Far away in the imperial palace, the first prince sat quietly in his chamber, holding a book and reading peacefully.
Suddenly, a loud voice came from outside the room — "Your Highness! There's a problem!"
The first prince looked toward the door and ordered calmly, "Enter."
Immediately, a servant dressed in black entered. His face was completely covered, leaving only his eyes visible.
This man was the prince's most trusted and capable servant.
He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, news regarding the third prince — he's gone missing."
The first prince was shocked upon hearing that. "Missing?" He vividly remembered when his younger brother told him to go ahead, saying there was something he needed to do.
He hadn't thought much of it at the time since there shouldn't have been any danger to his life. Why?
Because his younger brother was being protected by Zhang Guan, the imperial bodyguard personally assigned by their father, the emperor.
The prince's eyes narrowed sharply. "What about the guard named Guan, the one father assigned to him?"
The servant's body trembled slightly as he replied, "He's missing as well, Your Highness. No trace of either of them has been found."
The situation was chaotic in the imperial court — the struggle for the throne was intensifying.
Among the emperor's four children, the rivalry between the first and second princes was already well-known.
If the third prince was still alive, the first prince could perhaps escape suspicion.
But if he was dead, his own path to succession would crumble completely.
After all, it was their father himself who had entrusted the first prince with the task of accompanying the third prince — a test of responsibility.
Truthfully, the first prince had never liked his younger brother, that narrow-minded fool who bullied anyone weaker than him — even stray cats on the street weren't spared from his cruelty.
At that moment, the first prince realized that if the second prince learned about this, it would become a weapon against him. He couldn't afford to give him such a chance.
"Summon the Imperial Investigator," he ordered coldly.
That was the best move — by showing genuine concern and launching an official investigation, he could gain the emperor's understanding and minimize the damage.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The servant immediately bowed and disappeared silently.
The first prince looked out the window.
The worst possibility was that the third prince was already dead.
If that was the case… he would need a scapegoat.
Then a smile slowly crept across his face as a thought struck him — "The genius Zhang Yong… yes, he'll do nicely."
---
Meanwhile, at the Peak of Serenity, the disciples were gathered inside the pavilion, and the irresistible aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
And who was doing the cooking? Of course — Zhang Yong.
"Hey, Zhang Yong! Is the meat done yet?" shouted Su Ming impatiently as he waited outside with the others.
Zhang Yong carried in several plates and placed them on the table. "Why don't you stop being lazy and try cooking yourself?"
"Pfft! If Xiao Ming tried to cook, we'd end up eating ashes!" said Liu Yan teasingly as she reached for a skewer.
"Hey! Senior sister, my cooking isn't that bad," protested Su Ming.
"If that's true, then you'll be cooking next time," replied Qing Feng with a smirk as he grabbed a piece of meat.
Suddenly, soft footsteps echoed near the doorway.
A small boy, maybe ten years old, wearing simple, worn clothes, entered the pavilion uninvited.
His wide eyes gleamed with curiosity as he looked at the table full of food.
Without hesitation, he sat down and began eating. "Mmm… this is really delicious."
Everyone froze.
"Who's that kid?" asked Su Ming cautiously.
No one moved to stop him — they just exchanged confused glances.
Zhang Yong finally spoke calmly, "Hey kid, who are you? How did you get in here?"
The boy looked up mid-bite. "What? Is this how you treat your Master?"
Everyone froze completely, staring at the child who continued eating without care.
Su Ming gave an awkward laugh, "Our master? You've got to be kidding, right?"
But the boy didn't laugh. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Su Ming with cold confidence. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Master Gu…?" murmured Zhang Yong, narrowing his eyes in disbelief.
The boy nodded casually. "What? Surprised by my new appearance?"
Su Ming's mouth hung open. "Yesterday you were still an old man! Master, how did you become like this?"
Gu Zixian smiled faintly. "It's because of the pill you gave me. It restored my life force and rejuvenated my body — in other words, I've become young again."
"But this young? You look like a child!" said Liu Yan, still staring at him curiously.
Gu Zixian sighed softly. "Yes, and though my injuries are healed, my cultivation has dropped — I'm now at the tenth level of the Warrior Realm."
Qing Feng chuckled. "I didn't expect our master to have such jade-like skin when he was young. Now I believe you when you said you used to be as handsome as Zhang Yong."
Gu Zixian frowned slightly. "Hmph, foolish disciple. Why would I lie? Anyway, I still have enough time to teach you more. By the way, Zhang Yong — how's your comprehension of the laws and paths?"
Zhang Yong clasped his fists. "Apologies, Master. I haven't made much progress except breaking into the Truth Realm, becoming a fourth-grade alchemist, and slightly understanding the Law of Void."
Gu Zixian stroked his imaginary beard, still keeping that old habit. "Not bad. I'll arrange a token for you — access to the library. It may not be much, but it'll help you advance."
Zhang Yong nodded. "Thank you, Master."
Liu Yin suddenly spoke, "That reminds me, Zhang Yong, you should go to the Inner Disciples' Square." She pointed at her bandaged eyes.
Zhang Yong's eyes gleamed with understanding. 'So it's an event?' he thought.
He smiled lightly. "Alright then, I'll head out. See you later, everyone."
He left the pavilion, his mind already spinning with thoughts.
'Okay, the issue with Master is resolved. Now there's Wu Ruxian… she's lived long enough. I have one trump card against her, but it's not enough. I'll need to wait — maybe until the fifth layer before I act. Also, there's the matter of the Yggdrasil Seed… and that system mission.'
But suddenly, a sharp shout interrupted his thoughts — "Yang Jin, you bastard!"
Zhang Yong turned his head — he had unknowingly arrived at the Inner Disciples' Square.
Two young men were fighting fiercely in the open — a foolish move in such a place.
The one shouting was a tall young man with long brown hair and bright green eyes, his black robes clearly expensive.
His opponent had dark blue hair and glowing red eyes, staring at him with clear disdain.
A golden palm technique flew through the air, but Yang Jin met it with a blazing red fist, shattering it instantly and sending the attacker flying.
Zhang Yong frowned slightly. Two Earth-grade techniques? That poor guy's in trouble.
The defeated youth crashed into a wall, coughing blood.
Yang Jin's killing intent flared as he lunged forward, his crimson fist ready to strike —
But suddenly, a hand appeared and blocked it effortlessly.
"Don't you feel ashamed, trying to kill in public like this?" Zhang Yong said with a faint smile.
In front of him, two notifications appeared:
[Mission Unlocked]
Difficulty: B-
Description: Change destiny and fulfill dreams
Objective: Save Gan Li and help him achieve his wish
Reward:
5,000 EXP
5,000 Emotion Points
Left Foot spirit Bone
Failure: Lose one random skill permanently
(Can't be returned even if you trained on it again)
[Additional Info: Yang Jin]
Stage: Third Layer of the Master Realm
Background: His teacher once tried to seize his body, but Yang Jin reversed the process and regained control, inheriting some of his master's medical and alchemical memories.
Current Goal: Obtain a Celestial Body
Situation: he developed hatred toward the host.
[New Mission Triggered]
Difficulty: +C
Description: Defy the Heavens
Objective: Kill Yang Jin
Reward: the Complete medical knowledge of Yang Jin
Zhang Yong's expression stiffened for a moment as he looked at his hand still holding Yang Jin's fist.
Tch… another Child of Fortune? Just how many of them are in this sect? This is ridiculous.
Yang Jin stepped back, glaring angrily. "Who are you to interfere?" he spat arrogantly.
Zhang Yong didn't answer right away. He just gave him a cold, faint smile and said, "Nothing much. I just wanted to test your strength — but I'm disappointed, it's weak."
A woman in blue robes stood watching silently from the distance, her gaze fixed on the scene.
Gan Li, lying weakly on the ground, looked up at her with pain in his voice. "Ruo… Nan…"
But the girl only glanced at him briefly before lowering her gaze again — pity or sorrow, no one could tell.
Yang Jin snorted coldly. "Fine. Since you've interfered, you're my enemy."
He turned and left, the woman following him quietly.
Zhang Yong sighed 'Pathetic. Another Child of Fortune — another reward waiting. I'll check the mission details later'
A weak voice rose behind him — it was Gan Li. "Thank you…" he said as he struggled to stand.
Zhang Yong turned to him calmly. "Are you alright?"
Gan Li nodded faintly. "Yes… but why did you help me?"
Zhang Yong smiled softly. "Because I wanted to. Do I need a reason to help someone in need?"
Gan Li smiled weakly. "Thank you. I don't know what to say."
Zhang Yong helped him up and handed him a pill. "Take this. Now, what's the deal between you and that guy?"
Later, as they sat in the sect's dining hall, Zhang Yong asked, "So, what's going on between you and Yang Jin?"
Gan Li lowered his head. "That girl who left with him — she's my fiancée, Ruo Nan. We've been engaged since childhood… but that bastard Yang Jin seduced her. He became her family's benefactor."
Zhang Yong nodded slowly, understanding the situation. "So you want her back — that's your wish?"
Gan Li smiled bitterly. "Yes… but compared to him, I'm nothing. All I have is my family."
Your family, huh? Zhang Yong thought. 'System, his family related to the child of fortune , so give me the data on his family.
(Cost: 1,500,000 Emotion Points)
'Tch, that's robbery… fine, take it'
Instantly, information poured into his mind.
The Gan family — a Silver-ranked family specializing in trade. The top merchant family among all Silver Clans in the area
Zhang Yong's brows rose. 'Oh-ho… not bad. Not only can I gain a spirit bone and eliminate a Child of Fortune, but I can complete a mission too. Three birds with one stone'
He smiled faintly and pulled a talisman from his storage ring.
"Alright, I'll call him." He activated the talisman, and a blue streak of light shot into the sky.
Gan Li tilted his head in confusion. "Who are you calling?"
Zhang Yong smiled angelically. "A friend. We'll help you."
Gan Li blinked. "You'll… help me? Really?"
Zhang Yong nodded kindly. "Of course. I love helping those in need."
Moments later, Su Ming appeared at the door.
He walked over and asked, "What's going on? Why did you call me?"
Zhang Yong explained everything.
Su Ming leaned back, looking annoyed. "So you've decided to help him? What do you even know about women? I've never seen you with one."
Gan Li looked between them curiously. "Is that true? But with your looks…"
Zhang Yong smiled serenely. "Of course you haven't. The coach doesn't play, kid."
Su Ming sighed. "Fine then, coach. What's your plan?"
Zhang Yong's smile turned calm and confident. "Simple — before we act, we investigate."