The Prodigies War

Chapter 396 Everything is a Piece on the Chess Board

The Chi Clan.

The study was covered in heavy silence.

Chi Lingxiao was seated before his desk in silence. His brows were tightly furrowed as if he had encountered a difficult problem.

Chi Cangmei respectfully stood to the side. At a closer inspection, her expression was somewhat dazed and out of sorts.

She had already heard the news yesterday night and found out about everything that Lin Xun had done in the Rune Master Association Headquarters.

It had been a huge shock to her, and she had spent a sleepless night in disbelief.

Several months ago, in the Sky Martial Arena, Lin Xun had obtained a beautiful victory over the girl genius Hua Wuyou. It was a feat that spread his name to the entire Forbidden City, and he was praised by many as a cultivation genius of the younger generation.

Although it had only been a few months ago, Lin Xun had stirred up such a big commotion again. How could Chi Cangmei not feel astonished?

The most frightening part was that it had nothing to do with Lin Xun’s cultivation this time, but a more difficult and stringent path—runes!

The golden light spoken of in the legend, the foretold nine draconic roars, a rune grandmaster who wasn’t even sixteen yet…

All of it felt like a dream that no one in their right mind would believe. If Chi Cangmei hadn’t verified it several times, she would have also felt that it was a mere fairy tale!

Only today, when she began to return to her senses, did Chi Cangmei realize the gravity of the situation.

After this incident, Lin Xun’s fame would soar like a dazzling star that was rising above the Forbidden City. He had become a city-wide sensation that everyone had their attention on.

This made it increasingly difficult to deal with Lin Xun in the future!

As such, Chi Cangmei could not help but seek an audience with her father, Chi Lingxiao, to hear his thoughts on the matter.

However, she was soon shocked because her father also seemed to be in disbelief and was caught off-guard by this turn of events.

This was a sign of how inconceivable Lin Xun's rise was.

After a long time, Chi Lingxiao finally chuckled and said, "He's…truly an unconventional person. Being recognized as a rune grandmaster has further solidified his position and made his situation less dangerous."

Chi Cangmei had also realized this and felt complicated.

It had only been half a year since Lin Xun first stepped into the Forbidden City. Who could have imagined that a frail youth would rise to power at such an inconceivable speed and accomplish so much?

It was frightening!

He was already such a monster at this young age. If he was allowed to grow up, the fallen Lin Clan would also regain its former glory!

"However, he is shining too dazzlingly and has made those originally hidden factions grow increasingly wary of him. It is difficult to predict whether this will be good or bad."

Chi Lingxiao's expression turned dark.

"Which factions?"

Chi Changmei couldn't help but ask. This question had plagued her for a long time.

She genuinely could not imagine how there could be so many complications tied to a single person.

Chi Lingxiao thought for a moment and replied, "Do you still remember when the clan gave you the task of stopping Lin Xun from entering the Forbidden City?"

Chi Cangmei nodded.

Chi Lingxiao displayed a strange expression. "Our Chi Clan…was merely following orders. You should know how few factions can command our Chi Clan in the empire."

Chi Cangmei's heart violently shuddered as her expression changed slightly. "Could it be the royal palace? Or the star-gazing platform?"

Chi Lingxiao did not answer. He merely said, "It's not that simple. You will understand in the future."

Chi Cangmei did not relent. "How long will that take?"

Chi Lingxiao was taken aback. After briefly pondering, he said, "At least five to at most ten years."

"It's merely dealing with Lin Xun. Why is there a time restriction?"

Chi Cangmei immediately pinpointed something.

"Because everyone is waiting for a clear command."

Chi Lingxiao's expression turned indifferent as he waved his hand. "You may leave. The more Lin Xun jumps about now, the more it will hurt when he falls. No need to overly concern yourself with him."

Chi Cangmei sighed and turned around to leave.

She knew that her status was still too low, and many details were still restricted to her.

From this, it could also be deduced that there must be numerous, astonishing secrets hidden behind Lin Xun. Why else would the situation be so complicated behind the scenes?

“No matter what happens, I will discover your origins!”

Chi Cangmei promised herself.

She felt that Lin Xun was her archenemy and she constantly felt an unexplainable danger from him. She knew that she would never rest easy until she defeated him!

……

The Castle of Darkness.

“Lin Xun’s rise was too sudden and has caught all of the factions off-guard. I don’t know if it will be a blessing or a curse.”

“Is there any reaction from that old thing on the star-gazing platform?”

“Nothing for now.”

“Heh, he truly has nerves of steel. He should understand better than anyone the significance of a young rune grandmaster who can cause the nine draconic cries.”

The Dark Night Queen’s and the old man’s conversation echoed in the empty and dark hall.

Like always, the old man had a humble and kind expression. His posture was slightly lowered in deference, and his etiquette was flawless.

He seemed to be hesitating about something. After a long time, he finally said, “Milady, a remarkable talent like Lin Xun is already sufficiently qualified for us to recruit him into the Castle of Darkness.”

“No!”

The Dark Night Queen’s answer was firm. There was no hesitation at all.

This stunned the old man.

“His identity is too special. Only two scenarios will occur if he enters the Castle of Darkness. Either he will be implicated by the Castle of Darkness or the Castle of Darkness will be implicated by him. The latter has a higher chance of happening.”

The Dark Night Queen’s uniquely magnetic and husky voice sounded, “You should know that he’s not merely a descendent of the Lin Clan but also Lu Boya’s successor.”

Lu Boya!

The old man was silent for a time. He barely knew anything about Lu Boya and had once tried to investigate his origins, but ultimately failed to discover anything of value.

However, someone who was constantly in the Dark Night Queen’s thoughts was definitely no ordinary person.

The old man could not help but wonder who Lu Boya was. The fact that even the old man didn’t know much about him was quite inconceivable.

After all, with his current status and power, even some of the royal palace’s secrets would be revealed if he wished to seek them out. However, he remained completely clueless about Lu Boya.

It was irrational.

The Dark Night Queen suddenly asked, “How is Xia Zhi doing?”

The old man swiftly answered, “The power in her body has been rapidly awakening ever since you sent her into the Dark Night Ancient Realm…”

“How much longer before she’ll be able to face Cyclic Derivation experts?”

“At least five years.”

The old man answered after pondering for a long time. He did not dare to be too certain either.

“Too slow…”

The Dark Night Queen sighed softly. “Hmm, it does make sense. After all, mere training can never compare to real combat. Let her continue for a few more days before making arrangements to send her to the Blood Devil Battlefield.”

“Milady, that’s too dangerous.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed. The Blood Devil Battlefield was an extremely dangerous area that even Heaven Ascension experts did not dare to recklessly enter!

“The more dangerous it is, the more effectively she’ll be able to stimulate the power in his body. Do as I have instructed.”

The Dark Night Queen’s voice was indifferent.

The old man was momentarily stunned. He suddenly realized something and jerked his head up to gaze at the supreme white bone throne. “Milady, you…”

“I do not have much time left.”

The Dark Night Queen seemed to know what he was going to say. She softly said, “It is a tribulation I have to challenge.”

The old man’s expression turned complicated. He finally realized why the Lady said Xia Zhi’s power was awakening too slowly…

……

The star-gazing tower rose from the thousand-foot-tall Mount Zijing.

The view from here overlooked more than half of the Forbidden City.

Although it was not late into the night, the Heavenly Seer had made a rare appearance on the star-gazing platform. His thin figure stood before the railings, embracing the cold wind as he peered into the distance.

His white hair danced in the wind, revealing his wrinkled, old face. However, his eyes were pure and bright like a child’s.

No one knew that the Heavenly Seer had climbed to the star-gazing platform last night when he heard the news about Lin Xun and had spent the entire night here.

No one knew what the Heavenly Seer was thinking about either.

“How great it would be if that bloody incident didn’t happen…”

The Heavenly Seer sighed as the sky began to turn blood-red due to the setting sun.

The sound of footsteps was suddenly heard.

The Heavenly Seer did not move, but his expression returned to its usual indifference. He seemed to already know who was coming and said, “Ninth Prince, have you grown restless again?”

A young man wearing yellow robes appeared on the star-gazing platform. He respectfully bowed to the old man near the railings before he self-mockingly said, “How can anyone remain indifferent when something so big has happened?”

He paused and took a deep breath to prepare himself before he gazed at the old man’s thin back and said, “Heavenly Seer, if you are still not going to give me a clear answer, I…might have no choice but to take things into my own hands.”

“Take things into your own hands?”

The Heavenly Seer turned around. His clear and pure eyes stared at the young man.

The Ninth Prince’s expression immediately changed as an unexplainable chill rose in his body, causing him to freeze.

However, he still gritted his teeth and said, “That’s right. I can’t wait any longer. From the beginning, Lin Xun should never have appeared in the Forbidden City!”

“You’re blaming me?”

The Heavenly Seer’s voice felt chillingly indifferent.

The Ninth Prince trembled as his expression fluctuated. A never-felt-before pressure was nearly suffocating him.

With a deep breath, he forcibly pushed down the unease in his heart. “I…did not mean to do so.”

The Heavenly Seer withdrew his gaze and peered into the distance again as he emotionlessly said, “You will go into seclusion starting today. I will send someone to personally attend to your daily needs. You can come to see me again when you’ve calmed your heart.”

His words struck the Ninth Prince like a bolt of lightning, causing his complexion to pale as he involuntarily cried out, “Heavenly Seer, why? You…you’re going to confine me?”

“All things are just pieces on the chessboard, and events are often difficult to predict. There are certain things that you still do not understand.”

The old man waved his hand.

An indescribably terrifying power surged out. Before the Ninth Prince could react, he was sent away by the power and disappeared from the platform.

The old man continued to stand alone on the platform as he gazed at the night sky in silence.