered, it would be hard to fight off so many, and they’d eventually be captured from exhaustion.

But if they didn’t go, how could they confirm the Crown Prince’s fate?

If the Crown Prince survived, the palace guards, upon learning of his disappearance, would surely scour every inch to find him.

Though the master’s chosen palace was relatively remote, it was only a matter of time before it was found, and once the Crown Prince was saved...

This time, it would have been in vain.

Someone volunteered to return to the palace to see what had gone wrong.

But at that moment, no one could guarantee a safe return, and it was likely that once inside, if caught and unable to bite the poison in time to kill themselves, they’d fall into the hands of the dog emperor, where death would be a mercy.

Only the master could move freely within the palace.

Bringing it up now was merely to show loyalty to the master, willing to brave any danger for him.

"Get out! Worthless lot."

A sharp gust of wind struck, and those kneeling before the figure in the dark black robe were all blown away, spitting blood as they fell, but they dared not cry out, only enduring the pain to rise and leave.

This time, they had botched their mission.

Clearly, the master had single-handedly fended off the Shadow Guards, and all that was needed was to send someone to take the Crown Prince away and throw him into the palace that was about to collapse, so that when the palace fell, the Crown Prince would be buried under the rubble.

But the person sent not only failed to complete the task but also disappeared without a trace. If more people had been sent, perhaps someone could have returned to report what had happened.

The initial plan had gone so smoothly, but who would have thought the problem would arise here, thinking one person could complete it, only to fall short at the last moment.

It was only natural for the master to be angry.

The person wearing a silver mask covered in dark patterns, with half a face as handsome as jade, stood there with his hands behind his back, making it hard for people to breathe.

The items in the room seemed to be crushed by an invisible force, the walls cracked, and everything in the room was constantly breaking down, turning into a pile of rubble, completely shattered.

It was easy to imagine that if those people had stayed in the room, they would have ended up with flesh and blood splattered everywhere.

This failure undoubtedly missed the best opportunity.

The palace is the place with the most concentrated dragon energy, and those scum, despite the tight security, could not stop him, but they could stop those useless ones.

The emperor had long established a heir, so even if the emperor was killed, there would still be a heir to take over immediately and stabilize the court, preventing chaos.

If there was no heir, the emperor's death would lead to young princes and court factions vying for power, supporting their own young princes to continue, which would inevitably lead to chaos in the court, and this chaos would be his opportunity.

Before this, he had not taken that young Crown Prince seriously.

He had already foreseen the future of that crown prince.

Even though he was born with the aura of an emperor, he would never ascend to the throne.

A crown prince who can’t become king isn’t worth prioritizing.

He was very confident in his own predictions.

He thought he would vanish after his fall, but instead, he arrived here.

He took over this body as a vessel to deceive the heavenly laws of this realm.

A soul not of this world, if it fails to fully integrate, will ultimately be destroyed.

And here is a world unlike the cultivation realm.

No one practices cultivation anymore, and even mortals cannot find a way to begin cultivation.

The spiritual energy here is much sparser compared to the cultivation world, and attempting to draw it into the body without a method is simply a delusion.

Luckily, he doesn’t depend on spiritual energy for his cultivation.

In the cultivation world, mortal emperors were never given much thought by cultivators.

Here, though, the mortal emperor reigns supreme, and the masses bow to him.

A paltry mortal body is no match for him.

It’s just that the heavenly laws of this world truly make him wary. If the emperor were not protected by dragon energy, killing him would be child’s play.

The heavenly laws of this world shield the mortal emperor. Even if he could appear before the emperor effortlessly, like a ghost, he still couldn’t kill him.

Any murderous intent to kill the emperor would not only be met with dragon energy backlash but would also expose him instantly, attracting the attention of the heavenly laws, which would then mete out divine punishment. Even if it didn’t scatter his soul to the void, it would banish him from this world.

He could only have others carry out the deed or find another way.

He didn’t come here to resign himself to an ordinary life.

This world should bow to him, not to a mortal who arrogantly claims to be the Son of Heaven and the True Dragon, yet is still just a mortal.

The reason he targeted the crown prince this time was simple.

The original imperial star was growing brighter, its position more secure, and even the Ziwei star, symbolizing the crown prince, was becoming more luminous, yet there was no sign of contention between them.

Impossible. As the crown prince grew, the father and son would inevitably become rivals. The reason the prince’s imperial destiny remained unfulfilled lay here.

He attempted to divine again but failed.

Originally, the prince was destined to be born with the bearing of an emperor but was fated never to ascend the throne, doomed to fall. He didn’t need to expend much effort to glimpse his future.

But now, trying to see as he had before was far more difficult.

What does this mean?

Even though he couldn’t see how the prince’s future had changed, he could guess.

Though he couldn’t move against the emperor now, the young prince could be dealt with early, sparing the trouble of removing the emperor later only to have the prince still in place.

He couldn’t act himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use others to carry out the killing.

Using the earthquake as a tool, he intended to kill the young crown prince, ensuring he would die before he could mature.

He had planned for the young crown prince to die in the earthquake, and the emperor, upon learning of the death of his only legitimate son, would surely be overwhelmed with grief.

Unfortunately, it did not succeed!

——

The crown prince was safely found, which greatly relieved everyone.

The Grand Empress Dowager had been anxiously waiting without rest. Upon hearing that the crown prince was found, she insisted on seeing him herself to confirm that Baocheng had truly returned before she could be at ease.

However, what exactly happened needed to be clarified.

The little milk dragon explained that after leaving the Qianqing Palace, halfway through the journey, assassins, disguised as eunuchs, suddenly attacked, killing many people, and the scene quickly descended into chaos.

At this point, the little milk dragon seemed to recall the bloody scene, with the servants scattering in all directions, but they still could not escape, collapsing, their blood pooling on the ground.

The little milk dragon trembled at the memory, his small face turned pale.

He had never seen such a scene before.

The Grand Empress Dowager was instantly heartbroken and hurriedly took Baocheng into her arms to comfort him.

She feared he might be scared into illness and was already planning to call the imperial physician to see if he needed to prescribe some calming herbal soup suitable for a child.

Kangxi's expression stayed grim, and even after finding Baocheng, his brow did not relax.

"And then what happened?"

The assassins were so ruthless that Baocheng was the only survivor at the scene, and they wouldn't have let Baocheng escape so easily.

The little milk dragon said that the person who had taken him wanted to take him somewhere, but the sky seemed to collapse suddenly, and there was a violent shaking. "Seeing this, the person dropped Baocheng and left."

Then the search party found him.

Hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager felt immense relief, patting her chest and hugging Baocheng again, "Thank goodness, heaven has watched over our Baocheng, and he has returned safely."

After listening, Kangxi said, "Is that so, Baocheng?"

The little milk dragon wasn't accustomed to lying, especially in front of his imperial father, so he couldn't help but falter, but the Grand Empress Dowager spoke up first,

"Emperor, what's wrong with you? Baocheng has finally returned safely, we should be happy, yet you still have that expression.

You don't even comfort Baocheng, you're acting like you're interrogating a criminal."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was getting upset, seemingly thinking he didn't care about Baocheng, Kangxi explained,

"Empress Dowager, I am also very happy that Baocheng has returned safely. I just want to get some details from Baocheng. The mastermind behind this has not been caught yet, how can I be at ease?"

Then he beckoned Baocheng over, and Baocheng came out of the Grand Empress Dowager's arms and went to his side. He reached out and touched Baocheng's head.

The Grand Empress Dowager listened and said, "Is that so? I thought you were unsettled because Consort Rong has not been found yet."

She disappeared while chasing a cat, such an untimely action, which made the Grand Empress Dowager somewhat displeased.

"The concubines in the various palaces have all been staying quietly, not moving around and causing trouble, but Consort Rong, for the sake of a cat, disregarded your orders, acting so recklessly…"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Baocheng.

"No, it’s not like that!" the little milk dragon shouted, his fists clenched tight.

How could Grand Empress Dowager talk about Consort Rong that way? Consort Rong had saved him!

Grand Empress Dowager didn’t know anything about it!

His eyes started to sting again.

Grand Empress Dowager was surprised by Baocheng’s reaction. Was Baocheng actually defending Consort Rong?

How close were Baocheng and Consort Rong, really?

Just by mentioning Consort Rong, Baocheng got so worked up he even cut her off, his own Grand Empress Dowager.

Kangxi, standing nearby, frowned and scolded, "Baocheng, how are you speaking to your Grand Empress Dowager?"

‘Sorry, Grand Empress Dowager,’ the little milk dragon apologized in a small voice, feeling bad for raising his voice at Grand Empress Dowager.

But he didn’t think he was wrong to argue.

Grand Empress Dowager, who adored her little grandson, melted as soon as Baocheng apologized and quickly scooped him up into her arms, saying to the emperor beside her,

"Baocheng just got back after going through so much, and you, his own father, are still yelling at him?"

"Baocheng must be exhausted," she added. "Let him get some rest."

Kangxi nodded without objection.

He had the maids take Baocheng away.

As Baocheng was carried off, Grand Empress Dowager still had words to say to the emperor, which were inconvenient to say in front of Baocheng.

"Emperor, it seems Baocheng is very attached to Consort Rong." She had merely mentioned Consort Rong, and Baocheng had gotten angry with her.

What exactly is going on?

Without the emperor’s tacit approval, how could Baocheng and Consort Rong have the opportunity to be so close.

What exactly is the emperor thinking?