Chapter One Hundred and Seven

Wu Songran changed into the new attire with nimble grace and checked her reflection; it fit perfectly. She scurried over to Wu Hong with a slightly awkward gait and asked, "Fengliu, Brother, do I look good?"

Wu Hong’s face flushed a deep crimson. Ever since entering the main hall, his composure had been nowhere to be found, while Lady Li watched the pair with a dazed, fixated gaze.

"Good, good—very good—" Wu Hong stammered, yet he spoke the honest truth from his heart.

Wu Songran was dressed in a flaming red outfit with a plunging neckline that revealed large swathes of porcelain-white skin. The garment resembled an elegant and luxurious evening gown, the kind worn by serene, noble ladies at grand balls. Wu Songran was naturally vivacious and restless, but in this attire, her liveliness was tempered by a touch of wildness, and that wildness was underscored by a hint of indifference. She looked truly magnificent, possessing an extraordinary aura.

Seeing their affectionate display, Lady Li felt her own face grow warm. As a mother, she felt as though she had become an unnecessary third wheel. She hurriedly summoned Li Ruolan, Li Yunda, and several servants back into the hall, hoping that the presence of others would compel the pair to restrain their intimate behavior.

The vast hall was soon filled again with servants, as well as Li Ruolan and Li Yunda. The servants were bewildered, assuming Lady Li had sent them away earlier only to discuss urgent matters with her children. Only the more worldly-wise among the servants cast furtive glances at Wu Hong and Wu Songran, harboring unusual thoughts. As for Li Yunda, he looked at the two with an expression of profound strangeness.

Li Yunda was unaware that Wu Hong and Wu Songran shared no blood relation, which explained his reaction. However, such unions were not entirely unheard of; the Great Qian Dynasty had seen precedents of half-siblings marrying, though such cases were rare. In some of the other Five Great Nations, such occurrences were commonplace.

Servants brought in a fresh table of dishes.

"Come, Brother Hong, have some of this. You’ve been away for so long; I imagine you haven't tasted the delicacies of Bianjing for many years!" Wu Songran smiled radiantly as she placed a piece of turkey into Wu Hong’s bowl.

Li Ruolan looked at Wu Songran with a curious expression, sensing that something had transpired between them, though she did not dwell on it. Lady Li was at a loss for words; the two youngsters were truly bold. The servants attending to them dared not voice their thoughts, yet they all shared a single question: Were the rumors about the Young Master and the Young Miss actually true? The air was thick with complicated emotions.

"Such a lively gathering! Third Mother, we have guests in the house, and yet you didn't call for me?"

Just as Wu Hong and Li Yunda were clinking cups to mask their embarrassment, a familiar voice rang out without prior announcement. Wu Lie entered, accompanied by a group of subordinates, uninvited.

Lady Li smiled faintly. "It is Lie’er! Come and sit quickly. Your brother has returned from abroad, and we haven't been able to notify you!"

As Wu Lie entered the hall with his retinue, his expression grew complex upon seeing Wu Hong. He could not say he hated Wu Hong; this elder brother, whom he had once held in complete disdain, now possessed peerless martial arts that made even the most powerful factions tremble.

"Third Mother, Father’s body is not yet cold, yet you invite this man into the manor to entertain him? I fear that is rather inappropriate," Wu Lie said, casting a sullen look at Wu Hong.

Before Lady Li could respond, Wu Songran stood up abruptly. "Brother Lie, Brother Hong is truly not the murderer who killed Father! Do not speak such nonsense."

Wu Lie had been someone Wu Songran admired since childhood. It was only with Wu Hong’s rise that she began to view her "Brother Lie" differently, feeling he was merely a "genius" who could not withstand adversity.

"Sister Ran, do you still consider me your brother? How can you dine with an enemy?" Wu Lie’s face darkened.

"You may all withdraw," Lady Li said calmly.

The servants acknowledged the order and left. Li Ruolan and Li Yunda were about to follow suit when Lady Li signaled them to stay; clearly, she did not view them as outsiders. With no other choice, Lady Li recounted the deductions she had made with Wu Hong, integrating the visions Wu Hong had seen in the Mirror of Worldly Reflections, and relayed the truth to Wu Lie.

Wu Lie’s face turned deathly pale. He had often suspected that Wu Hong was not the murderer of the Prince of Wu, but he could never have imagined this outcome! He found it impossible to accept that he was the son of Emperor Yang Guang, and even harder to acknowledge Wu Hong as the sole heir of the Prince of Wu.

Only Li Yunda was filled with immense excitement. He had initially worried whether Wu Hong was the true successor to the Prince of Wu and the rightful holder of the Dragon King Jade Pendant. Now, it seemed certain that Wu Hong was indeed the one. Rumor had it that the Prince of Wu was a man of unparalleled talent; how could his son be any less? The cultivation technique was important, but innate talent was indispensable.

Wu Hong walked toward Wu Lie. "Brother Lie, I have offended you many times in the past. Let us reconcile!"

Wu Hong extended his hand, hoping for a gesture of peace, but Wu Lie did not respond. Wu Hong did not feel embarrassed and naturally withdrew his hand. He was sincere in his apology; he had no other motive. Their previous two meetings had severely wounded the pride of this capital city genius, mostly because Wu Hong had believed Lady Zhao was the one behind the Prince of Wu’s death, and because Wu Lie’s brilliance in the capital had made him feel a need to teach him a lesson.

Wu Lie, however, felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Previously, whether in the Prince of Wu’s manor or in the capital, he had been the center of attention, receiving endless praise from the Prince of Wu. He had taken great pride in this. But in the end, it was all a void. The Prince of Wu had not refused to pass the throne to him because he was incompetent, but because he was not his son.

He had thought that the "good-for-nothing" Wu Hong would never rise again, yet the gap between their martial cultivation was now like heaven and earth; they were simply not on the same level. The "genius" and the "wastrel" had switched places in an instant. He, the once-acknowledged genius, now seemed insignificant beside the man he had once looked down upon.

"Third Mother, I must take my leave! I have urgent matters to attend to." Wu Lie’s face was ghastly. He had come here upon hearing of Wu Hong’s return, intending to humiliate him, only to be hit with a truth he could not accept. He would not inherit the throne of the Prince of Wu; instead, he possessed an identity that was, in some ways, even more noble—that of a prince of the blood, a son of Yang Guang left behind in the Prince of Wu’s manor. And he, this prince, was merely a pawn of his biological father. Wu Lie felt deeply betrayed; he harbored a burgeoning hatred for Emperor Yang Guang. Coupled with his past closeness to Yang Wei, he began to suspect that Yang Wei’s friendship was a ruse, much like the schemes of Emperor Yang Guang, who had ascended to the Heaven Realm.

Only now did Wu Lie understand the key to the situation. As he reached the door, he stopped. "Emperor Yang Wei has asked me to inform you to enter the palace tomorrow to see the Emperor. But I tell you this sincerely! Do not be arrogant or overconfident. There are many mysteries in this world; if you value your life, do not go!"

Though his voice remained cold, it was clearly a warning. Wu Lie was telling him that Yang Wei had laid a trap, and it was dangerous—it was better not to go.

"Thank you," Wu Hong said, genuinely moved by Wu Lie’s gesture.

"Hmph—I will prove with my strength sooner or later that I am superior to you!" Wu Lie snorted and strode out of the hall.