Chapter 440: Oriole Behind

Bam!

The clash rattled the men, making both sides drop their weapons in favor of covering their ears.

The two experts separated and the Radiant Stage expert fell back to the second prince’s side.

The other was next to the emperor, followed by seven more, the remaining Radiant Stage guards in the Imperial Palace.

Yongning scrambled over, ranting, “Second brother, how can a prince stoop to such disgraceful acts as to take up arms and revolt? Stop this right now and ask imperial father for forgiveness.”

“Shut up, Yongning, this has nothing to do with you!”

Second prince never spared her a glance, only glaring at the emperor, “Imperial father, ever since the fiasco with Zhuo Fan, your Radiant Stage guards are heavily wounded. You have no chance. I do not wish for patricide, to be labeled a king slayer by the people. I advise you to abdicate.”

The emperor mocked, “Son, the throne has always been acquired through succession or war. I’ll be honest with you. I never cared much for you, nor did I plan on making you the next in line. If you want my throne, you will just have to take it from my hands.”

The emperor raised his palm, although empty, it carried all the imperial power he mustered as he taunted, “If you can that is.”

Second prince gnashed his teeth, his nails digging into his palms and spoke in a tragic tone, “Imperial father, finally you’ve come clean. You never tried to groom me into an emperor, casting me aside from the beginning!

“Then all I can say is that today, the throne will be mine. Don’t blame me father, as I’m about to break our ties.” Second prince almost roared, his eyes bloodshot.

The emperor, though, just looked back coldly.

Second prince’s heart was struck with dolour. He sensed that his beloved imperial father never even considered him as his son, fueling his burning rage, “Kill! Leave none alive. Get the jade seal. I’ll draft the order myself!” 

“Understood!”

The men shouted, storming the palace. The ten Radiant Stage experts moved as well.

With only eight experts on the emperor’s side and no Divine Dragons around, they held the advantage.

The emperor would soon lay in chains and the coup would be victorious!

The Radiant Stage experts were giddy at the prospects. They would become the new emperor’s loyal officials, blessed with riches and resources.

The emperor’s Radiant Stage guards were getting graver by the second, finding themselves outnumbered and unfit to protect the emperor.

Yongning cried, “Father, look out…”

The emperor still bore the same calculative look, standing firm and unflinching. His eyes flashed at the incoming enemy, “Where are the shadow guards?”

Hu~

Black streaks flew from around the emperor with eerie cackles. They moved onto the Radiant Stage experts like black clouds, in the hundreds.

All experts kept calm and retaliated. But their attacks went right through the shadows, having no effect at all. 

While the shadow guards relied on their strong souls and couldn’t enjoy tearing into the enemy, they could at least mess with their minds and unnerve them.

There was hardly a Radiant Stage expert among the shadow guards, but thanks to their creepy methods and their numbers, the enemy had no counter to their hara.s.sment.

The emperor’s Radiant Stage guards were filled with bloodl.u.s.t.

With the shadow guards keeping the experts busy, the guards would rob their lives.

They moved fast, jumped up in the air and came down under the cover of the shadows with a heavy palm attack.

Ugh~

Second prince’s experts drew a trail of blood as they crossed the sky.

As for the city guards, they were pushed back in but few moves from the Radiant Stage imperial guards. Second prince’s experts could do nothing but lay there wounded.  

Watching their brothers breathe their last, the city guards’ mettle cracked and shuddered back.

“d.a.m.n those pestering shadows!” Second prince spat, “I knew them to only be scouts, but they’re actually so strong, even without the Shadow King around.

“Imperial father, is this your last ace?” Second prince muttered.

The emperor’s eyes flashed in disappointment.

[Son, know yourself and your enemy and you shall be ever victorious. You are truly a lost cause to fight your father without even knowing my hidden aces. Sigh, so many years have pa.s.sed yet you never could fix this brash side of yours…]

Second prince clenched his fists in denial. His mutiny might have less to do with reaching that fantastical throne and more to earn his father’s approval. 

Only to have neither.

“Second prince, the shadow guards will overrun us. We need to fall back!” One Radiant Stage expert, with blood coming from his mouth, advised, “With the imperial capital in turmoil, despite our failure, we will make a comeback as long as Your Highness lives.”

[Comeback? From this?!]

This mutiny, here and now, was his best chance. He took the city guards for himself and struck while the emperor lay defenseless. This was as good as it was ever going to get. 

Failing now, he’d be hard pressed to get a chance even remotely as good as this one.

And yet…

He looked at the fallen Radiant Stage experts of his, at the city guards being toyed with by mere hundreds of shadow guards and the second prince closed his eyes in defeat, “I’ve truly lost…”

“Second prince!” Another expert urged.

Flashing his eyes open, he steeled his voice, “Fall back!”

Second prince and his experts in the lead quickly made their getaway. Yet he turned his head at the emperor now and then as the city guards followed behind him.

The emperor’s eyes were struck with lamentation.

“After them!” One Radiant Stage guard shouted seeing them on the run.

The emperor sighed, waving, “Leave him be.”

The Radiant Stage guards froze, but nodded.

[Your Majesty is the lord supreme but still a father. Second prince has revolted tonight yet His Majesty would let him go.] 

While the emperor didn’t pursue, some shrewder individuals weren’t about to let this prime chance go.

Second prince was pulling out of the Imperial Palace while fending off pursuers when a boom revealed torches lighting up just beyond the gates, shining across thousands upon thousands of faces. 

Second prince watched the sea of lights and spat, “Crown Prince, third brother, have you come to ambush me?” 

“Second brother, you had the gall to raise your arms against our emperor and are charged with heinous crimes. Talk, how is the imperial father?” Crown Prince stepped forth, demanding.

Yuwen Cong was worried, “Second brother, how are the imperial father and Yongning? You couldn’t have been so cold as to harm them.”

“Humph, old third, when people speak of lowbrow, bug-eyed, fat-headed fool, they mean you. I thought it would be obvious by now how they’re doing by looking at my beaten army!” 

Second prince mocked, “Ha-ha-ha, elder brother, you sure are considerate. I’m sure you’ve been waiting for this chance for a long time. With the sin of regicide on my head, you would have all the right to take me down and take the throne for yourself. Humph, like a true oriole. Now I see why the imperial father made you Crown Prince. You really are resourceful.”

Crown Prince held him in a cold stare, “Second brother, you are jumping to conclusions. I only have imperial father’s safety in mind.”

“Do you, now? Then you should be relieved to know that the imperial father is the picture of health, strong as a horse. It’ll be a long time before you’ll take his mantle, decades even, ha-ha-ha… “

Second prince cackled, to which the Crown Prince displayed a bloodthirsty look.

[Second brother truly is a waste…]