Futile Devices Scans

After returning to the city tower and entering inside, the Emperor finally let out a long breath of relief.

Sun Ye immediately knelt before him and said in a clear voice, “Your Majesty, I pay my respects.”

Hearing that the voice sounded different, and seeing Sun Ye’s expression when he raised his head, the Emperor realized that this person was not the Third Prince at all.

Seeing the Emperor’s surprised gaze, Sun Ye quickly explained, “Your Majesty, please do not worry. This subordinate is Sun Ye, the Third Prince’s personal guard. His Highness ordered me to disguise myself as him and fight at the city gates to draw over the bulk of Lubei’s forces. The Third Prince himself is currently still at Qingyi Courtyard.”

The Emperor’s brows remained tightly furrowed as he said coldly, “He is far too reckless. Judging by the current situation, without reinforcements, it is only a matter of time before these soldiers break through. Even if he himself is still at Qingyi Courtyard now, if those troops fight their way there, would that place not have no means of defense at all?”

After hearing the Emperor’s words, Sun Ye did not dare to interrupt and could only stand silently at the side.

At that moment, a soldier suddenly rushed in from outside and reported, “Your Majesty, more than half of Lubei’s troops have already stormed through the city gates and are heading toward the inner palace!”

“Damn it!” The Emperor’s expression changed instantly. “Hao Lin must have realized you are not the real Third Prince—he’s going to attack Qingyi Courtyard.”

With that, the Emperor pushed Sun Ye aside and prepared to rush out. Sun Ye’s martial skill surpassed the Emperor’s; although a mere guard should not interfere with imperial actions, the Third Prince had strictly ordered that the Emperor must not come to harm. Left with no choice, Sun Ye stepped forward swiftly, exchanged a few careful moves with the Emperor, then struck his acupoints and carried him back into the room.

“Your Majesty, forgive this offense,” Sun Ye said, kneeling on one knee without the slightest trace of fear. “Rest assured, the Third Prince has already evacuated the courtyard. Even if they go there, it will be in vain. There are traps set—once they enter, they will not be able to leave.”

The Emperor had been so enraged that his vision nearly darkened, but upon hearing Sun Ye’s firm words, his heart calmed somewhat, though worry still lingered.

The Third Prince’s figure disappeared into the entrance of the tomb beneath Linhan Palace. Soon after, the opening that had been pried open sealed shut tightly again, as if nothing had ever been tampered with.

Meanwhile, the Third Prince walked through rows of dried corpses, heading straight toward the depths of the tomb.

After walking for more than ten meters, a faint glimmer of light appeared ahead. Turning a corner and activating a mechanism, a dim stone door opened. Instantly, the space widened. The deeper he went, the smoother the ground beneath his feet became, and the more luxurious the interior decorations grew. The outer layer of the surrounding walls was made entirely of translucent, delicate jade, with water stored within, making the place feel like a crystal palace. Rare treasures were displayed everywhere, and at the center lay a vast underground hot spring, veiled in drifting mist. Reclining within it was the master of this subterranean palace: Yue Lingchai.

“Aunt,” the Third Prince called softly.

Yue Lingchai seemed to be asleep. White mist drifted around her, making her breathtakingly beautiful face appear dreamlike and unreal. After a long while, she seemed to sense someone’s presence, and her crystal-like eyes slowly opened.

This was the first time the Third Prince had seen her full face. Before, he had only seen her eyes—the gauzy veil that half-concealed her features had only deepened the allure of what lay beneath.

Though she was stunning, the Third Prince did not feel the same infatuation others did. The only thing that struck him was how every feature of Yue Lingchai’s face resembled Mu Xueshi so closely.

If he had seen Yue Lingchai first and known she was Mu Xueshi’s biological mother, perhaps he would not have developed thoughts of revenge. Before, he had only felt that Mu Xueshi resembled his father in many ways, but now, seeing his mother, he realized that Mu Xueshi’s looks were largely inherited from her.

Suddenly, a sharp sound rang out—the Third Prince realized he had been struck across the face. Yet Yue Lingchai had not moved from where she lay; the killing intent in her gaze was unmistakable. As expected of a woman of the martial world—her temperament was as fierce as strong wine. Once revealed, it destroyed every trace of her ethereal, fairy-like aura.

The Third Prince accepted the slap without resistance. Being struck by Mu Xueshi’s mother, he found himself unable to feel anger.

Yue Lingchai shot him a glare, then rose into the air. In the blink of an eye, her clothes were perfectly in place.

“And you still remember I’m your aunt?” she said at last.

The Third Prince neither argued nor apologized. Instead, he spoke directly, “Aunt, I wish to pass through this route.”

“What, to save that emperor father of yours?”

“Not entirely. I also need to bring Xueshi back.”

At the mention of Xueshi, Yue Lingchai’s brows tightened, then relaxed, as if recalling something that angered her before her expression softened again.

“Take some of my men with you. It’s chaos outside—how can you handle it alone? As for what happens to you, I don’t care. But you must bring Xueshi back safe and sound. Since the day he was born, I haven’t spoken a single word to him.”

Her tone was calm and indifferent, as though she had only just learned she even had such a son.

The Third Prince nodded, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

Beneath his feet, the path turned into a winding trail again, the tunnel pitch black. Only recently had the Third Prince learned that Yue Lingchai had secretly expanded this tomb to such an extent. He surmised that she must have lived here for quite some time. The small courtyard above was filled with rare medicinal herbs, and the land beneath was rich with spiritual energy. Combined with its isolation from the outside world, free from disturbance, it was an ideal place for cultivating martial arts.

The exit at the other end of the tomb opened into a quiet alley outside the imperial palace. It was said that the alley was haunted, so almost no one lived there. Passing through it, one could quickly reach the city gates.

The Third Prince leapt out from what resembled the mouth of a well. Before he had taken more than a few steps, he noticed that the once-desolate alley was now filled with several hundred soldiers. Standing at the very front was Zhang Mu, who had once disappeared from Linhan Palace.

“Third Prince, did you really think this move of yours was foolproof? Coming out through the secret passage, then gathering reinforcements nearby to launch a surprise attack on Lubei’s troops from outside the city gate… It’s fortunate you were so clever. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to capture you so easily here.”

Zhang Mu burst into harsh, grating laughter. His martial arts had nearly been completely crippled; he could barely sit on horseback now. He was here for revenge. If the Third Prince hadn’t openly allowed them to demolish Linhan Palace while secretly scheming behind their backs, his martial arts would not have been ruined, and his brothers would not have died there with him.

Now the Third Prince was alone. No matter how capable he was, he could not escape the encirclement of so many men. Moreover, the soldiers behind Zhang Mu were all elite warriors carefully selected from Lubei—skilled, numerous, and formidable. With dozens of cannons beside them, even a god would feel a measure of fear.

After Zhang Mu finished laughing, the men behind him surged forward toward the Third Prince. Yet instead of colliding with him, they crashed into countless figures dressed exactly like themselves.

The soldiers froze in place, stunned. They couldn’t tell where these people had come from—whether they were allies or enemies. Judging by their complexion and build, they resembled Lubei soldiers, but something about their expressions was strange, though it was hard to pinpoint why.

Only Zhang Mu’s expression changed drastically. To his horror, he realized that these soldiers wearing Lubei uniforms were the very elites who had accompanied him in destroying Linhan Palace that day. He had watched them die with his own eyes—how could they suddenly appear again?

While Zhang Mu was still in shock, the Third Prince had already led most of his forces toward the city gate. As for those left behind, it was impossible to tell how many remained.

“After them! Stop them at all costs!” Zhang Mu shouted.

The elite troops immediately turned to pursue the Third Prince, but those strange-faced soldiers blocked their path. Soon, battle erupted between the two sides. The Lubei warriors quickly realized in horror that these soldiers had dull expressions, their bodies stiff as iron or stone—blades could not even pierce them. The entire force fell into a strange panic, their renowned martial skills rendered useless.

Zhang Mu watched helplessly as the warriors who had once guarded this place with him now lay dead on the ground, their faces darkened, their eye sockets tinged green. A chill shot through him. He tried to flee on horseback, but a familiar-faced soldier blocked his way—it was his former deputy.

The face was familiar, but the eyes were not. Zhang Mu called out to him tentatively. The man’s lips split into a grin, the muscles of his face convulsing grotesquely, making him look terrifying.

Then Zhang Mu felt a pair of greenish hands reaching for his throat. The next moment, he saw his own head rolling off his horse. A loud crash rang in his ears—something had struck the ground…

On Lubei’s side, morale had already been high. Seeing the number of Yunxi soldiers dwindling, they were eager to wipe them out completely. At that moment, another large force of Lubei soldiers arrived from the east. Each one was tall and imposing, further boosting the morale of the troops at the city gates.

Even Sun Ye had not anticipated this. Watching yet another wave of elite Lubei soldiers arrive, unease crept into his heart. The Third Prince was supposed to bring reinforcements here—so why were these Lubei troops arriving instead? Where were the forces the Third Prince had led? Had they been defeated along the way?

Seeing so many additional enemy warriors appear, the Yunxi soldiers broke into a cold sweat, their morale plummeting further. It seemed they were on the verge of total annihilation. Some even began to think of retreat.

By now, the sky had grown dim—it would soon be nightfall. If Yunxi’s main reinforcements did not arrive soon, this place would likely fall into Lubei’s hands.

The Emperor slowly closed his eyes, a sorrowful sigh rising in his heart. Just a few thousand elite troops—was that all it would take for the imperial capital of Yunxi to fall into the enemy’s grasp? Where had the tens of thousands of reinforcements led by General Xiao gone…?

At that thought, the Emperor suddenly felt a sharp throbbing at his temples. He recalled the Third Prince’s earlier words. Could it be that the “traitor” he spoke of was not Eunuch Li—but General Xiao instead…?

Still deep in thought, the Emperor suddenly heard waves of wailing and shouting from outside. His heart felt as if it were being sliced again and again.

Yet the scene outside was nothing like what he had imagined. When those elite troops arrived, they launched a direct attack against the Lubei forces. The Lubei soldiers were completely unprepared—they saw their own men suddenly turning on each other with fierce momentum. Some quickly realized it was a scheme by Yunxi, mixing their soldiers into Lubei’s ranks to create chaos.

However, the problem was that these soldiers wore Lubei uniforms, and both their physique and appearance clearly marked them as Lubei natives. There was no way to distinguish real from fake. In an instant, the Lubei army—so close to victory—was thrown into complete disarray. Yunxi soldiers, Lubei soldiers, and the elite troops brought by the Third Prince were all mixed together, making it impossible to tell friend from foe.

The most fatal issue was that the opposing side could clearly identify their targets, while the Lubei soldiers only dared to strike after being attacked.

Very quickly, thousands fell at the city gates. The remaining Lubei soldiers, once identified, were cut down without mercy—no survivors left. Several war chariots lying askew near the gate were seized by Yunxi soldiers, along with the powerful cannons and even the freshly delivered gunpowder.

Standing atop the city wall, Sun Ye spotted the Third Prince riding toward them. Though far apart, the moment their gazes met, Sun Ye understood everything. He couldn’t help but admire the Third Prince’s strategy—at this critical moment, Yunxi had actually turned defeat into victory.

Yet the Third Prince showed no sign of joy. He suddenly realized something was wrong. Although many Lubei soldiers had been killed in the chaos, the number was clearly greater than those lying at the gate.

Had some of them withdrawn?

There were hidden passages on both the eastern and western sides; retreating would not have been difficult. The Third Prince had been too focused on the battle at the gate and hadn’t noticed how many had escaped amid the confusion.

But that wasn’t what concerned him most. Even if some Lubei troops had retreated—only a few hundred—it wouldn’t amount to much.

What troubled him was where those soldiers had gone after retreating.

Suddenly, the Third Prince turned his head and realized that Hao Lin, who had been standing there earlier, was nowhere to be seen.

A chill crept up his spine. He clearly remembered that Hao Lin had been there when he arrived. Why had he disappeared the moment those troops withdrew?

Where had he gone?

The Third Prince asked himself this question over and over, considering countless possibilities—until one thought struck him, and his breath caught.

Seeing the Third Prince turn his horse as if heading somewhere else, Sun Ye was startled. Realizing something, he quickly tore off his disguise, leapt down from the wall, mounted a horse, and chased after him.

The Third Prince slowed slightly to determine the direction of the retreating troops, so Sun Ye soon caught up and asked, “Your Highness, where are you going?”

The Third Prince did not answer. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes as he suddenly turned his horse and rode in the opposite direction.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t go! This must be Hao Lin’s trap. The one he wants to capture may be you. If you go, you’ll be walking straight into his plan!” Sun Ye shouted anxiously from behind.

The Third Prince suddenly reined in his horse, stopping Sun Ye, and ordered, “Take a portion of the elite troops at the gate with you. Leave from the city gate and head in another direction. After passing this street, ride south. If you encounter Xueshi, make sure to tell him to leave here as quickly as possible.”

Sun Ye asked urgently, “Your Highness, won’t you take any men with you?”

“That is not your concern. If, on your way to find Xueshi, you encounter no enemy resistance, then follow behind him and protect him until he leaves the capital.”

“Your Highness, you clearly know this is a trap set by Hao Lin—why are you still going into it?” Sun Ye’s voice carried a note of grief.

“Even if it is a trap, I must still walk into it.”

The Third Prince coldly dropped those words, then spurred his horse forward and rode off.

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