Part 4
Zong Hao ignored him, his face darkening as he stared at the name “Albin.” The title was explosive. Clicking in revealed the entire sequence of events from today’s stream, followed by a video Albin had posted. In it, Albin claimed he simply worshiped “Brother Zong” and had no other motives. He said Brother Zong had misunderstood and blacklisted him, and he begged fans to go to Brother Zong’s room to explain his sincerity.
Albin was good-looking and generous, so he had already gained a following. They began to voice their indignation, posting barrages about how “No.1 Knife of the Sect” was arrogant for blacklisting someone who had given him so much money.
Zong Hao’s face grew even darker. “Have someone look into this person. Also, why aren’t people mentioning that No.1 Knife of the Sect returned all the tips? Why isn’t Albin explaining that?”
Ichi was now fully convinced his Marshal was the [Zong] in question. But considering this was “No.1 Knife of the Sect,” it made sense. “Looks like he comes with ill intent. This is definitely on purpose.” Based on his years of experience on social media, this person was clearly trying to leech off the popularity, or perhaps he had a specific mission to smear Mr. Zong’s reputation.
After all, he’d posted a video, so why wouldn’t he mention that the money had been returned? He was intentionally making his fans believe that [No.1 Knife of the Sect] had taken a “true fan’s” money and then turned his back on them.
Zong Hao clearly saw through it as well. Combined with recent events, he said, “His goal is definitely more than just this. Find out who he is.” The man had shown his face, so he clearly wasn’t afraid of being investigated. Given the timing, Zong Hao worried it might be a lingering threat from the Crown Prince or something related to the Emperor.
Ichi moved quickly. After reviewing the detailed background, he fell into silence. “It really is related to the Crown Prince. This man arrived at the Capital Star about a month ago, exactly one day after Mu Jiayi confessed. He’s the next heir of the Albin family, the largest clan on the second-largest planet under the Capital Star. His father is the current head. Based on the timing, the Crown Prince likely chose him as Little Lyman’s new adoptive father to replace Zong Ling. But since the Crown Prince fell, the Albin family might not know yet. They’re letting this Albin build hype, likely trying to use the clout of No.1 Knife of the Sect first… though…”
Likely because this heir was too arrogant, his acting was terrible. People had seen through his motives instantly, so he simply decided to double down.
Zong Hao’s expression was grim. “Ensure the news that No.1 Knife of the Sect returned the tips is spread clearly. Also, contact the Albin Family Head. If he won’t control his son, we’ll find someone to do it for him.”
If he were being open and honest, that would be one thing. But using underhanded tactics meant he couldn’t be allowed to continue so blatantly.
Ichi saluted. “Your subordinate will arrange it immediately. Clarifying is easy; I’ll just have people post the screenshots. But we’ll need the evidence of the transfer from this side, otherwise…”
Zong Hao understood. After a moment’s thought, he messaged Ning Yunyi. Given the scale of the drama, Ning Yunyi must have known by now.
Ning Yunyi did know. Someone had informed him almost as soon as he got on the Star Network. He was about to handle it when Zong Hao’s message arrived, explaining Albin’s connection to the Crown Prince.
Ning Yunyi sent the screenshots to Zong Hao. [No.1 Knife of the Sect: When does the Emperor plan to announce the news about the Crown Prince?]
Because the news had been suppressed, the Albin family still thought they had the Crown Prince as a backer. They were trying to step on Ning Yunyi to climb up, planning to eventually announce his identity as an heir and then adopt Little Lyman, following Zong Ling’s original path.
Zong Hao thought of the situation in the palace, his expression turning solemn. [Zong: Soon.] Since the Emperor was still trying to save the Crown Prince’s face, it was time for a little push.
Once Ichi posted the screenshots, Zong Hao headed immediately for the palace. He used this exact incident as a pretext. Upon seeing the Emperor, he explained that since the Crown Prince’s imprisonment hadn’t been announced, families were still willing to serve him on the surface—and likely many more were doing so in secret.
Reluctance flashed in the Emperor’s eyes. “But the Crown Prince… we’ve been father and son for so many years…”
Zong Hao looked at the Emperor. “This is just about announcing his deposition. Does Your Majesty still plan to let him remain a Prince? Or does Your Majesty believe there is still any father-son affection left after he tried to kill you? Is Your Majesty mourning the bond, or do you simply not trust me? Do you, like the Crown Prince, feel that my achievements overshadow your rule?”
The directness of the words caused the Emperor’s face to shift. “A-Hao, how could you think that? If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have told you everything.”
Zong Hao: “Then what exactly is Your Majesty worried about?”
The Emperor sighed. “The Empress has finally regained consciousness thanks to the Healers, but she is in poor health. She only has those two children. One is to be deposed and the other is imprisoned. Even her adopted second son has mental issues. I’m afraid the shock will be too much for her.”
Zong Hao: “Does Your Majesty think the Empress truly doesn’t understand the current situation, given what the Crown Prince did during the sacrifice?”
The Emperor’s expression shifted. Finally, he nodded. “Very well. I was mistaken.”
Zong Hao gave a hum. As he turned to leave, the Emperor called out to him. After some hesitation, he spoke. “A-Hao… do you… blame me? Even if it was the Late Emperor’s order, later… I truly didn’t have time to make amends. I’ve already heard… the Crown Prince issued the order not long ago. Your sister is gone. I’m sorry, I…” This was the source of his constant anxiety. He feared Zong Hao would hate him for losing his last living relative.
Zong Hao looked back. “If that is Your Majesty’s concern, then it isn’t necessary. Just focus on how to compensate the shifters who were imprisoned for so long. As for my sister… she isn’t dead.”
Now that the Base was reclaimed and the Crown Prince was imprisoned, he couldn’t let his sister remain a “dead person” forever. This was the perfect timing to bring her back into the light.
The Emperor was shocked and delighted. “Really? But those people said…”
Zong Hao had already prepared his explanation upon returning from the Desolate Star. “The Crown Prince did indeed issue the execution order. However, as Your Majesty knows, that Base has an escape door. My sister escaped before the event occurred. What was destroyed was just a collection of her rabbit fur that she’d trimmed in advance.”
Everyone who had witnessed the event was dead. Even if the Emperor investigated, he would only find fur and blood. As for how she escaped—if Zong Hao didn’t tell him, the Emperor would never know, and he couldn’t exactly force an answer.
Sure enough, the Emperor—fearing that too many questions would alienate Zong Hao—let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Once A-Yun returns, shall we restore her rank?”
Zong Hao shook his head. “After years of mental power extraction, she doesn’t have much strength left. She’s no longer suitable for the military.”
The Emperor felt a sense of regret and melancholy. He waved his hand. “The matter of the Crown Prince… do as you see fit. I’ll act as though I have no such son. As for the Empress, I’ll find a quiet time to explain everything to her.”
Zong Hao gave a hum and left. He understood the Emperor’s minor calculations now that his sons were no longer by his side, but for now, the situation needed stability. Unless the Emperor made a move, they would maintain this temporary balance.
Zong Hao led his men to the prison where the Crown Prince was held. After nearly a month, the Prince had grown noticeably thinner. He sat in his solitary cell, back turned to the small high window, appearing lost in thought.
Hearing a sound, he rose slowly and brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes. He turned and smiled at Zong Hao. “It seems you won this round. But… the casualties must have been heavy, right?”
He was confident in his subordinates. Given their high mental power, he assumed Zong Hao’s victory must have been a bloody one.
Zong Hao stared at the arrogance in the man’s eyes. “On the contrary. Not a single person on our side was injured. Your men, however, surrendered immediately.”
The Prince’s expression shifted. “What? How is that possible?”
Zong Hao: “You likely didn’t know that the underwater base had an escape door built during its construction.”
The Prince’s disbelief began to waver, and he felt a sudden chill. He had been waiting, certain that Zong Hao would be desperate to reclaim the base for his sister’s sake. He assumed the facility was impregnable and had looked forward to Zong Hao’s tragic failure.
Even if he won, it shouldn’t have been easy. Yet this man was telling him they hadn’t lost a single soldier?
But if there truly were an escape door, then Zong Hao’s words were likely true. The man standing before him was clearly unharmed; there was no reason to lie.
The Prince’s composure broke. He ground his teeth, glaring at Zong Hao. “So you’ve come to gloat? So what if you didn’t lose a man? So what if you saved them all? In the end, you still couldn’t save your sister! Your Zong family is down to just you. No matter how high your rank, no matter if you one day stand at the peak of this Empire—you still have no family left hhh. Since it’s come to this, I’ll tell you the truth: I was the one who ordered your sister’s execution. Just a short while ago. If you could have saved her earlier, maybe she wouldn’t have died. Do you know how tragic her end was…?”
The Prince expected to see Zong Hao collapse. Instead, he saw only an expressionless mask.
Zong Hao’s aura didn’t shift in the slightest. The Prince frowned, sensing something was wrong. He knew how much Zong Hao cared for his sister.
This reaction didn’t fit Zong Hao’s personality. He couldn’t be this indifferent, unless…
Sure enough, Zong Hao watched him rave before finally speaking. “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Since there was an escape door, it’s only natural my sister could pull a few tricks and escape right under your people’s noses, isn’t it?”
The Prince finally snapped. “Impossible! The security was too tight… it was that expert, wasn’t it? Who is he? You knew about that Base from the start? How did you find out?”
Zong Hao didn’t answer. He merely looked at him and announced the Emperor’s formal decree. Finally, he looked at the shattered, defeated man sitting before him. “It’s a bit late for this, but before all of this, I truly considered you my closest friend. If you had wanted the Zong family, there was really no need for all this complexity. Those things were never more than worldly possessions to me. It’s a pity you never had a shred of sincerity. Decades of friendship—let’s end it properly. Starting today, we have no more connection… our bond is severed.”
With that, Zong Hao never looked at the former Crown Prince again. He turned and strode away, casting aside his so-called childhood friend once and for all.
The former Prince watched his back, wanting to laugh. He thought the man was talking nonsense—how could anyone not care about power? How could anyone just hand over a massive family estate for nothing?
But as he laughed, he suddenly covered his face. Silent tears streamed down his face. Whether it was regret or something else, only he truly knew.
A few days later, Ning Yunyi led Ning Xiao Miao downstairs. He found a Big Cat in the living room, sitting near its nest and staring straight at them.
Ning Yunyi raised an eyebrow. “Why are you back here again?”
Zong Hao flicked his tail, his beastly eyes filled with grievance. He straightened up, shook his fur, and appeared quite calm. He clearly had a purpose; he leaped onto a chair and used a paw to push an object on the table forward.
Ning Yunyi saw the vibrant red color and picked it up in surprise.
Ning Xiao Miao stood on his tiptoes and poked his head out from Ning Yunyi’s arms. He read out: “Wedding… invi… what??”
He’d been learning to read lately with some success. Though gifted, he’d only been at it for a short time and didn’t know many characters yet.
Ning Yunyi pointed to the words and taught him: “Wedding Invitation.”
The little kitten repeated it seriously. Once he’d learned it, Ning Yunyi put the invitation back down and looked sincerely at the Big Cat. “Congratulations.”
The tips of Zong Hao’s ears twitched. “Meow?” You don’t think this is my invitation, do you?
He hooked Ning Yunyi’s sleeve and earnestly opened the invitation. He pointed at the characters with his paw, sounding frantic. “Meow! Meow! Meow!”
Ning Yunyi barely held back a smile as he looked again. He said calmly, “What is it? Isn’t it for Big Brother Bai and Lady Zong? I know that. If not them, who else could it be? You?”
After speaking, he couldn’t suppress the amusement in his eyes any longer. To be fair, the frantic meowing was indeed more pleasant to the ear than the cat’s usual sounds.
Zong Hao realized he’d been teased. He stared at Ning Yunyi with deep melancholy. Can this man go a single day without messing with me?
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