There are too many people on the battlefield. Getting them all back to Hope City orderly is extremely difficult. Resources are limited, and even with all available transport mobilized urgently, progress remains painfully slow. On top of that, the prisoners of war are terrified by the sight of Hope City’s two massive mechas. The entire situation is spiraling out of control due to the overwhelming emotions involved.
Wei Qixuan sat in the front passenger seat, sensing just how overstimulating the scene was for everyone. People’s mental states were deteriorating, and among the most visibly shaken was Bei Ji.
“What do we do? Everyone’s in a bad state right now.” Wei Qixuan gritted his teeth. “Our teacher said that first impressions are important—there’s no way these people will feel the same as those who willingly came to Hope City. Any good impression is probably out the window.”
It was simply too powerful. Only now could he truly accept the immense strength of the City Lord without guilt. But the others didn’t know that. If they couldn’t come to terms with the situation, the things they had to do next would become incredibly difficult.
Wei Qixuan furrowed his brows tightly, pondering how to bring people back to Hope City in a way that felt more perfect.
“Oh my god…” Just as Wei Qixuan was racking his brain for a solution, panicked cries erupted from all around. He immediately looked up and saw the Divine Lord.
A massive, ethereal image of the Divine Lord suddenly appeared in the sky above everyone. As always, the Divine Lord radiated majesty, solemnity, and holiness. With arms outstretched, he seemed to command every living being in this world. On the blood-soaked battlefield, where countless had fallen, radiant shapes of light—large and small, without any solid form—began to rise slowly into the air.
“What is that? What are those things?” The prisoners of war were already overwhelmed with terror, and now even the slightest shock could push them over the edge.
The moment he saw the divine image of the Divine Lord on the battlefield, Wei Qixuan had a flash of realization. He grabbed the vehicle’s loudspeaker and began to speak: “Do not be afraid! This is God, the protector of Hope City! We are the people of God, lives acknowledged by the divine, under His protection!”
“God has arrived, moved by mercy for the departed. He appears now to purify the souls of the fallen. This is compassion. This is mourning. The souls that pass through His hands will be reborn into something more beautiful. This is God’s grace!”
Wei Qixuan kept repeating the same words over and over. If those in shock couldn’t hear him, he would say it again and again until they could. If fear deafened them, he’d repeat himself until his voice reached them.
Countless “souls” rose from the blood-soaked earth, lifted gently into the hands of the divine, then ascended through the sacred radiance of the Divine Lord into the sky.
It was a breathtaking sight, indescribable in words. Like something conjured only in dreams, or the visual miracles from a bygone era of peace and special effects, now fully and vividly manifest before everyone’s eyes.
They were all stunned. Entranced.
Streams of light cascaded from the divine figure above. In that moment, a calm serenity settled over every heart present.
“Please, don’t be afraid. God punishes only the guilty,” Wei Qixuan cried, climbing onto the hood of the vehicle, his voice a balm to the trembling crowd. “We are innocent. God will have mercy on us.”
Wei Qixuan’s faith in the Divine Lord had never been feigned. His loyalty to the City Lord was unwavering, and just as steadfast was his devotion to the divine.
He wasn’t speaking just to comfort the people. He wanted them to truly believe it: that they were protected by a real and powerful god.
The vehicle crawled forward slowly. By this time, the people nearby had started to regain their senses, instinctively clearing a path for it to pass.
“Once, Hope City stood at the brink of destruction. Once, it was under siege by the Nightmare Beasts, teetering on the edge of life and death. But God shielded us. God gave Hope City new life.” Wei Qixuan declared with fervent emotion, recounting how the City Lord had carved out a chance at survival, how the Divine Lord had protected them, and how, under divine shelter, they built a new home.
He spoke with conviction. The youth’s eyes shone brightly as he poured his heart out, painting a vivid picture of the City Lord’s glory in this ideal world. They had found a better life. They were blessed with the strongest protection. Their City Lord ruled with compassion. And their future was nothing short of radiant.
After such overwhelming shock, even the faintest ember of hope could reignite a longing for life in every heart.
Wei Qixuan had never once doubted that the City Lord could bring happiness to the people. His trust in the City Lord was absolute, and it was this unwavering belief that gave him the confidence to tell anyone: Hope City is hope, Hope City is the future, Hope City is Eden.
That confidence eventually became contagious. The brilliance in Wei Qixuan’s eyes was so striking that people couldn’t help but want to believe in the dreamlike world he described.
“Xuanxuan?” A surprised voice rang out from a distance just then. Wei Qixuan immediately turned his head and visibly froze when he saw Song Mianjue.
“Sister Mianjue?” he called out, stunned.
Song Mianjue’s eyes were filled with disbelief. If not for that voice, so achingly familiar… and those eyes—eyes that, no matter the time or place, always carried an unmistakable yearning for life—she would never have believed that this tall, graceful young man standing before her was the same sickly, malnourished child who once looked like little more than a walking skeleton.
“Impossible, Xuanxuan? Wei Qixuan?” Song Mianjue was utterly stunned. She could hardly believe her eyes. Was this really the child she had always looked after? The one who had lost his parents so suddenly after being abandoned in Hope City? But this overwhelming sense of familiarity, what else could explain it?
“It’s me, Sister Mianjue, it’s me!” The moment Wei Qixuan saw Song Mianjue, his eyes turned red. It was really her, his dearest elder sister from before. “It’s me, Wei Qixuan! Uncle and Aunt are still alive and doing well. They’re farming in Hope City, and life has been getting better. They’re both in great health!”
Song Mianjue could hardly dare to believe this was real.
“Really?” The parents who had once knocked her out and sent her away for her own safety were they truly still alive?
“Yes, Sister.” Even with the good life he had now, Wei Qixuan had never imagined he would see a loved one again. He forgot all about the loudspeaker strapped to him, leapt nimbly down from the vehicle, and ran straight toward Song Mianjue, crashing hard into her embrace. “Sister, I missed you so much. Sister, you’re still alive.”
Unconsciously, Song Mianjue wrapped her arms around Wei Qixuan. This child, he truly was the boy she once knew. Wei Qixuan had grown taller, so much taller, almost as tall as she was now. How long had it really been? It felt like no time at all, and yet, he had clearly been well cared for.
“Xuanxuan…” Her voice caught as she lowered her head and asked, “Are you… doing well?”
“I’m doing great, Sister. I’ve gotten taller, much taller than before. My younger siblings are doing great, too. They’re both in school now and getting good grades. Their teachers say they have real talent for learning. Uncle and Aunt are doing well, too. They’ve saved up some money from farming and are thinking about buying another house in New Hope City. They’re even planning to set aside a room just for you…”
After his own parents passed away, Wei Qixuan had taken care of his younger siblings, but it had always been his sister who’d looked after them first. Uncle and Aunt—his sister’s parents—had continued to care for them even after she was gone, never giving up.
“Sister, come back to Hope City with me,” Wei Qixuan choked out. “There are still so many people… still waiting…”
Was this real?
This felt like something that could only happen in a dream. Could such a scene truly exist in this world after the end?
“Xuanxuan! Xuanxuan! Wei Qixuan, is that really Wei Qixuan?” At that moment, upon hearing his name, someone in the distance began pushing through the crowd from the far end. “Is it true? Is that really him?”
Many people knew Wei Qixuan. Children in Hope City had always received extra care and attention from the community. And now, as those who recognized him began gathering, a strange, almost surreal feeling rippled through the crowd.
“Tune the audio.” At that moment, Shen Houyun took control of the loudspeaker. His voice, clear and cold—somewhere between boy and man—echoed crisply in the air:
“To all those from Arrival City, all who once called it home, we warmly welcome every one of you to Hope City. Your mothers, your sisters, your children, they now live within Hope City. We will be transporting everyone back in an orderly fashion. All identities will be verified. Please do not push or shove. Everyone will be reunited with their families. Your loved ones… they’re waiting for you.”
By the time he spoke that final line, Shen Houyun’s voice had softened.
Mother. A word once filled with the gentlest and most beautiful memories of childhood. The bond of blood can never be severed. And the more one grows to understand, the more one yearns for the time when they were sheltered in a mother’s arms. Never had they imagined that they might one day see their mother again.
High in the sky, the Divine Lord gazed down in silence at the vast tapestry of human emotion. Like a spectator untouched by joy or sorrow, it observed it all. Gradually, its form faded… and vanished.
Because of Wei Qixuan and Shen Houyun, the fear that once threatened to overwhelm them was now eclipsed by the joy of reuniting with loved ones. People boarded the vehicles in calm, steady lines, faces bright with irrepressible excitement.
Family. Kin. The ones they had been forced to leave behind. The ones they had to abandon against their will.
One by one, everyone reentered Hope City, dazed and awed by a place that felt like it belonged only in dreams.
There were so many this time. But thankfully, most of them were connected by blood. Officials from the central city government conducted detailed registrations and blood checks for everyone. Each person received a temporary resident ID card, and, in that very moment, they could access the system and search for relatives with whom they shared a genetic tie.
This was a massive undertaking—though not difficult to launch, it demanded time. To ensure everyone had a place to rest, He Fang had prepared well in advance, inspired by the temporary housing setup used by Bei Ji.
Since the weather was mild, those who had yet to find a place to stay could use simple tents and shelters as temporary lodging. If anyone quickly located family and was willing to live with them, they were immediately brought home. Housing construction was still underway, but once completed, it was expected to fully meet current needs.
And… if someone didn’t wish to remain in Hope City, they could register and leave voluntarily.
Yet, over the past few days, there hadn’t been a single request to leave. Surprisingly, very few were truly alone. Not because they had no relatives in Hope or Arrival City, but because—tragically—those loved ones had already passed away.
These individuals were placed directly into the temporary residents’ quarters.
The city had grown somewhat crowded, but not to an overwhelming degree. Though many people were now sharing a single household, making things feel a little cramped, it was still far better than the days when they’d lived in spaces like cramped train carriages.
For He Fang, each day during this period felt noisy and chaotic, yet in a strangely joyful way. Everyone seemed wrapped in the bliss of reuniting with their loved ones. Even tax revenue had surged significantly, clearly boosted by the exuberance that had sparked a wave of spending.
He Fang couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. Everyone was now enthusiastically educating the newcomers about the Divine Lord. Having personally witnessed divine miracles, people believed without hesitation. That, after all, had been the reason He Fang had sent the landmark out as a kind of display.
He Fang didn’t believe in souls. So as far as he was concerned, the landmark’s appearance was purely for show. The command he’d input back then was simple: to perform a spiritual release for everyone on the battlefield.
Those who died in war, whether friend or foe, were worthy of honor.
Thankfully, both Hope City and Angel City continuously provided the landmark with a steady stream of faith energy. Otherwise, He Fang wasn’t sure he could have kept it running at all.
In the aftermath of the war, following He Fang’s orders, Zhu Yan transmitted all the collected dirt on Ao City to every mobile city via the locator system. When people saw that Ao City had actually orchestrated the total annihilation of a smaller mobile city to achieve its own aims, they were furious. In a world already ravaged by the apocalypse, even if cooperation was too much to ask, stooping to sabotage and betrayal was beyond intolerable.
What made things worse was the one-sided nature of the battle between Hope City and Ao City that quickly became public knowledge. Not two, but a single mech from Hope City was enough to crush Ao City’s entire military, leaving no survivors. Such overwhelming force tipped the scales of public sentiment.
Everyone deeply resented Ao City’s actions, but that was as far as it went. Their anger took the form of scorn and condemnation because they couldn’t win. Even though Ao City had lost the mech “Penglai”, they still had Fangzhang and Yingzhou, two mighty mechs that made them a force to reckon with.
Still, no one wanted to be treated like a disposable pawn. What stung most was that no one had seen themselves as Ao City’s vassals to begin with. They had believed it was a partnership, a mutual alliance. Every city lord carried their own pride, and now, that pride had been thoroughly affronted by Ao City’s ruthless betrayal.
What He Fang wanted was precisely the effect of isolating Ao City. While not a complete isolation in terms of interests, psychological isolation was enough.
Moreover, a crucial part of the message He Fang released was that all these commands came from the mouth of Ao City’s current emperor alone.
The one who truly deserves to be resented is the emperor of Ao City.
And this time, He Fang has demanded a counterattack against Ao City.
Counterattack.
It’s an interesting word. After all, it was Ao City that lost hundreds of thousands of troops. Yet the undeniable truth is that it was Ao City that first attempted to invade Hope City. They failed and paid for it with their soldiers. Now they’ve made an enemy of Hope City, and everyone believes that Ao City’s fate is a kind of comeuppance for its overbearing arrogance.
Facing the terrifying force of Hope City, most people already believe that Ao City is beyond saving.
The emperor of Ao City was instantly thrust into the eye of public opinion. Everyone couldn’t help but voice their judgment of him: a tyrant who recklessly sacrifices lives.
Hope City’s stance toward Ao City has struck fear into many mobile cities that once relied on Ao City.
Hope City, using a locator device, had Zhu Yan develop a derivative that could report its position at any time. This locator remained active constantly, letting every mobile city know that the city lord of Hope City was personally leading troops toward Ao City.
In truth, Ao City is very far from Hope City. Given that distance, no matter how the conflict played out, it shouldn’t have been able to reach Ao City. Between them lies the Nightmare Beast Forest—an impassable natural barrier. Clearly, Ao City had initially taken great care to prepare for this.
But everyone realized things weren’t unfolding as they’d expected. Hope City’s army actually went straight into the Nightmare Beast Forest, and the locator signal appeared clearly and consistently even from within the forest.
Nightmare Beast seeds can devour all man-made objects, including locators, yet the people of Hope City passed through the forest as if it posed no threat, and the signal never once disappeared. This phenomenon convinced all the mobile cities monitoring Hope City that its people are indeed immune to infestation by the Nightmare Beast seeds.
Everyone now believes that Ao City is doomed to suffer a crushing defeat. After all, just two mechas were enough to obliterate an entire well-prepared army. It’s terrifying.
Although modern mechas are powerful, that doesn’t mean conventional weapons are useless against them. A 300,000-strong army shouldn’t be incapable of taking down mechas.
He Fang set out for Ao City. Unlike before, it wasn’t just a handful of people heading out. This time, Yuan Zhiran was leading a force of ten thousand troops to press toward Ao City.
Ever since most of the system map had been unlocked, He Fang no longer worried about getting lost. With Ao City now located, they advanced straight toward it.
Following Zhu Yan’s proposal this time, they brought along a Rainbow Squad.
But it wasn’t a matter of dragging along an entire lamp post. Instead, after Zhu Yan’s research, they slightly modified the defense mode programmed into one of the lamp posts, adapting it into a mobile defense unit that could accompany the army.
Rainbow Squad – Xiao Lan. This was an unusual mech from the start. When He Fang gazed into the blue lamp post, he could barely make out Xiao Lan’s form. Even when they tried drawing it out through combat tactics, they couldn’t see where Xiao Lan actually was. Meanwhile, it was Chong Xiao, the attacker, who kept taking hits.
Through technical means, Zhu Yan finally managed to capture a glimpse of Xiao Lan. Shockingly, it turned out to be a transparent or, rather, invisible mech. Even with advanced tech, they couldn’t scan its full form. To this day, no one knows exactly what Xiao Lan looks like.
Zhu Yan proposed letting the beacon control Xiao Lan while he reprogrammed its internals. Eventually, he turned it into a patrol-defense mech, designating He Fang as its patrol focal point.
So while the army seemed to be advancing without a mech in tow, Xiao Lan was actually protecting them at all times. The only issue was charging. Although they didn’t bring along its massive lamp post, they added a charging station modeled after the lamp post’s system, solving its power issue.
In truth, though, such a massive army was nothing more than a show of force.
This time, He Fang had a different purpose for heading to Ao City.
He Fang didn’t intend to turn Ao City into one of his allied cities. Ao City was simply too massive. Given Hope City’s current chaos, absorbing such a complex urban system would do more harm than good.
Everything must proceed step by step. This time, He Fang came to support the young prince of Ao City. He wanted to personally witness the prince ascend the throne. After that, they would sign a peace treaty.
This wouldn’t just ease the immediate pressure on Hope City; it would also open the door to open and legitimate cooperation with Ao City. With so many affiliated mobile cities under Ao City’s command, the entertainment and cultural initiatives He Fang had been planning would effectively leap several levels. The entertainment projects running in Angel City, for example, could start generating revenue almost immediately.
The thought made He Fang chuckle a little. Heaven knew that after everything he’d done, when it came down to it, all he really wanted was to make money.
Still, he had no idea how things were going on the prince’s side.
Had Sai Gu in Ao City helped the young prince secure the throne?
—
Sai Gu lounged carelessly in a small inn room, while the rest of the Black Flag Squad had already grown restless. But their agitation was useless. They had been detained.
Zhou Fang’s face was ashen. He hadn’t slept properly in days and looked completely worn out, dark circles marking his eyes. His condition was clearly deteriorating. He never expected things to unravel this badly.
His proposal had been foolproof, something that should’ve proceeded smoothly in any mobile city. Yet no one could make sense of why something seemingly airtight had suddenly spiraled out of control.
The emperor of Ao City had discovered that everything they had carefully said and done so far had, in fact, benefited Hope City. And the emperor was no fool. He immediately issued orders to detain the Black Flag mercenary team. No one was allowed to leave.
Even the usually noisy Qiao Qiao was now silent. She knew full well that Zhou Fang was deeply suspicious of Sai Gu. The emperor of Ao City distrusted them, and Zhou Fang, in turn, distrusted Sai Gu. After all, most of their intel had come from his mouth.
Still, pinning all the blame on Sai Gu was a stretch. It had been Zhou Fang’s decision to take revenge on Hope City in the first place. And Sai Gu’s favorite pastime had always been flirting with attractive people. Ironically, it was exactly because Sai Gu flirted with the young prince that they were detained instead of killed outright. In a city like Ao, killing anyone was child’s play.
They wanted to blame Sai Gu, but couldn’t find any solid reason to do so. Everything seemed to have started with Zhou Fang’s decision.
The atmosphere within the Black Flag Squad was unbearably tense. So stifling, it felt like no one could breathe.
Half of the squad had already splintered back in Hope City. Now, most of the remaining members were disheartened and disengaged. Once released, the squad would likely be Black Flag in name only. These were once formidable survivors of the apocalypse. Who could’ve predicted they’d end up like this?
Suddenly, the door swung open. A soldier appeared and said, “Sai Gu, come out.”
Sai Gu opened his eyes. His disheveled silver hair fell loosely across his shoulders as he rose. Of them all, he was the most at ease; always composed, always unbothered, as if nothing in this world could truly move him.
On instinct, Qiao Qiao grabbed hold of his clothing. She didn’t want Sai Gu to go. Anyone could guess where he was headed: to see the young prince.
Sai Gu turned around and gave a faint, subtle smile. With a gentle motion, he reached out his hand, causing Qiao Qiao to release her grip. Then he patted her on the head. His expression was so casual, so effortlessly nonchalant, that Qiao Qiao couldn’t utter a single word. She could only watch him walk away.
Sai Gu walked with ease, his stride long and unhurried, his posture as relaxed as ever. The high-tech aura that once flooded the place with visual intensity had now been completely smothered by a heavy, suffocating atmosphere. The situation in Ao City had taken a grim turn.
“Sai Gu!” A clear, youthful voice rang out from afar. Sai Gu looked up. Unlike his usual habit of running over and clinging playfully, the young prince stood composed in elegant ceremonial robes; exquisitely dressed, more dignified than usual, the impish charm was replaced by a solemn air. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Sai Gu. “Can you protect me?”
“Of course,” Sai Gu replied with a smile.
“When you’re with me, I feel like I can do anything.” The young prince stepped forward and held Sai Gu’s hand affectionately.
Sai Gu lowered his gaze and could feel a slight tremor in the prince’s grip. With a curved smile, he bent down, leaned in close to the young prince’s ear, and whispered, “Your Highness, don’t worry. For you to ascend the throne, I will do anything. I won’t let anyone stand in your way.”
The young prince’s face flushed suddenly. He had just heard the sweetest words in the world, spoken by the one he loved most. To be protected by someone so powerful filled him with a deep sense of security, as if there was now an unshakable force behind him. It gave him the courage to dream of things he’d never dared imagine before, to fight for what was never supposed to be his.
Sai Gu must truly love him to be willing to take on something so dangerous for his sake. And the prince, too, deeply loved this version of Sai Gu.
“Hope City’s army is already stationed around Ao City,” the young prince whispered when they were alone. “They’ve been waiting a full day… they must be waiting for me to make a decision.”
He knew that the city lord of Hope City had fulfilled every demand he’d made.
Now, that very leader was waiting for him to hold up his end of the bargain.
With someone as formidable as the ruler of Hope City backing him, if he still failed, what kind of worthless person would that make him?
The young prince stepped straight into the grand hall. He lifted his head and looked toward the figure seated on the throne; his father, the emperor of Ao City.
That was the father emperor he revered the most, and the one who favored him above all. So powerful, so unmatched, firmly seated upon the throne, reshaping clouds and stirring the fate of the realm. He had once committed acts of great ruthlessness for that very seat, sacrificing kin for the greater cause, treading over mountains of corpses. As the most cherished child, often said to resemble his father the most, shouldn’t he, too, learn his father’s cold decisiveness and merciless resolve?
“Father Emperor.” In the vast grand hall, the young prince’s voice was clear and piercing, echoing through the emptiness. He looked up at the figure seated high above, whose face lay shrouded in shadows, and spoke without reverence. “Hope City has been stationed outside for a full day, yet there has been no action or response from you. Have you already devised a plan?”
The emperor’s cold gaze dropped to meet his. For a moment, fear flickered through the young prince’s heart, but with Sai Gu standing behind him, he summoned the courage to speak on.
“Father, the people of Ao City are already gripped by fear. For the sake of their survival and the enduring glory of Ao City, I, your son, boldly offer a proposal to Your Majesty.”
No one replied. Not his father, nor the secretary standing by his side. In the massive, echoing chamber, only the prince’s voice lingered in the air.
Sai Gu’s gaze, however, involuntarily swept across the room, as if he were searching for something. Yet, there was nothing visible within his line of sight.
“Hope City hasn’t launched a direct attack. They chose to station themselves outside, not to invade us, but to demand an answer for our own aggression. And that answer… they want it, so naturally, we shall give it.”
“We cannot possibly win against Hope City, Father Emperor. You must have seen it—two people, two mechas. That wasn’t even a battle worthy of being called a war!”
Unlike the other mobile cities, Ao City received a video directly from Hope City, showing the so-called war. The crushing defeat was undeniable. Watching Penglai fall helplessly before the dragon-shaped mecha plunged them into despair. Even if they deployed Fangzhang and Yingzhou, it would likely make no difference.
At this moment, the secretary at the side spoke up: “Your Highness, how did you come to know information known only to His Majesty and a select few?”
A pang struck the young prince’s heart, but his expression remained composed. He replied, “Hope City now merely seeks to assert its dominance. They’re not truly aiming to conquer us. We’ve already suffered heavy losses—three hundred thousand soldiers and Penglai wiped out at their hands. So now, for the sake of all Ao City, we need only present a single scapegoat, one that satisfies the ruler of Hope City.”
The secretary’s cold gaze swept over the young prince.
And the young prince, pressing forward in one breath, finished what he had to say: “As long as we offer them a result they find satisfactory, Hope City will not continue its assault. Ao City will remain unharmed. And Father, you were the one who first gave the order to attack Hope City. You were the one who commanded the collection of people from both Hope City and Descension City. All of this, everything, was set in motion by your own hand. You are the undisputed culprit!”
“For the survival of Ao City, Father, you should take responsibility. You must give Hope City an answer!”
His meaning could not be clearer.
He wanted the Emperor of Ao City to willingly bear the full weight of guilt.
In the young prince’s mind, his father would erupt in fury. But he had already stationed his men outside the hall, ready to burst in at any moment.
Ao City’s emperor had already lost his grip on power. This much was true, even within the city walls. Everyone was simply trying to survive. And if offering up just one emperor could save the whole of Ao City, then why not?
They had toiled for years beneath his rule, upholding his supreme status. Wasn’t the purpose of that loyalty to ensure their protection? Now that he had made mistakes, shouldn’t the emperor himself shoulder the burden of guilt to preserve Ao City?
An emperor was just a title.
To the people of Ao City, it didn’t matter who sat on the throne.
“I never imagined that the son I cherished most would be the first to betray me,” came the emperor’s cold voice. It wasn’t the rasp of majesty, it was the rasp of age. The man upon the throne was no longer young.
The young prince froze, then protested: “No, Father. I am guarding your empire for you.”
The emperor closed his eyes and raised his hand slightly. Suddenly, armed figures surged in from every direction, their weapons trained squarely on the prince. The prince’s pupils contracted in shock. He never expected his father to have stationed so many hidden guards here. Did… did he truly mean to kill his own son?
The young prince couldn’t possibly dodge the attacks of the shadow guards. But then, a low chuckle from Sai Gu suddenly echoed at his ear. In the blink of an eye, he felt an arm wrap around his waist, pulling him back two or three steps. The shadow guard who had just slashed at the ground where he stood had his head blasted apart by a shot from Sai Gu.
The shadow guards surged in from every direction, yet the prince felt no fear. All his attention was captured, irresistibly, by the person he loved most.
These were elite assassins, and yet none of them lasted more than three seconds under Sai Gu’s hand. The prince now believed with absolute certainty: Sai Gu was a powerful man, and all the promises he made must have been sincere. He had simply never imagined Sai Gu’s strength would be this overwhelming.
Sai Gu’s silver hair swayed freely with his movements, not fierce or frenzied, and yet, the number of fallen guards around them only continued to rise. The crack of his gunfire filled the air, and in response, the prince’s soldiers, who had long been waiting outside the great hall, poured in like a storm. Their eyes burned red with fury. They would drag this tyrant of an emperor to Hope City with their own hands.
The frenzied soldiers practically stormed the top seat, dragging down the emperor of Ao City. In that instant, the crowd was momentarily dazed. Their emperor, once powerful and untouchable, was dethroned so easily. Could it truly be that simple?
Only then did the soldiers notice how old their emperor had become; the deep creases at the corners of his eyes, the once-handsome face now sagging and slack. When they gripped his arm, they were startled by how frail he was.
He was already… an old man.
“Father Emperor, I’m truly sorry, but you’re old now. There’s still one last thing you can do for Ao City. I believe you’ll be willing. After all, you’ve always been so proud of commanding such a mighty city,” the young prince said. But there was no reverence in his tone. In fact, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
The emperor’s clouded gaze shifted to Sai Gu, who stood beside the young prince. Sai Gu turned slightly and met the emperor’s look, unabashed and steady.
“You will be buried in honey,” the emperor said coldly to the young prince.
Sai Gu merely offered a faint smile as he wrapped his arm around the young prince’s waist, his eyes brimming with tenderness and affection. “I would never harm our dear little highness… as long as he remains my lover.”
At those words, a light blush spread across the young prince’s cheeks. He was utterly enchanted by how effortlessly Sai Gu could whisper such sweet nothings, lifting his spirits anytime, anywhere.
“Be careful,” the young prince said to the men dragging the emperor. “This is still our emperor, our last hope.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Hearing their reply, the young prince narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
“You shine so brightly, it’s as though your brilliance might pierce my heart, flooding it with the blood of loving you… and letting me die for it,” Sai Gu said, lifting the prince’s hand to his lips. “I surrender to your beauty, Your Majesty.”
The moment those words “Your Majesty” left Sai Gu’s mouth, the young prince couldn’t help but laugh. Sai Gu always knew exactly what pleased him.
“None of my brothers even dared to step forward. How utterly useless,” the young prince declared arrogantly, hands on his hips.
But Sai Gu responded with a faint, meaningful smile. “Of course not. They will never come to trouble Your Majesty.”
“You’re incredible, Sai Gu! It must be your presence that’s brought me such luck. That’s how we’ve managed to succeed so easily,” the young prince exclaimed, hugging Sai Gu tightly around the waist. “I’m going to make you my empress!”
Overcome with excitement, the young prince basked in Sai Gu’s gentle caress, completely missing the fact that, unlike before, Sai Gu wasn’t answering his every word.
The young prince personally escorted the dethroned emperor to the city’s edge, where He Fang stood waiting.
Unable to suppress the wild grin tugging at his lips, yet careful not to let any of the soldiers behind him see it, the young prince raised his voice and said, “This is our answer.”
Upon seeing the young prince, the young and unremarkable-looking city lord said a single word: “Good.”
The moment the young prince received the reply, he knew their deal had officially taken effect.
He bent down, a sharp dagger in hand, and, right in front of the City Lord of Hope City, slit his father’s fragile throat. Blood spilled forth. Patricide, as proof of his sincerity.
When the young prince looked up again, he caught the stunned expression on the city lord’s face. It seemed he hadn’t expected the prince to dirty his own hands.
Releasing his grip, he let the emperor’s corpse fall to the ground. There was no trace of shame or grief in his eyes.
He lifted his gaze toward Sai Gu, only to realize that Sai Gu wasn’t looking at him, but at the young city lord across from them.
In an instant, he yanked Sai Gu’s hair. “Sai Gu, you’re only allowed to look at me.”
Sai Gu simply smiled, gently caressed the prince’s hair, and placed a calming kiss on his temple.
The young prince felt reassured because he knew Sai Gu’s gaze toward the City Lord of Hope City lacked the intense affection he showed him.
But still… he wasn’t entirely reassured. Because in Sai Gu’s eyes, looking at the other man, there was no laziness, no curiosity, no indifference. Only calm. A calm he had never seen in Sai Gu before.
And it was strange. Deeply unsettling.
Omg i love the manipulative dynamic going on, its interesting to see how obsessed the prince is with sai gu