Chapter 273: The Eldest Brother acted quite like

The Eldest Prince sighed deeply.

Due to his illness, an entire month had been delayed.

Lin Xuanzhi immediately stepped forward, “Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, after the Sixth Prince fell into a coma, I went with General Lei’s men to the place His Highness mentioned, but—”

“But what?”

Lin Xuanzhi looked dejected. “That place experienced a tremor. General Lei’s men were all killed inside, and I was only pulled out at the last moment, barely escaping with my life.”

The tyrant emperor asked, “What place are you talking about?”

“A ruined temple in the southern part of the city.”

Lian’er, who was standing outside the door, turned pale as soon as she heard the words “ruined temple.”

Ah Bao went over and grabbed Lian’er’s hand. “Sister, are you scared?”

[Lian’er, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.]

[I owe Lian’er a debt of gratitude. I should repay her. Everything has cause and effect; Lian’er’s kindness will be rewarded.]

A debt of gratitude?

What kind of debt?

This piqued the curiosity of the tyrant emperor and his three sons, who could hear Ah Bao’s thoughts.

“Since there are clues about the origin of the plague at that ruined temple, I will personally go and take a look.”

“Your Majesty, this…” Lin Xuanzhi tried to dissuade him, “You are the emperor, and the city of Lingnan is already dangerous. If you venture deeper into the source of the plague, it could be disastrous. I suggest that you remain at the general’s residence while we, along with the three princes, go instead.”

“No need. Since I’m here, I’m not just here to enjoy comfort. The best strategy is to resolve the plague quickly.”

Lin Xuanzhi and General Lei both knelt, continuing to advise, “Your Majesty, please reconsider! Think of the greater good.”

“I have already thought it through. There is no need to persuade me further.”

The two officials sighed. There was no dealing with the emperor’s stubbornness.

Before they set out, the two officials made sure the emperor was fully protected, dressing him in layers of protective gear. Where others wore one layer, he wore five, almost suffocating him.

The tyrant emperor was unwilling to cooperate, but Lin Xuanzhi and General Lei insisted, ignoring whether the emperor was upset. They were determined to protect him, even if it meant defying imperial orders.

The three of them stood in a stalemate for quite a while.

When the Eldest Prince finally emerged, he caught Lian’er’s gaze. He nodded and smiled faintly, “Little Sister, who is this person?”

Lian’er’s face stiffened. Although she had anticipated this outcome, why did she feel a hint of sadness now?

“Her name is Lian’er. She’s helping us deal with the plague.”

[I have to say, Eldest Brother is putting on quite a show.]

The Eldest Prince: “…”

He almost couldn’t hold it together!

Ah! How did Little Sister know he hadn’t really “lost his memory”? Was he not acting well enough? Surely Lian’er couldn’t have noticed. If she realized he hadn’t forgotten her, would she disappear from his life forever…

The Eldest Prince nodded at Lian’er in greeting and walked away lightly.

But inside, he was in a complete panic.

Lian’er watched the Eldest Prince’s retreating figure. In the end, she withdrew her gaze and continued to hold Ah Bao, following behind the group.

Forgetting is good. This ill-fated relationship should have ended long ago.

Di Zian scratched his head and nudged Di Chenyu beside him, “Sixth Brother, why do I feel like Eldest Brother walked away so quickly today? Why didn’t he walk with us? It was like something was chasing him.”

Di Chenyu smiled softly, “Stop imagining things.”

Di Zian, who couldn’t keep a secret, had already secretly told him about Eldest Brother and Lian’er.

All he could do was sigh—love is indeed the most painful.

Fortunately, he was still single! Being single is great!

“Seventh Prince, uh…” Leng Qingliu, who had quietly tagged along with the group, approached hesitantly. “I wanted to ask about the Little Princess…”

He was trying to find out about their family’s Feng Batian Prince.

He had been at the general’s residence for a whole day and hadn’t seen Feng Batian. Could the prince have died?

But the Little Princess was so sought after—always being held by one person or another—that he hadn’t been able to get close to her, which made him anxious.

When they arrived at the ruined temple, General Lei led the way.

Lian’er stayed at the back of the group, her face cold, her body trembling uncontrollably.

This was the place where she had been beaten to death.

Back then, she had taken refuge in the temple and encountered two thieves who, finding her ugly, and because she protected a small golden statue, beat her to death.

But fortunately, she had hidden that small golden statue well.

[Is this the ruined temple? Why are there no Buddha statues here?]

[This looks more like a Taoist temple. The spiritual energy is quite strong.]

[Whoever built this Taoist temple, there’s also an evil presence here. This is the real source of the plague.]

So it is the source of the plague.

The tyrant emperor sighed in relief that they had come to the right place and was even more grateful he had brought Ah Bao.

Otherwise, who knows how long the Lingnan disaster would have dragged on.

“Lin Xuanzhi, is this place really a ruined temple?” The tyrant emperor questioned.

Lin Xuanzhi replied, “Honestly, I don’t know either. If you call it a ruined temple, there are no Buddha statues. If you say it’s not a temple, it does feel rather eerie.”

The Tyrant: “…This place looks more like a Taoist temple to me, don’t you think, Ah Bao?”

[Oh my! Father, we really are on the same wavelength. I also think it looks like a Taoist temple.]

Ah Bao smiled and nodded, “Yes, yes, yes.”

The Tyrant: “Come closer, let’s go inside and see what this place really is.”

“Your Majesty, you must stay back. Once you enter the front rooms, the inside is filled with foul air. Please be mindful of your health.” Lin Xuanzhi firmly stood in front of the Tyrant to protect him.

As the group entered the room, it suddenly grew dark. Even though it was bright and sunny outside, the room felt eerie and ominous.

The windows and doors were broken, covered with cobwebs.

In the center was an offering table, but there was no statue of Buddha on it, nor even an incense burner.

[Oh no, there’s black evil energy coming from all around this room.]

Taoist Baiyun, standing beside the Tyrant and Ah Bao, looked around but couldn’t see any of the evil energy seeping out.

The eldest daughter’s spiritual power is impressive!

Ah Bao gave Baiyun a look, and he immediately understood. He took out a yellow talisman, lit it with a swish, and tossed it towards the wall.

Di Zian: “Father, look, the talisman is emitting black smoke. Could there be something in that corner?”

Then, Taoist Baiyun threw yellow talismans into all four corners, and the result was the same.

“Baiyun, what’s going on?” the Tyrant asked anxiously.

“If I’m not mistaken, there’s something beneath this room. The black energy is all evil energy, the same source as the plague spreading through the city.”

“Lian’er, are you feeling unwell?”

Lian’er stood outside the door, not daring to enter.

The Eldest Prince, being thoughtful, also stood at the back of the group, right beside Lian’er.