It had barely been an hour since the imperial maid escorted the Crown Prince back to his residence.
In his dimly lit bedchamber, the young prince lay sprawling across his massive silk bed, snoring softly.
His consciousness floated in that sweet, pristine state of deep sleep—until a sharp tap-tap-tap struck the top of his forehead.
“Mmgh…
five more minutes…” He waved a sluggish hand through the air to swat away the nuisance, rolling onto his side.
Tap-tap-tap!
Peck-peck!
Within seconds, five more birds fluttered through the open balcony window, landing directly on his face and furiously pecking at his cheeks.
“Go ‘way…” He shifted his entire body, rustling the bedsheets in a desperate attempt to hush them.
That was a mistake.
Outside the window, a feathered coalition gave the signal.
Within two minutes, over twenty birds swarmed into the room, diving onto the bed like mini-missiles, pecking ruthlessly at his arms, legs, and face.
Meanwhile, in the grand Throne Room of the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
Meanwhile, inside the grand throne room, the atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.
Emperor Xu and the Empress sat upon their elevated thrones, while Xu Mie’er stood before them, her usual sharp composure completely gone.
“Father, Mother…
I’m scared for Xuandong,” Xu Mie’er admitted softly.
“Ever since the assassination attempt, he’s been…
unstable.” Emperor Xu let out a long, heavy sigh, resting his face in his hands.
“I know.
He keeps to himself.
When he’s around us, he acts completely normal so he doesn’t worry us…
but sometimes, his mask falls.” The Emperor closed his eyes in heartache, sighing deeply.
“I will find a way.” Tears welled up in the Empress’s eyes.
“How could he say it so casually?” she wept.
“‘I want to die’…
What if he really does it?!
We need to keep eyes on him all the time!” Xu Mie’er gently shook her head.
“No, Mother.
If we keep him on a tight leash, he might truly break.
We need to give him time and space to heal.” BANG!
The heavy double doors of the throne room burst open.
A royal guard tumbled in, breathless and trembling.
“Y-Your Majesty!
It’s…
it’s the Crown Prince!” The Emperor practically leapt from his throne, his face turning pale.
“What happened to my son?!
Speak!” The guard froze, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out how to put the scene into coherent human language.
He stuttered uselessly, unable to form a sentence.
“Speak, you useless fool!” Completely abandoning her delicate princess image, Xu Mie’er darted forward, grabbed the guard by his collar, and lifted him off his feet, her eyes burning with terrifying murderous intent.
“What happened to him?!” “P-Princess, I—” Before the guard could finish, a second guard sprinted down the hallway, frantically shouting, “Your Majesty!
The Crown Prince’s residence!” “Where is he?!” Xu Mie’er barked, tossing the first guard aside like a sack of potatoes.
“In his room!” Without another word, the Emperor, Empress, and Xu Mie’er exploded with soul power, turning into streaks of light as they dashed toward the Crown Prince’s palace at top speed.
When they arrived, they braced themselves for the worst—an assassination attempt, a demonic ritual, or a suicide note.
Instead, as they kicked the bedroom doors open, they were greeted by the sound of furious flapping.
A massive, swirling dark cloud of birds occupied the room, pecking frantically at the bed linens.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Xu Mie’er demanded, her jaw dropping.
A guard standing by the door saluted with a trembling hand.
“R-Reporting to the First Princess…
We don’t know!
Every few minutes, a single bird would enter, leave, and then return with a whole flock!
It’s been escalating for the past hour!” Just then, the bathroom door creaked open.
Out stepped the Crown Prince.
He was covered from head to toe in tiny red peck marks, his hair looking like a bird’s nest.
He let out a massive yawn, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he looked at the terrified imperial family and dozens of fully armed guards standing in his room.
“What?” he asked flatly.
Silence fell over the room.
The Emperor blinked.
“Son…
what happened to your face?” “I fed a bird some breadcrumbs earlier,” he muttered casually.
“Now they think I’m a walking food source.
When I didn’t give them any, they assumed I was hiding the crumbs under my clothes and tried to dig them out.” Xu Mie’er bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, suppressing a desperate urge to burst out laughing.
“Anyway,” the boy said, grabbing his school bag from the floor, “I’m late for school.” “Wait!” Xu Mie’er stepped forward, looking at his red-spotted face.
“You’re clearly not in the best state to go to the academy right now!” He glanced back at her with tired, deadpan eyes.
“There’s no rest for the wicked.” The Emperor, Empress, and Xu Mie’er stood frozen, entirely at a loss for how to handle this bizarre child.
Xu Mie’er sighed heavily, shaking her head.
“Fine.
I’ll take you in my carriage.
I was heading to the academy grounds anyway.” He nodded lazily.
“Lead the way.” Inside the luxurious imperial carriage, the soft hum of soul tools provided a peaceful atmosphere.
The boy immediately unceremoniously collapsed sideways, resting his head directly on Xu Mie’er’s lap.
He closed his eyes, then poked her thigh with a finger.
“You need to gain some weight,” he muttered.
“Your legs are way too skinny.” Xu Mie’er’s forehead twitched.
She was about to slap his head off her lap when she paused, realizing what he meant in his own twisted, rude language.
He’s saying I’m fit…
A small, satisfied smile touched her lips.
She gently placed her hand on his head, softly caressing his messy hair.
“You know,” she murmured softly, her voice dipping into nostalgia, “when you were younger, you used to sit by the riverbank all day.
I would always come over and give you a lap pillow just like this…” The boy lay still, feeling the warmth of her hand.
Memory flickered in his mind.
He had been planning to throw out another rude comment to tease her, but feeling the rare, genuine tenderness in her touch, the words caught in his throat.
A single, quiet tear leaked from the corner of his eye.
Xu Mie’er caught sight of the tear, and her heart shattered.
He’s suffering so much…
he acts so bizarrely just to hide his pain…
Tears filled her own eyes as she looked down at him, her heart swelling with overwhelming guilt.
As his older sister, I failed him.
I couldn’t protect him from the pressures of the court…
She stroked his hair until he drifted back to sleep, holding onto that quiet, emotional bond.
Thirty minutes later, the carriage smoothly came to a halt outside the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
The boy opened his eyes, stretched his arms, and sat up.
He looked at his sister and offered a wide, bright smile.
“Thanks.
You’re a good sister, but a horrible pillow.
No wonder you’re single—cuddling with you is like hugging tree bark.” Snap.
Every drop of guilt, sadness, and sisterly affection in Xu Mie’er’s heart evaporated into thin air, replaced by absolute, unadulterated fury.
CLANK!
In a flash of bright soul tool light, she manifested a giant, heavy-duty Class 5 Soul Cannon Bazooka and aimed the black barrel directly at his nose from three inches away!
“Holy shit!” The boy scrambled backward, practically diving out of the carriage window.
“Is everything alright?!” Hearing the commotion, the Imperial Academy Defense Captain and a squad of guards rushed over, weapons drawn.
“Your Highness!
Is there an attack?!” The boy landed on his feet outside, pointed frantically at the carriage, and blurted out, “She thought she saw an Evil Soul Master!
But it was just a black bird!” The Captain looked at the Crown Prince, then looked at the First Princess stepping out of the carriage with a giant rocket launcher in her hands.
He knew with 100% certainty that the prince was lying through his teeth, but facing the Crown Prince and the terrifying First Princess, he wisely chose life.
“I-I see!” the Captain coughed into his fist.
“An Evil Soul Master…
disguised as a black bird!
Better safe than sorry!
We will investigate immediately!” Xu Mie’er’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
She quickly put the bazooka away, cleared her throat, and glared at the Captain.
“Keep this incident strictly quiet,” she commanded coldly.
“If rumors of an ‘Evil Soul Master’ spread through the academy, you will be dealt with under martial law.” “Understood, Princess!” “You’ve been working hard,” Xu Mie’er added, pulling out a heavy pouch of gold coins and tossing it to him.
“Consider this a reward from the imperial family.” Satisfied, she turned around to scold her little brother—only to find the space behind her completely empty.
The boy had already vanished into thin air.
SLAM!
The heavy wooden door of Class 1 shattered the quiet morning atmosphere as the Crown Prince kicked it open.
The teacher on the podium froze mid-sentence, turning around.
“C-Crown Prince…” He just nodded casually.
“Continue class.” He walked past the stunned students and slumped into his seat in the back row.
Beside him, his sister, Xu Xia, turned her head, her face filled with anxiety.
“Are you alright?
Why did you come to school today?” “I’m fine,” he replied, pulling out his water bottle.
“Already took my daily drink.
Besides, it’s been a while since I pissed off Xu Tianran.” He casually glanced toward the front row.
Sitting there, Xu Tianran turned his head slightly, his eyes glowing with cold, venomous malice before looking away.
Xu Xia’s lip twitched.
She huffed, turning back to her desk, though she kept a watchful eye on her brother out of concern.
On the other side of the room, Ye Xing stared at the Crown Prince.
Seeing the faint red peck marks on his friend’s face, Ye Xing’s eyes filled with tears of deep, agonizing guilt, blaming himself for failing his master.
Ignoring them all, the Crown Prince slammed his forehead onto his desk and instantly fell asleep.
Ten minutes passed.
A heated argument broke out near the front of the classroom between two aristocratic students, their voices rising higher and higher.
THAM!
The Crown Prince sat up, slamming both palms onto his desk, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” he roared at the top of his lungs.
“THIS IS MATH CLASS!
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!
IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE, GO TO THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL!” The entire classroom dropped into dead silence.
Even the teacher dropped her chalk, dumbfounded.
From the middle row, Xu Tianran slowly stood up.
He adjusted his pristine uniform, putting on a fake, hypocritically concerned expression as he looked at the prince.
“Brother, are you feeling well?” Xu Tianran asked loudly, ensuring the whole class could hear.
“I heard a rumor that you were ambushed by Evil Soul Masters and had to hide inside a cheap, trashy brothel to survive.
Is your mind alright?” Whispers instantly erupted across the room.
Inside the prince’s mind, a quiet gear turned.
This little shit thinks he can ruin my reputation with cheap rumors?
He clearly doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.
I am a seasoned keyboard warrior.
A veteran Reddit user.
You dare play slander games with me?
Xu Xia and Ye Xing both slammed their desks, standing up to defend the prince’s honor.
“Xu Tianran, don’t you dare slander—” “Yes!
That’s right!” the prince interrupted loudly, leaning back in his chair with a proud smile.
Xu Xia froze.
Ye Xing froze.
The whole class froze.
“It was great!” the prince continued casually, crossing his arms.
“I was served by lovely ladies all night!
Ah, the most memorable one was named…
Lu Fie.
Truly top tier.” Silence.
Dead, suffocating silence.
A student in the second row blinked, whispering to his neighbor, “Who’s Lu Fie?” His neighbor violently slapped a hand over his mouth, whispering back in horror, “Shut up!
That’s Prince Xu Tianran’s birth mother!” BOOM!
Xu Tianran’s face turned from pale to purple, then to a terrifying shade of crimson.
Intense soul power erupted from his body as his martial soul flickered to life.
“YOU DARE HUMILIATE MY MOTHER?!” Xu Tianran screamed, his voice cracking with utter rage.
The Crown Prince tilted his head, putting on the most innocent, confused face physically possible.
“Who said it was your mother?” he asked smoothly.
“There are only a few characters in our language.
People share names all the time.
Of course there would be a courtesan with the same name.
Why did you immediately assume she was your mother?
Is there something you’re hiding, Ranran?” Xu Tianran’s eyes widened.
He froze mid-step, his throat choking on his own fury.
He had fallen right into the trap.
If he denied it, he looked guilty; if he attacked, he proved the prince right.
His mind snapped.
Losing all thread of reason, Xu Tianran prepared to unleash his full power to kill the prince right here, regardless of the consequences!
Before he could step forward, the elite guard standing beside Xu Tianran immediately activated his own martial soul, wrapping his arms around Xu Tianran and pinning him down.
“Your Highness, calm down!” the guard whispered frantically into his ear.
“It’s a trap!
If you attack him here, the Emperor will execute you!” Xu Tianran panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot, barely regaining a shred of sanity as he glared at the prince with raw hatred.
Before anyone could break the tension, the classroom door creaked open again.
An older student walked in, and standing right behind him was a young man carrying a heavy black sword—Ji Juechen.
The prince mentally blinked.
Oh right, I totally forgot about this battle junkie because of all the drama .
The older student—a lackey under Xu Tianran’s faction—stepped forward, bowing respectfully toward the Crown Prince while shooting a triumphant smirk at Xu Tianran, thinking he was helping his boss.
“Crown Prince, excuse the interruption,” the lackey announced loudly.
“Your friend here, who helped you escape and hide, has arrived.
To recive his rward.” The Crown Prince looked at Ji Juechen and raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, Ji Juechen,” the prince called out casually.
“Do you remember that woman in the scantily clad clothes with the big curves who served us so passionately ?” Ji Juechen, completely deadpan and lacking any social awareness, raised an eyebrow and nodded plainly.
“Lu Fie?” Ji Juechen asked.
The Crown Prince gave him a massive, invisible thumbs-up in his mind.
MY GOAT!
PERFECT ASSIST!
The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Xu Tianran’s soul power completely detonated, blowing the surrounding desks to splinters.
“I WILL WIPE OUT YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!” he screamed at Ji Juechen.
Ji Juechen blinked, looking at Xu Tianran like he was an idiot.
“I’m an orphan.” Xu Tianran looked like he was about to vomit blood from sheer anger.
Confused, Ji Juechen turned his head toward the Crown Prince.
“Why he is angry?” “his mother named Lu Fie,” the prince replied smoothly.
Ji Juechen, having grown up in the brutal slums where dozens of commoners shared the exact same cheap names, tilted his head in genuine confusion.
“Shouldn’t a prince’s mother be a noblewoman?” Ji Juechen asked aloud, his voice carrying clearly across the room.
“Why is he angry at a prostitute?
Many commoners share that name.
…Unless he is a bastard son of a noble?” CRACK!
The Crown Prince mentally gasped, staring at Ji Juechen in absolute awe.
Holy shit…
the deadpan savageness!
He didn’t even mean to insult him, which makes it a critical hit!
The prince turned his head toward Xu Tianran, shaking his head with a sigh of mock pity.
“Damn, Ranran…
you really need better lackeys.” That was the final straw.
“DIE!” Xu Tianran completely lost his mind.
He threw off his guard, his martial soul flaring to its absolute maximum limit, transforming into a streak of lethal light as he launched a full-power, fatal strike straight toward the Crown Prince’s chest!
The prince’s eyes widened in fake shock, but internally, an evil, triumphant smile spread across his soul.
Come at me, bro!
The second your attack touches me, it’s game over for you!
The temperature in the classroom plummeted to sub-zero as Xu Tianran’s lethal strike sped toward the Crown Prince’s chest.
Just as the glowing soul power was about to make contact, an oppressive, suffocating aura descended from above, instantly crushing the kinetic energy of the attack into nothingness.
“ENOUGH!” The voice boomed through the building like thunder, shaking the very dust from the ceiling beams.
“This is the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, and fights are strictly forbidden within these walls!” The divine pressure forced Xu Tianran back, his martial soul forcefully snuffed out.
The voice commanded coldly, “Both of you—to the Dean’s office.
Immediately.” Moments later, the heavy brass-trimmed doors of the Dean’s office clicked shut behind them.
Sitting behind a massive mahogany desk was none other than Kong Deming, the Grandmaster of Soul Tools and Dean of the Academy.
Standing right beside him, arms crossed with a furious glare locked onto Xuandong, was Xu Mie’er—infuriated at her little brother for both causing unending trouble for her and picking a public fight with Xu Tianran.
Kong Deming stroked his long beard, looking between the two princes.
“Now…
what is all this ruckus about?” Xu Tianran snapped, stepping forward.
“Dean Kong!
He—” “He has anger issues,” Xuandong interrupted casually, pointing a thumb back at Xu Tianran without even looking at him.
“YOU—!” Xu Tianran roared, his face contorting with rage as his soul power flared.
Xuandong raised his hands innocently and gestured toward his raging cousin.
“See?” “You…” Xu Tianran growled through grit teeth, pointing a trembling finger at the boy.
Xuandong pointed to his own chest with a completely clueless face.
“Me?” “Xuandong, STOP IT!” Xu Mie’er screamed, her voice echoing in the office as she rubbed her throbbing temples.
She turned to Kong Deming, bowing slightly in deep apology.
“Grandmaster Kong, I deeply apologize for my brother’s behavior.
Ever since the ambush attack…
he hasn’t been well.” Xuandong nodded solemnly along with her, playing the part of a fragile trauma victim perfectly.
Kong Deming sighed, looking toward Xu Tianran.
“Tianran, speak.
What happened?” Xu Tianran took a deep breath, striving to maintain his polite facade despite his bloodshot eyes.
“Dean Kong…
they publicly humiliated both my mother and my father in front of the entire class!” Kong Deming turned his gaze to Xuandong, asking what happened.
“He asked me about my night at the brothel,” Xuandong explained smoothly with a casual shrug.
“So I told him yes, I was there, and I even mentioned a prostitute named Lu Fie.” Kong Deming’s lips twitched violently, while Xu Mie’er glared sharply at her little brother.
“Watch your mouth!” she warned through her teeth.
“If you don’t believe me, call Ji Juechen,” Xuandong added.
A few minutes later, Ji Juechen was summoned into the office.
Carrying his heavy black sword, he stood there looking completely detached from the tense atmosphere.
Xuandong looked at him.
“Ji Juechen, tell them about Lu Fie.” Ji Juechen tilted his head, looking genuinely confused as to why everyone was making such a grand scene over a common name.
“What is so special about her?” Ji Juechen asked bluntly, his tone flat and practical.
“The moment he found her name he chose her right away to keep him company.” Silence instantly devoured the room.
Xu Mie’er’s mouth hung open.
Kong Deming’s hand froze mid-stroke in his beard, his face twitching wildly as he looked between the deadpan sword-idiot, the wildly scheming Crown Prince, and Xu Tianran, who looked like he was about to physically burst a blood vessel on the spot.
Kong Deming slowly set both palms flat on his desk, the quiet click of his rings echoing like a death knell in the silent office.
He rubbed his temples, feeling an ancient, colossal headache forming right behind his eyes.
He turned his gaze back to Ji Juechen, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low rumble.
“Ji Juechen…
how many people currently know about this?” Ji Juechen didn’t even blink.
He adjusted the strap of his heavy black sword, answering with absolute, unwavering sincerity.
“The whole class,” Ji Juechen said flatly.
He paused for a beat, then added casually, “And the whole Royal Guard.” CRACK.
A fine hairline fracture split the solid mahogany of the Dean’s desk right where Kong Deming’s hand rested.
Xu Mie’er slapped a hand over her eyes, letting out a soft, agonized groan.
The rumor was already gone.
It had sprouted wings, taken flight, and was currently tearing through the Imperial Academy like wildfire.
Within two hours, the entire capital would know that the Crown Prince hired a common courtesan named Lu Fie, and that Prince Xu Tianran had nearly demolished a classroom because he thought they were talking about his mother.
“The whole guard…” Xu Tianran choked out, his voice shaking violently.
His skin had turned a terrifying shade of translucent pale before snapping straight to purple.
“The entire squad?!” Xuandong leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms and shaking his head with a deeply sympathetic sigh.
“Look on the bright side, Ranran,” Xuandong offered kindly, poking fuel directly into the nuclear reactor.
“At least everyone knows you’re a devoted, filial son who stands up for ladies named Lu Fie.
That’s good!” “I WILL RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!” Xu Tianran shrieked, entirely abandoning his regal posture as he tried to hurl himself over the desk, only to be instantly locked in place by Kong Deming’s suffocating pressure.
“SILENCE!” Kong Deming barked, his voice vibrating with absolute authority.
He glared at all three of them, his aged face twitching with suppressed exasperation.
“Not another word from any of you.
Out.
All of you, get out of my office before I put every single one of you in solitary confinement!
Xu Xuandong tou stay”