The crack spread across the Heavenly Oracle with a sound so faint it could have been mistaken for breaking ice.
Yet within the Hall of Heavenly Decree, it echoed louder than thunder.
Every face turned pale.
The Oracle…
The sacred artifact that had existed since the founding of the empire…
Had cracked.
The Heavenly Envoy staggered backward, his hands trembling violently.
“T-This is impossible…”
His cloudy eyes widened in horror.
“The Heavenly Oracle has never…
never been damaged.”
The hall erupted into chaos.
“The Oracle has been angered!”
“Heaven is furious!”
“It must be because Lin Xue rejected the decree!”
Several ministers immediately fell to their knees, repeatedly knocking their foreheads against the jade floor.
“Heaven, forgive us!”
Others looked toward Lin Xue as though he had committed the greatest sin beneath the skies.
Only Lin Xue remained calm.
His gaze never left the golden scroll.
That crimson thread…
It had vanished the moment the crack appeared.
He had seen it clearly.
Someone had tampered with the Oracle.
Just as he suspected.
Heaven had never chosen Ji Chen.
Someone had forced Heaven’s choice.
“Silence!”
The Emperor’s cold voice swept across the hall.
Instantly, the commotion died down.
The Emperor slowly rose from the Dragon Throne, his golden robes trailing behind him like flowing sunlight.
His usually gentle expression had disappeared.
Instead, his sharp eyes settled upon Lin Xue.
“Young Master Lin.”
“You have caused unrest during Heaven’s ceremony.”
His tone was calm.
Too calm.
“What explanation do you have?”
Lin Xue bowed respectfully.
“This subject merely followed his heart.”
A minister immediately stepped forward.
“Your Majesty!”
“This is blatant disrespect toward Heaven!
Such a person cannot remain the Heaven’s Chosen!”
Another quickly agreed.
“I second Minister Zhao’s proposal!”
“He should be punished immediately!”
Voices rose one after another.
“Punish him!”
“Strip him of his title!”
“Expel him from the capital!”
Ji Chen stood silently among them.
His expression remained composed.
Yet beneath his sleeve…
His fingers slowly tightened.
Something had changed.
Lin Xue’s eyes…
The way he looked at him…
There was no affection.
Only indifference.
It was as though they had become strangers overnight.
Ji Chen couldn’t understand it.
Yesterday, everything had been normal.
Yesterday…
Lin Xue had still smiled at him.
So what had happened?
His thoughts were interrupted by another voice.
“Enough.”
The single word carried neither anger nor force.
Yet the entire hall instinctively quieted.
Mo Yuan stepped forward.
His black robes brushed against the marble floor.
The silver mask concealed half his face, making him appear even more distant.
His deep eyes swept across the ministers.
“If Heaven truly wished to punish him…”
“…why did the Oracle crack instead?”
Silence.
The ministers stared blankly.
No one had considered that possibility.
Indeed…
If Heaven was angry with Lin Xue…
Why had the divine artifact itself fractured?
The Heavenly Envoy frowned deeply.
“This…”
“I…”
He had no answer.
Mo Yuan continued calmly.
“Perhaps.”
“It is not Lin Xue who defied Heaven.”
“Perhaps…”
“…someone else has defied it long ago.”
Those words struck the hall like another bolt of lightning.
Several elders exchanged uneasy glances.
The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.
“Mo Yuan.”
His voice grew colder.
“Be careful with your words.”
Mo Yuan merely smiled faintly.
“If this prince has spoken wrongly…”
“Then prove me wrong.”
The atmosphere instantly became suffocating.
The brothers looked at one another across the vast hall.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Yet everyone present could feel the invisible pressure between them.
Ji Chen suddenly stepped forward.
“Elder Brother.”
His voice was gentle as always.
“There is no need to make today’s ceremony unpleasant.”
He turned toward Lin Xue once more.
“If Young Master Lin needs time…”
“I am willing to wait.”
The ministers immediately praised his generosity.
“His Highness is truly magnanimous.”
“As expected of the future emperor.”
Ji Chen smiled modestly.
“I simply do not wish to force anyone.”
Lin Xue nearly laughed.
How familiar.
In his previous life…
Ji Chen had always worn this mask.
Patient.
Kind.
Perfect.
Even while arranging the deaths of countless innocent people.
Lin Xue lowered his gaze, hiding the frost in his eyes.
Go on.
Wear your mask.
This time…
I know the face beneath it.
Suddenly—
A sharp pain pierced his wrist.
He instinctively looked down.
Hidden beneath his sleeve…
The crimson lotus mark had appeared once again.
It glowed brighter than before.
Then—
A strange warmth spread through his meridians.
His spiritual energy surged without warning.
At the same moment…
Mo Yuan abruptly turned toward him.
Their eyes met.
For the briefest instant…
The crimson lotus on Lin Xue’s wrist emitted a pulse of light.
Mo Yuan’s pupils contracted.
His usually emotionless face revealed unmistakable shock.
“…The Soul Lotus.”
He whispered the words so softly that only he could hear them.
His breathing became uneven.
Impossible.
That mark…
Should no longer exist.
Not after…
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
Lin Xue quickly pulled down his sleeve, concealing the glowing mark.
Neither of them spoke.
Yet both understood one thing.
They were no longer the only ones carrying secrets from the past.
Far above the palace…
Beyond the clouds…
An ancient pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
A voice, old enough to shake heaven itself, echoed through the endless sky.
“So…”
“The game has begun again.”
End of Chapter 4