Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

”Father!”

Wuu Xuan began to speak:

”Your Majesty’s actions... could they be a warning to others by punishing one?”

”Everyone knows that Prince Fenyang was close to the Crown Prince, and the evidence of his rebellion is hardly convincing. But it’s not enough that they’ve already taken down Prince Fenyang; now even those associated with him are being implicated.”

”A warning?” The Wuu Patriarch shook his head with a cold laugh.

”The Emperor has disliked the Crown Prince for a long time. If the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Clan Court hadn’t intervened, he would have deposed him long ago.”

”The Third Prince is the one who is truly favored. Last month, he even moved into Chengde Hall. This is unprecedented since the founding of the Daqi dynasty.”

The Daqi Royal Family has a rule: all princes and imperial grandsons, except for the Crown Prince, must move out of the Imperial Palace upon coming of age.

The Crown Prince resides in the Eastern Palace.

Chengde Hall is right next to the Eastern Palace. With the Third Prince now living there, the Emperor’s intentions are plain for all to see.

No!

It was common knowledge.

As the saying goes, those below will rush to cater to the preferences of those above. In recent years, countless officials in the Imperial Court have attacked the Crown Prince.

”A pity!”

Wuu Xuan sighed.

”The Crown Prince is benevolent and has the makings of a wise ruler, yet he is detested by His Majesty simply because he is overweight.”

”I wonder if he’ll still be able to ascend to the throne.”

The Emperor’s health has been poor for several years, and rumors in the street say he is not far from death. When that time comes, the Crown Prince should theoretically ascend the throne.

But now...

Things have changed!

”The Crown Prince’s physique is due to his Cultivation Method; it has nothing to do with his character,” the Wuu Patriarch said with a frown.

”In the last few days, have any of the young men from the Qiux, Yux, or Shuix families asked you to go out with them?”

”Yes,” Wuu Xuan said.

”But I politely declined, saying my cultivation of a Secret Technique was at a critical juncture.”

”Well done.” The Wuu Patriarch nodded.

”The situation in the Imperial Court is currently unclear. Those families are too deeply entangled with the Crown Prince. You must be extremely cautious when dealing with them. Do not, under any circumstances, drag the Wuu Family into this.”

”I understand that you’ve all been friends since childhood and share a deep bond. I’m not telling you to cut them off, but you must maintain a clear boundary.”

”Rest assured, Father,” Wuu Xuan said with a serious expression.

”We are merely acquaintances. I only hesitated to refuse them out of respect for our past history. From now on, I will gradually distance myself from them.”

”It’s good that you understand.” A look of relief crossed the Wuu Patriarch’s face.

”The Daqi dynasty was founded hundreds of years ago. Of the eight founding families, some were executed, others demoted. Today, besides our Wuu Family which still enjoys some favor, the other seven families have long since died out.”

”Serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger...”

He let out a soft sigh and said,

”One of the reasons our Wuu Family has managed to survive is that we diligently practice Martial Arts and do not meddle in the Royal Family’s disputes.”

”No matter who becomes Emperor, as long as we obey orders honestly, we can at least ensure the continuation of our family.”

”But...” Wuu Xuan looked up.

”The Third Prince does not have the makings of a wise ruler.”

”Silence!” The Wuu Patriarch’s expression darkened as he scolded,

”What do you know?”

”Does a gentle personality make a wise ruler? Do ruthless methods make a foolish one? Didn’t the late Emperor slaughter millions to found this very dynasty?”

”Remember this!”

”The hearts of the court officials are treacherous. Only the Martial Arts will never betray you. This is a warning passed down from our ancestors.”

Wuu Xuan hastily agreed.

”Once you Open the Divine Treasure, even killing is not a crime. If you become a Vajra, even His Majesty will have to show you some respect.” The Wuu Patriarch took a deep breath.

”Calm your mind, focus your spirit, and continue listening to the Heart Method.”

”Patriarch,” a voice reported from a shadow outside the room.

”The Yux family is being investigated!”

Hm?

”Ah!”

The Wuu Patriarch’s expression changed slightly, while Wuu Xuan couldn’t help but cry out in alarm, his face showing worry for his friends.

”Who came for them?”

”The Ministry of Justice!” the voice from the shadow said coldly.

”They said the Yux family colluded with the Demon Sect. All of them have been thrown into the great prison.”

The room fell silent.

The Divine Capital has constables, Unscrupulous People, and Officials from the Ministry of Justice.

Among them, constables arrest bandits, the Unscrupulous People monitor all corners of the city, and the Ministry of Justice’s Officials are responsible for capturing major criminals.

An arrival by the Ministry of Justice usually means the situation is extremely serious. Colluding with the Demon Sect is a crime punishable by the execution of three generations of one’s clan, at the very least.

”The Ministry of Justice...”

The Wuu Patriarch sighed helplessly.

”First, find out the full situation. Then we’ll talk.”

”Even if the accusations are true, the Yux family’s women will be sold off publicly. As your father, I still have some influence in the court. It wouldn’t be difficult to rescue those few girls.”

As for the others...

It was best not to think about it.

”Father!”

Wuu Xuan dropped to his knees and looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

”If I Open the Divine Treasure, can I protect them?”

”Perhaps.” The Wuu Patriarch’s brow twitched, and he nodded.

”A Divine Treasure Martial Saint is someone even the Ministry of Justice’s office would show some respect to. Therefore, you must practice your Martial Arts diligently from now on and strive to Open your Divine Treasure as soon as possible.”

...

”The Yux family colluded with the Demon Sect!”

”Arrest them!”

”They dare to resist?”

”Kill them!”

With a flash of blades, several bodies fell to the cold ground, hot blood flowing everywhere.

”SOB...”

”No!”

”...”

The Yux family was a wealthy merchant family in the Divine Capital, possessing a fortune of ten thousand gold. Now, all of it was being confiscated, and the endless, mournful cries of the clan members filled the air.

More than a hundred people were marched to the great prison under the cover of night.

On a nearby street, a group of Unscrupulous People and Soldiers from the Ministry of Justice were surrounding and killing a group of black-clothed, masked men.

”Who would have thought that the Crown Prince’s Consort is actually the Demon Sect’s Saintess? Raiding a minor family like the Yuxes has yielded quite the unexpected reward,” one man said with a faint smile.

”With this weakness to exploit, let’s see how he can possibly hold on to his position as Crown Prince!”

”Bullshit,” one of the black-clothed men said angrily.

”Yin Tiger Yuyu Pavilion, if you want to frame us, just say so! We don’t know any damn Crown Prince.”

”Tsk, tsk...” Yuyu Pavilion clicked his tongue and shook his head.

”So stubborn even in death.”

”Get them!”

The moment his voice fell, the crowd of Unscrupulous People and Ministry of Justice Soldiers brandished their weapons and charged the black-clothed men.

A bloody battle erupted in all directions!

The Daqi dynasty was founded on martial prowess; one couldn’t even become a government official without knowing the Martial Arts.

The fighters in the fray were all elites from the Unscrupulous People and the Ministry of Justice. Even the weakest among them was a Sixth Grade Martial Artist, strong enough to tear a tiger apart with their bare hands.