Watching the direction Qin Luo had left, a cold light flashed in Qin Feng's eyes. After a while, he suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha… I really didn't expect this. My Ninth Brother is even more arrogant than I am."
"Interesting. Very interesting."
"He's hiding something. Go dig it up. I want to know *everything* about him."
There was no way he would believe some stray prince from the countryside could be this strong without another backing or secret.
"You all go."
"As for you, Miao Yun—remember this. I, Qin Feng, always keep my word. I'll make sure you fall at my feet."
The "poison" Qin Feng used was indeed real, but it wasn't lethal. It merely muddled the mind—and it needed to be paired with the toxin already in Miao Yun's body to take effect.
…
As a prince, Qin Luo naturally had a residence in the capital, allocated by the Imperial Clan Court. As soon as he left Wangyue Tower, officials hurried to lead him there.
The moment Qin Luo stepped into the manor, his heart stirred. A faint, restless heat rose within him.
"Just as you said," he muttered inwardly to Xi Huang.
"Get into the Human Emperor Banner. I'll take care of it," Xi Huang replied.
"Good."
He turned to the temporary steward at his courtyard. "I'm going into seclusion. No one is to disturb me."
"Yes, Your Highness!" the steward answered quickly.
Once inside his room, Qin Luo sank his consciousness into the Human Emperor Banner.
Xi Huang's manifested figure was enchantingly beautiful, every gesture brimming with seduction.
If she hadn't been a soul, Qin Luo might not have trusted his own self-control.
With a thought, he summoned out the two sacred artifacts. Xi Huang shot him a resentful look. "I must have owed you a great debt in my last life."
Grumbling aside, she still performed her duties with care, cleansing the toxin from his body.
"Your dear brother's woman has arrived as well," Xi Huang added casually.
Qin Luo's mouth curved. "Want to bet?"
"I'd wager there's poison on her too."
Xi Huang blinked, then noticed exactly where his eyes had drifted on her form and instantly understood.
"You lecher."
"No bet."
"Let's skip the bet this time."
With a flash, Qin Luo's consciousness returned to his body. Inside the Banner, Xi Huang muttered to herself, "It probably *is* poisoned…"
Creak.
The door slid open. Miao Yun walked in with several richly dressed women.
"This servant greets His Highness the Ninth Prince," she said, bowing with a practiced, seductive grace.
The others followed her lead, their postures deliberately enticing.
But the next second, Miao Yun froze.
Qin Luo's eyes were cold and clear.
"tsk, tsk… my dear Eighth Brother really is generous. He said he'd give me *everything*, and he gave me everything," Qin Luo said lightly, his tone laced with mockery.
"However, didn't I just say that no one was allowed to disturb me?"
His gaze fell on the steward beside the door.
The man's knees buckled as terror flooded his face. He dropped to the floor in panic.
"Your Highness, it was this young lady—they insisted on coming in. She said she was a concubine sent by the Eighth Prince to serve Your Highness…"
"But you still disobeyed, didn't you?" Qin Luo stepped up to him, looking down with a calm, almost bored expression.
"Spare me, Your Highness! Spare me! I swear, I'll obey Your Highness from now on!"
The steward kowtowed repeatedly, his whole body shaking.
"No need to wait for next time. Leave it for your next life."
Qin Luo's sword flashed.
The steward stared in disbelief as his throat split open. He collapsed without another sound.
If you make a mistake, you pay the price.
Besides, with others already scheming against him, a steward who couldn't handle the simplest order was either stupid or compromised.
Miao Yun shivered. She had not expected Qin Luo to kill so decisively. He was like a demon in human skin.
Qin Luo's eyes swept over the women. "Barging into my room—were you planning to assassinate me?"
Miao Yun hurriedly shook her head. "No, Your Highness, we would never dare."
"We are concubines gifted to you by the Eighth Prince. We… came to serve you."
"Concubines?" Qin Luo snorted. "A bunch of women who've been passed around a thousand times, and you dare call yourselves concubines?"
He waved his hand, and the room sank into darkness.
"Hehehe… get ready to die."
Even mosquito legs were still meat. How could the Human Emperor Banner house only Xi Huang?
To the women's horror, another breathtakingly beautiful woman—Xi Huang's manifested soul—stepped out of the void.
As fellow women, they instinctively felt envy and jealousy.
Xi Huang only sneered.
With a casual gesture, their bodies were ripped apart, and their shrieking souls were pulled straight into the Human Emperor Banner.
Later, Qin Luo had the steward's corpse carried out and personally laid down his rules for the manor.
The entire staff fell silent. Every gaze that landed on Qin Luo was filled with raw fear.
"The manor will be sealed for three days," Qin Luo ordered. "It reopens after three days."
For the next three days, he would cultivate—and let the city stew.
…
"Have you heard? A new prince just entered the Imperial Clan Court. He's that Ninth Prince who lived among commoners for eighteen years."
"I heard more than that—I hear the Ninth Prince is a monstrous talent, and used to be the Holy Son of Tai Xu Holy Land."
"Your news is behind. Tai Xu Holy Land already issued a statement expelling him."
"What? Is Tai Xu Holy Land crazy or just stupid? A prince isn't worthy of being their Holy Son?"
…
In the Gu residence.
Smack!
Gu Yanting's palm cracked hard across Gu Qingxue's face.
"Shameless girl! You've utterly disgraced the Gu family!"
Gu Qingxue stared back at him in disbelief. She had never imagined her father would actually strike her.
She bit her lip stubbornly. "Father, was I wrong to pursue my own happiness?"
Gu Yanting's expression was full of disappointment. "Is it 'happiness' to sit in a carriage alone with a man in full view of the public?"
"Yes, your daughter was wrong," Gu Qingxue said, then quickly added, "But that Ninth Prince smashed *my* carriage for no reason. How was *he* right?"
Boom.
Gu Yanting's fury flared. "Rebellious girl! Do you even hear yourself?"
"Do you understand what your actions mean? Even if he cut you down on the spot, he would have a reason!"
Gu Qingxue hardened her heart. "Father, I don't want to marry that Ninth Prince. I won't marry him."
"And he threatened me—said he'd wipe out our whole family. What is he? Just a wild stray who appeared out of nowhere."
"He even wanted to make me his concubine. That's an insult to me—and an even greater insult to you, the Vice Dean of the Great Qin Academy!"
"I won't marry him. If Father insists on forcing me, then just kill me." She closed her eyes like a pig ready for slaughter, clearly ready to gamble everything.
Gu Yanting almost choked on his own rage. He raised his hand again, but in the end he couldn't bring it down.
"I will go kneel and beg His Majesty to rescind the decree."
Saying this, he suddenly seemed to age several decades.
Gu Qingxue opened her eyes and watched her father's hunched back, her heart tightening—but she was still confident. With her father personally pleading, His Majesty would surely agree.
"Father…" she called softly.
Gu Yanting paused.
For a moment, he thought this was his chance to speak some heartfelt words and show a loving father's helplessness.
But Gu Qingxue's next sentence nearly made him turn around and beat her to death.
"If His Majesty doesn't agree, then you should kneel outside the palace gates and not get up. His Majesty will definitely think carefully then."
Gu Yanting's steps faltered, but he didn't turn around.
He was genuinely afraid that if he saw her face again, he wouldn't be able to stop his hand.
"My own child. My own child. My own child…"
"What a… *filial* daughter."