Gate of God

Shan Ling looked at the blood and the blade in his hand in disbelief.

"Why?" Shan Ling looked behind him. He knew that this was a stupid question because the blade that pierced his chest told him all he needed to know.

But...

He asked the question anyway.

He simply couldn’t understand why someone would do this! Furthermore, they had the audacity to attack him in the Southern Region!

"Can’t you figure out what’s happening?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong squinted as he looked at Shan Ling.

He loved Shan Ling’s expression.

The greater the disbelief in his opponents face, the greater his satisfaction.

Shan Ling looked at Lin Tianrong.

Shan Ling had never felt such rage in his life. Not even when he felt threatened by Fang Zhengzhi in The Vast World.

"Why? Could it be that you don’t want him to die? That’s impossible. I am very sure that you want him dead!" Shan Ling’s face was flushed.

He knew for a fact that Lin Tianrong wanted Fang Zhengzhi dead.

There are no eternal enemies, only eternal benefits. When their goals were the same, they could work together.

That was why he believed Lin Tianrong.

However...

He never expected that Lin Tianrong would try and save Fang Zhengzhi by stabbing him in the back when he was trying to kill Fang Zhengzhi.

He needed a reason.

"Crown Prince, you are right. I do want Fang Zhengzhi dead, but I also want you dead!" Lin Tianrong chuckled icily. His body was shaking with joy. He pulled his sword out.

Blood splattered everywhere.

The eight hangers-on rushed to Lin Tianrong’s side. Their robes flapped in the wind.

"You want me dead?" Shan Ling shuddered, blood flowing from the open wound in his chest. He glared at Lin TIanrong.

"To be honest, there was a small detail that I left out from the story... when Fang Zhengzhi had kidnapped you, he killed you!" Lin Tianrong explained.

"Haha, you expect that useless person to be able to kill me? Do you think the King will believe that story?" Shan Ling’s eyes were icy, blood trickling from the edge of his mouth.

"Does it matter? Fang Zhengzhi and yourself would both be dead by then. Whatever I say, goes." Lin Tianrong chuckled.

Shan Ling remained silent.

Lin Tianrong was right. Dead men couldn’t speak. They would have no choice but to believe Lin Tianrong.

Even if...

The King didn’t buy it... he couldn’t do anything about it.

Wage war with the Great Xia?

Demand that the Great Xia hand over the Crown Prince to be tried for murder?

Both of those options were impossible!

"Give me a reason why you have to kill me!" Shan Ling didn’t want to debate this issue. All he wanted was a reason.

"If you don’t die, there will be no peace!" Lin Tianrong added.

"I see." Shan Ling stopped shuddering. He calmed down, realizing that death was about to come.

He finally understood.

He had told Fang Zhengzhi something just now.

He had blamed Fang Zhengzhi’s fate on his...

Greed!

Right now, the Crown Prince was giving him a taste of his own medicine.

His greed, his lust for the throne was the cause of his death!

How ironic.

He had thought that he was punishing others for their greed, never once realizing that he was even greedier.

The irony was clear.

That being said, he had to admit that Lin Tianrong was right. As long as he was alive, the Southern Region would always be a cause for worry for the Great Xia.

Shan Ling had no other questions.

He turned to look at Lin Tianrong and Su Qing, smirking as he did so.

"I am sure Official Su had already predicted this when you came to find me that day. What a great plan!" Shan Ling chuckled.

He knew whose plan this was.

It was Su Qing’s.

By convincing Shan Ling, they had secured Shan Ling’s attendance on this journey.

"You are too kind!" Su Qing replied as he bowed to Shan Ling. He instinctively took a step backward.

"Boom!"

A crack appeared beneath Su Qing’s feet, almost as if the ground had been sliced open.

It was extremely sudden.

But Su Qing managed to dodge away.

"It is no wonder you are the Crown Prince. Your attacks are swift and powerful despite your injuries. I am in awe!" Su Qing retreated even further as he saw the crack.

"Settle this within 15 minutes!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong looked at the crack, his gaze icy. He lowered his sword and ordered the eight hangers-on to strike.

"Yes!" The eight hangers-on nodded.

"I never expected that Official Su would be this powerful. Haha... the Great Xia is saturated with talents. Today, I will like to see how powerful the Crown Prince’s hangers-on are!" Shan Ling chuckled as he radiated an icy aura.

This was a piercing aura.

The blood flowing out of Shan Ling’s wound froze. It glistened like a ruby...

"Die!"

"Go to hell!"

"..."

The shouts echoed through the air.

The eight hangers-on sprang into action like specters in the night. They were within striking distance in the blink of an eye.

Shan Ling leapt into action.

He swung his blade as he charged the group of eight.

His sword glistened.

The icy aura enveloped the area and caused a layer of ice to form over the grass. The leaves also began to freeze over.

Within moments, all eight hangers-on were injured. One of them even had a limb amputated. Blood spattered from the open wound, but their gazes were determined.

Advanced Rebirth State...

Despite his injuries, Shan Ling was still a force to be reckoned with.

Shan Ling was the top cultivator amongst the Southern Region youths.

However, this battle didn’t last very long. The eight hangers-on seemed to have no regard for their lives. They were willing to die just to inflict damage!

Broken branches and leaves mixed with the ice and blood. There were cracks all over the floor. This was a bloody battlefield.

After 15 minutes...

The battle was over.

Shan Ling leaned on the carriage, his sword broken. He looked at the stars in the sky.

He wasn’t willing to accept this end. He had worked so hard to get the position of Crown Prince. His plan to work with the demons, and then the Crown Prince was almost perfect.

Yet, his last two plans had failed completely. He thought that he was the smart one but in truth...

He wasn’t.

It might be Yun Qingwu, or even Chi Guyan and Fang Zhengzhi. Now, there was one more contender - Crown Prince Lin Tianrong.

Shan Ling didn’t want to die.

However, he showed no trace of fear. He simply accepted his fate. This was something that he couldn’t fight.

When the death god came to claim him, he would not be scared. He would simply look into the sky and allow the blood to stain his feet...

"Congratulations, your highness!" Su Qing spoke up after some pause. He fell to his knees.

"Oh? What are you congratulating me for?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong glanced at Shan Ling in scorn.

As the Crown Prince of the Great Xia.

He had been revered by many.

However, since he entered the Southern Region, he had to tolerate Shan Ling’s temper. He had always wanted to take his revenge.

This was the perfect time to do so. He could eliminate a threat to the Great Xia whilst taking revenge.

"Outsiders may think that Fang Zhengzhi killed Shan Ling. However, the Emperor would be smart enough to know that you did it to eliminate a threat to the Great Xia! Your efforts will be rewarded." Su Qing explained.

"Rewarded? What do you think the Emperor would do?" Lin Tianrong asked.

"Since Fang Zhengzhi is dead, the credit for the victory cannot go to him. Even though you killed Shan Ling, he cannot reward you explicitly for the assassination..."

"So what?"

"He will give you all the credit for the victory!"

"Hahaha... well said, well said!" Lin Tianrong chuckled.

When Su Qing had told him that he would secure all the credit for the victory, he did not believe it.

But...

After Su Qing explained the plan to him, he bought into it.

A dead man couldn’t fight for credit.

"Based on your position in the palace and the work you have done here, you would have secured your position on the throne! King Duan would cease to be a threat!" Su Qing smirked.

"Cease to be a threat? I won’t be so sure of that." Lin Tianrong squinted and shook his head.

"Do you think that King Duan still has a chance to recover after all these?" Su Qing asked.

"The capital is firmly in my control. Furthermore, I did quell the unrest here. It would be impossible for sixth brother to fight me in the courts. However, that is not where his strength lies!"

"Are you referring to the Northern Five Constabularies?" Su Qing seemed to understand.

"Exactly, the Northern Five Constabularies are controlled by the Divine Constabulary. Chi Hou has been a close friend of King Duan for a long time now. Without the Divine Constabulary’s support, King Duan would never have had control over the army!"

"What you’re saying is..."

"With your abilities and status, it would be a waste if you went to the Ministry of Rites!"

"Your Highness, are you planning to have me go to the Divine Constabulary?"

"Divine Constabulary? You won’t be able to go there, but you can fight for the leadership of the Northern Five Constabularies! What do you think?" Lin Tianrong looked at Su Qing.

"Leader of the Northern Five Constabularies?! That... would be an honor!" Su Qing shuddered as he smiled uncontrollably.

"Haha... you shouldn’t thank me so early. It is not easy to be the leader of the Northern Five Constabularies. Why don’t you consider heading up one of the constabularies first?"

"Your wish is my command!" Su Qing nodded.

...

The night was cold.

Lin Tianrong looked at the carriage, ignoring Shan Ling, who was breathing raspily.

There was one more loose end to tie.

That was...

The man inside the carriage.

This man was a dead man walking.

"If this plan is successful, your place in the Great Xia would be impossible to challenge!" Shan Ling’s voice rang out from behind Lin Tianrong.

Lin Tianrong ignored Shan Ling. He couldn’t be bothered with a defeated opponent.

"Your Highness, should I take care of this?" Su Qing looked at Lin Tianrong. He wasn’t trying to take credit...

He simply wanted to vent his anger!

"Okay." Lin Tianrong nodded.

"Thank you, your highness!" Su Qing stood up and swept the dust off his pants. He walked towards the carriage.

Each step was slow and deliberate.

He was in control.

As such...

He wanted to savor every moment.

He was close...

When Su Qing neared the carriage, he smirked. He could hear his own breathing...

"I will make sure you die a painful death!" Su Qing chuckled. His body shuddered as he opened the flaps to the carriage.

Then...

His smile froze.

"Actually, I didn’t get to finish my sentence. Even the most perfect plan isn’t immune to hiccups! Am I right? Crown Prince? Official Su?" Shan Ling’s voice rang out.