In the divine city at the centre of the secret realm world.
Xueyi was startled awake by the bell tolls. She climbed irritably from the rough fur bed, walked to the window, and pulled back the heavy curtains. This world had no day or night distinction. Seven clock towers rose high in the divine city. Every six hours, they would ring bells. People used this to tell time. Although Xueyi urgently wanted to meet the other princes as soon as possible, Huka had brought her to this bedroom. He told her it was now the “rest” period. She had to wait a few more hours before joining the other princes for the first meal after rest.
From Huka’s expression, Xueyi realised that, although Huka said everything was under his control and was quickly proven wrong, he still did not take Ye Chui seriously enough. It was like nobles despising commoners, or divine people scorning tribal sand dwellers. In Huka’s eyes, Ye Chui gaining support from the Green Bay tribe and annexing the Blood Scorpion tribe was still no threat.
Xueyi felt secretly anxious, but Huka did not sense her worry. She was indeed too exhausted and had fallen asleep in the end. Now, upon waking, her heart still held deep concern.
A knock sounded at the door. After Xueyi gave permission, a shrill-voiced priest entered. “Priest Huka sent me to fetch you. The princes are waiting in the dining hall, Miss Xueyi.”
This priest was a eunuch, a castrated man. This evil practice had long been abolished in the outside world, yet it continued openly here.
Xueyi nodded. She tidied her appearance in the room’s mirror. She decided to choose a suitable marriage partner again from the many princes in the divine city. Her beauty was, of course, crucial. Then, led by the eunuch priest, she entered the grand yet crude dining hall. There, she saw several princes.
The third prince had a cold face and spoke little. In the outside world, he was called the Cold Prince. True to his name, he was as cold as ice. Upon seeing Xueyi, he only nodded slightly, then continued to enjoy his meal with his head down.
Beside him sat two men with calm appearances. They were guards brought by the third prince. They themselves held notable status, so they could dine with him. Towards Miss Xueyi, they showed far more warmth than the third prince.
“Jeffrey at your service.” One stood with a smile and bowed to Xueyi.
Xueyi returned the bow with noble etiquette. She said with slight puzzlement, “You seem familiar to me. May I ask who you are…”
“I am the third prince’s guard. I also hold the position of priest in the church. At your naming day banquet when you were fifteen, I saw you, Miss Xueyi.” Jeffrey said with a smile.
“So it is Priest Jeffrey. Meeting you here is my honour.” Xueyi replied quickly. In truth, she knew exactly who Jeffrey was. She had investigated the guards around the princes thoroughly before entering the secret realm world. The power behind the third prince was the Kulin family, one of the empire’s four great families. The Kulin family could be called the church’s spokespeople. The third prince’s guards were almost all strong believers from the church.
After chatting with Jeffrey and the other believer, Xueyi’s gaze fell on two youths at the other side of the stone dining table. They were the seventh and eighth princes among the twelve princes.
The seventh prince was eighteen this year. He had suffered curse damage in his youth and still carried illness, making him look very frail. He often covered his mouth to cough a few times, as if he might faint at any moment. Thus, he was called the Sick Ghost Prince. The eighth prince was timid as a mouse, cowardly in nature. Xueyi even noticed he dared not meet her eyes. His face was already flushed red. He was the Glass Prince, meaning a prince who would shatter at a touch.
These two were among the most unworthy in the group of princes. Even if Xueyi chose a prince again, she would never select them. So she only nodded slightly in greeting, then shifted her gaze away.
In the dining hall, there were only these three princes. At the other end of the stone long table sat Priest Huka, who was in charge of receiving the princes.
Xueyi walked over gracefully. After bowing, she asked curiously, “Where is the fourth prince?”
Among these princes in the divine city, the third prince was already married to a woman from the Kulin family. The seventh and eighth princes had poor aptitude. The one Xueyi favoured most was the fourth prince, once the Arrogant Prince, now the Green-Haired Prince.
The fourth prince was talented in both wisdom and ability. Most importantly, Xueyi knew that, if any prince hated Ye Chui the most, it had to be the fourth prince.
“The fourth prince cannot appear.” Huka answered. His expression seemed a bit off. “The fourth prince… seems rather strange now.”
“Is that so?” Xueyi did not press further. In the outside world, it was well known that the fourth prince had practised some evil magic, becoming cold and bloodthirsty. Horns had grown on his head. Servants and maids in his mansion had gone missing without reason. When found, their blood had been completely drained, filling people with unspeakable fear and dread towards the fourth prince.
Yet, this only made Xueyi more interested in him. At that moment, a hint of regret showed on her face.
Huka smiled and said, “Miss Xueyi, no need for regret. You will see the fourth prince later. For now, let me share some good news with you.”
“What good news?” Hearing Huka’s words, Xueyi suddenly felt an inexplicable bad premonition. It was not that Priest Huka seemed foolish and untrustworthy. It was just that anything connected to Ye Chui always carried unexpected twists.
“Although Ye Chui led the Green Bay tribe to defeat the Blood Scorpion tribe, the forces in his hands are not many now. This gives the Gale tribe a perfect chance.” Huka said with a look of assured victory. “Among the three great tribes, the divine city can directly control the Gale tribe. Ye Chui’s Green Bay warriors have just finished fighting the Blood Scorpion tribe and are slowly merging with the other Green Bay clansmen. I used a wind bird to send a message, letting the Gale tribe strike first at those Green Bay clansmen, taking them hostage. No matter what, this will delay Ye Chui long enough.”
Priest Huka spoke with a smile, fully displaying the divine people’s superior posture.
Xueyi’s bad premonition grew even stronger.
Huka noticed Xueyi’s odd look and smiled. “Ye Chui defeating the Blood Scorpion tribe so quickly was beyond my expectation. But this time, he will not be so lucky. The Gale tribe excels at long journeys. The eldest prince hates Ye Chui to the bone. Now with the Gale tribe’s support, he will fight Ye Chui at all costs. The battle’s outcome does not matter. As long as the Spirit God King awakens, everything will be settled.”
Earlier, Priest Huka had said Ye Chui might be killed by the fierce spirit god. This time, he dared not boast so much.
Xueyi still frowned in thought. She felt she had overlooked something crucial. But what exactly it was eluded her. Just as she pondered in confusion, footsteps came from outside the dining hall. Xueyi looked up. “Is the fourth prince here?”
“No, not the fourth prince.” Huka said with a smile. “Remember I mentioned that, besides the third, fourth, seventh, and eighth princes, there is another mysterious prince who has come to the divine city? That prince is him.”
With Huka’s words, the ninth prince walked calmly into the dining hall.
The third prince and the seventh and eighth princes clearly knew the ninth prince was not dead, so they showed no surprise. But Xueyi jumped up from her seat in shock.
Huka thought Xueyi was stunned by the ninth prince’s resurrection, so he quickly smiled. “The ninth prince faked his death in the outside world, but he sneaked into the secret realm world.”
The ninth prince also smiled and waved to Xueyi. “Hello, Miss Xueyi.”
But Xueyi ignored the ninth prince. Her face paled. She finally remembered what she had overlooked earlier. The phase king magic mentor Posli had appeared in the secret realm world. How had she entered this world?
Before entering the secret realm, Xueyi had investigated the guards around the princes thoroughly. Posli could not possibly be hidden among them. She had entered through another channel. From Xueyi’s knowledge, neither the church nor the magic guild could interfere with the secret realm’s rules. Posli could only have entered as a guard for another prince. But a prince’s identity required royal recognition to be valid. It was impossible for a new prince to appear out of nowhere. The only possible explanation was that the ninth prince was not dead!
Posli had entered the secret realm with the ninth prince!
The eldest prince hated Ye Chui to the bone because Ye Chui had killed the ninth prince. The eldest prince himself was mild-tempered, known as the Merciful Prince, with little interest in the throne. Now, Posli was at Ye Chui’s side and knew the truth. If the eldest prince learned the ninth prince was alive, how could he continue to show killing intent towards Ye Chui?
“Miss Xueyi, what is wrong?” Huka saw Xueyi frozen and realised her shock went beyond seeing the ninth prince. He asked hurriedly.
Xueyi turned with a look that said “Are you a fool?” to Huka. “You did not tell the ninth prince about the Gale tribe’s action, right? The ninth prince does not know Posli is now at Ye Chui’s side?”
Huka nodded in confusion.
Xueyi looked at the ninth prince again. “The eldest prince does not know you are actually alive?”
From Xueyi’s words, the ninth prince understood what had happened. He sensed trouble. “Yes, Father has no desire for the throne, so Mother used my fake death to stir his anger… Oh no!”
“How, how is it oh no?” Huka still did not understand and asked urgently.
“Posli is now at Ye Chui’s side and knows I am alive. And she is a phase king magic mentor. If she tells Father, Father will surely not harm Ye Chui anymore. No, from what I know of Father, if the misunderstanding clears, his regret might make him hand the Gale tribe to Ye Chui…” The ninth prince’s face turned extremely grim.
Huka: “…Ah!?”
