Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1370 - 1370 0779 This Really Shouldnt Happen_2

Chapter 1370: Chapter 0779: This Really Shouldn’t Happen_2 Chapter 1370: Chapter 0779: This Really Shouldn’t Happen_2 Qi Tian waved his hand dismissively. His original intention wasn’t for Emperor Jianwu to kill so many people, yet since Emperor Jianwu had done so, he wasn’t going to say anything about it. As for those cultivators who were killed – if anyone said they were innocent, that would be a joke. Their repeated insults to the Imperial Master Mansion were certainly not their first offense. With just this reason alone, their deaths were justified, and Qi Tian wouldn’t stand up for them.

Qi Tian looked at the several fellow disciples from the Imperial Master Mansion and said, “Do you now understand the meaning of my words? True power comes from one’s own strength. Constantly making compromises is of no benefit to you or the Imperial Master Mansion. I hope you will remember today’s events and seize every opportunity to make yourselves stronger as quickly as possible. Only in this way can you live up to the Imperial Master Mansion’s nurturing and meet the Mansion Master’s expectations.”

The disciples of the Imperial Master Mansion hurried to assure Qi Tian that they had taken his words to heart. The recent events had deeply shocked them. The fact that all this happened right before their eyes was undoubtedly linked to Qi Tian. The Princes had heeded Qi Tian’s call and rushed to his side immediately, leaving everything else aside, and then Emperor Jianwu had killed a hundred men with a single sword strike – all because Qi Tian was there. Ultimately, it was Qi Tian’s formidable strength that made these Princes go out of their way to please him. This made them acutely aware that once their strength reached the level of Qi Tian’s, they would receive similar support from the outside world.

Qi Tian waved his hand, dismissing the Imperial Master Mansion’s disciples, and then he bowed to the eight Princes to thank them for coming to support him. Now that the matter had been handled, they could leave.

The Princes of Xidu were quite dissatisfied at heart. Just for this trivial matter, they had to dash over, and now, Qi Tian was sending them away as if shooing away flies. Yet, what could they say? They had no choice but to obey. Provoking Qi Tian over such a minor issue was a consequence they couldn’t afford.

Leaving first were the Princes of Xidu, with the four Princes of Eastern Capital City following soon after. They all departed one after the other, until only Emperor Jianwu remained. He thickened his skin and repeatedly asked Qi Tian for permission to stay at his side and serve him, promising that in future incidents like today’s, there would be no need for Qi Tian to take action; he would handle everything himself.

After some thought, Qi Tian finally nodded and agreed.

Emperor Jianwu was overjoyed. He knew all too well that staying beside Qi Tian brought only benefits and no drawbacks. Not to mention others, just from the time he met Qi Tian until now, he had already received countless favors.

Qi Tian instructed Emperor Jianwu to inquire if there were any other princes or princesses in Southern City. If so, he should bring them over, as Qi Tian had some questions to ask.

Without a second word, Emperor Jianwu promptly began to carry out Qi Tian’s orders and searched throughout Southern City.

This time, when Emperor Tian Rui entered the Imperial Family Secret Territory, aside from the prince he had chosen to succeed the throne and the prince he disliked, leaving them outside Great Zhao Nation, he brought all others into the secret territory. The group that had come earlier was only a part of them.

Soon, Emperor Jianwu found the remaining princes and princesses. Without caring whether they were willing, he ordered them to report to Qi Tian as quickly as possible. Any delay, no matter how slight, would be at their own risk.

These princes and princesses were either too honest in character or too young, which was why they had not participated in the assault on the disciples of the Imperial Master Mansion. They had narrowly escaped a disaster; however, they were already aware of what had happened to their siblings. After receiving summons from Emperor Jianwu, not a single one dared to disregard the order. They all rushed at their fastest speed to the gathering place of the Imperial Master Mansion and met Qi Tian.

Watching the princes and princesses hurry over, Qi Tian shook his head inwardly. He couldn’t quite understand Emperor Tian Rui’s actions—the cultivation resources in the Imperial Family Secret Territory were becoming increasingly scarce. If he truly had their best interests at heart, Emperor Tian Rui should have let them stay in the Great Zhao Nation. At the very least, they could have ventured outside of the Great Zhao Nation after growing to a certain extent, rather than bringing them all into the Imperial Family Secret Territory. In the long run, such an approach would only harm them, not benefit them.

However, all of this was Emperor Tian Rui’s choice, and Qi Tian could not interfere, nor was he interested in doing so. After all the princes and princesses had arrived in front of him, he asked, “Who among you knows where Emperor Tian Rui has gone with the three Mansion Masters of the National Master Manor? Whoever knows should tell me. There’ll be substantial rewards. If you know but are unwilling to say, weigh for yourselves whether you can withstand my wrath.”

Emperor Wu stood beside Qi Tian, speaking coldly, “No matter your age, all of you have stepped into the Cultivation World and should know that once a cultivator reaches a certain level, they will master the soul-searching method. I am one of them. If you know something, speak honestly. If you withhold information, I will have to use the soul-searching method on each of you. Should you turn into idiots by accident during the process, don’t blame me.”

The princes and princesses were well aware of Emperor Wu’s ruthlessness—the example of their deposed siblings made it clear. Now their legs trembled with fear, worried Emperor Wu might strike them down. Immediately, some princes and princesses started to cry, overwhelmed by fear. As children of Emperor Tian Rui, they had never experienced such a scene before.

Emperor Wu furrowed his eyebrows, for he couldn’t stand to see members of the royal family cry before him. If any of these were his children, he would have slapped them dead long ago. Now, he had to endure; he worried that among them were those who knew the whereabouts of Emperor Tian Rui. If he killed them all, how would he find Emperor Tian Rui then?

Emperor Wu looked at the children of Emperor Tian Rui who weren’t crying and asked, “Do any of you know something?”

These children of Emperor Tian Rui didn’t know what Qi Tian wanted with their father. Leaving aside whether they knew or not, even if they did, they would have to consider carefully. By revealing Emperor Tian Rui’s whereabouts to Qi Tian, what kind of punishment would they face from Emperor Tian Rui upon his return? They knew all too well what kind of person their father was.

Emperor Wu waited for a while but did not receive any response, growing impatient. He had hoped to show off a good performance in front of Qi Tian but didn’t expect that Emperor Tian Rui’s children were so uncooperative—either crying or staying silent as if he had no temper at all. His face darkened as he said sternly, “I’ll ask you all one last time. Do you know the whereabouts of Emperor Tian Rui? Speak now if you do; if not, you’ll lose the chance.”

Just then, a male cultivator who looked to be in his fifties or sixties stepped forward. He bowed to Emperor Wu and Qi Tian, saying, “May I take the liberty to ask, Qi Tian, what is it that you want with my father, the Emperor? Are you planning to harm my father?”

Qi Tian looked at the man who had stepped forward, feeling somewhat surprised. He appeared much older than Emperor Tian Rui—unexpectedly, this was one of Emperor Tian Rui’s sons. So aged, it seemed that without a special opportunity, he wouldn’t have many years left before death due to the depletion of his lifespan. Such a person, brought into the Imperial Family Secret Territory, was simply a waste.

Qi Tian said, “Finding Emperor Tian Rui is not my main objective. The first thing I need to ensure is the safety of my Mansion Master. As long as my Mansion Master is safe, and Emperor Tian Rui isn’t planning to strike against my Mansion Master, then I won’t cause trouble for Emperor Tian Rui. Beyond that, I can’t promise you anything.”

The aged prince sighed, “Qi Tian, such words are greatly disrespectful to my father. After all, you are a subject of the Great Zhao Nation, having emerged from the Imperial Master Mansion. It is your duty to be loyal to the Emperor, and now you harbor thoughts of harming my father—that’s unacceptable.”