Chapter Seventy-Five: Slaying the Prince

When Ye Feng returned to the secluded manor, his brows were knit with unbridled murderous intent. Not a trace did he bother to conceal.

Seeing him in such a state, the giant ape was taken aback. “Kid, you’re not seriously thinking about slaughtering the emperor’s precious offspring, are you?”

“Yes! But… would that be too reckless?” Ye Feng voiced his concern.

In his previous life, if he’d found himself in such a situation, he would never have dared to act so brazenly. There may have been no royal family back then, but there were plenty of powerful families—so many Lis, Li Gangs, Li Shuangjiangs…

“Just do it! I’ll go with you—we’ll turn the world upside down!” the giant ape exclaimed, slapping his thigh with exuberant fearlessness.

With the ape’s instigation, Ye Feng grew bolder. Yet, he ultimately refused the ape’s offer to accompany him. After all, this was a matter between the younger generation; if the giant ape intervened, the implications would be altogether different.

In front of the palace gates.

Ye Feng strode forward, long blade in hand, his aura menacing and suffused with killing intent—a warning in itself. With such force radiating from him, any of the old monsters within the palace were sure to have noticed. If anyone meant to stop him, now would be the time.

Yet after quite a while, no ancient master made a move. Only the palace guards seemed enraged.

These men, accustomed to keeping their noses in the air and spending their days either training or standing watch, didn’t recognize Ye Feng. Watching him approach, brimming with murderous energy, and dressed like some scion of wealth, the soldiers cared little for such things—so what if he was a young noble? This was the imperial palace! The nerve!

As Ye Feng drew near the palace gates, a group of soldiers quickly encircled him.

“Kid, what’s your business here? Don’t you know this is the heart of the palace?” one of the guards demanded, his tone unfriendly. In his three or four years of duty, he’d never encountered such a situation. If you’re going to assassinate the emperor, couldn’t you at least put on a disguise? Show some respect! Do you take us for decorations?

“I’m looking for Tang Zhe!”

At these words, the soldiers were momentarily stunned. Only after a beat did they realize Tang Zhe was the name of the Ninth Prince.

Once they recovered, the guards stared at Ye Feng as if he were mad. So what if you’re nobility? To call the Ninth Prince by name! Without hesitation, the soldiers moved to attack.

Since he’d arrived, Ye Feng’s killing intent had only grown, never receding for a moment.

Tang. Zhe. Prepare. To. Die.

Ye Feng shouted to the heavens, each word resounding with deadly intent.

The massive palace gates seemed to tremble at the cry. Outside, soldiers were strewn across the ground; those who’d tried to attack him hadn’t even managed to get close before the force of his voice alone had slain them. The repression was suffocating.

Inside the palace, the Seventh and Ninth Princes were leisurely sipping tea and admiring the blossoms, entirely at ease. They felt no cause for concern. This latest assassination attempt had been orchestrated personally by their master, flawless and seamless in every regard.

Speaking of their master, both princes revered him without reservation. They simply could not understand why their father, the emperor, insisted on resisting the Sacred Land alongside the Ye family.

Their master was the third strongest among the Sacred Land’s younger generation, younger even than themselves. If their master took action, not to mention the city’s youth—even the princes and nobles would pale in comparison.

Such a talent, and yet barred from court! They could only sigh at the waste and lament their “deluded” father’s decisions.

As the other princes competed fiercely for the throne, these two were no exception, each hoping to seize the imperial seat for himself.

It was at this juncture that their master appeared with a simple proposal: “I’ll help one of you ascend the throne; in return, you’ll help me eradicate the Ye family.”

Their interests aligned perfectly, and the pact was struck. To prove his sincerity, their young master first plotted to remove Princess Anran, who stood in their way.

Thus, the two princes, led by the nose, gleefully assisted their master in sowing chaos—never suspecting a thing.

When everything was ready, who could have predicted that Ye Feng would “unexpectedly” appear at the crucial moment and ruin their grand plans?

Furious, the princes secretly plotted another assassination—this time, their target was Ye Feng himself. So what if you’re from the Ye family? No matter how powerful, aren’t you still a vassal to the Tang clan?

So the pair quietly dispatched four assassins from the Sacred Land, setting their plan in motion.

Clearly, they were utterly clueless—ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. Whether that was a compliment or an insult, who could say?

Just as the two discussed their next steps with excitement, an enraged voice thundered from outside the palace gates: “Tang Zhe, prepare to die!”

“Your Highness, this man is formidable! Please, let us escort you to the Northern Palace!” a guard urged, alarmed by Ye Feng’s furious roar.

“Nonsense! Some lowly servant dares make such a scene at the palace gates? I’ll put an end to him myself!” The Ninth Prince Tang Zhe’s fury was boundless. Such insubordination must be met with the harshest punishment.

At their level, there were many things of which they remained ignorant: the ancient monsters within the palace, the private grudges with the Sacred Land, or the Sacred Land’s true intentions.

“Hmph, some spoiled wastrel dares make a ruckus at the palace gates? Stand aside—I’m not like those weaklings outside!” The Ninth Prince drew his sword and dashed toward the gate.

“You insolent cur! Don’t you know this is the heart of the palace? So you’re that Ye Feng? I’ll kill you here and then present your head to Father, charging your family with treason and rebellion!” The Ninth Prince blustered, utterly dismissive of Ye Feng.

Deep down, he believed Ye Feng had come only to shout and posture, not daring to truly act against him.

“You’re the Ninth Prince?” Ye Feng looked at the young man before him, surprised to see no trace of guilt or fear on his face. Was he truly so bold as to come out alone? Was it courage—or a clear conscience?

“I am the Ninth Prince, Tang Zhe! You—”

Boom—

Before he could finish, Ye Feng’s Dragon-Seizing Hand struck without warning, smashing down and engulfing the Ninth Prince. “You dare send people to assassinate me and still act so arrogant? Who do you think you are!”

Everyone was stunned. No one could believe what they had just witnessed.

This was the imperial palace—the very nerve center of the entire Tianwu Empire!

How could he so effortlessly kill a prince? How could he dare?

For a moment, all were dumbstruck—including Ye Feng himself. How could he be so weak? Wasn’t he a prince?

They say a tiger does not sire a dog—but in this case, it seemed the saying had never been more wrong.