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  The Prince of Commandery had never truly taken these young women to heart. No matter how beautiful they appeared, or how they cloaked themselves in gentleness and virtue, only the heavens knew what truly y beneath their fa?ades. Just like his own mother—on the surface, she was a delicate beauty, yet beneath that exquisite exterior, she was cold and ruthless. Even the father who had treated her so well was not spared from her betrayal…

  At this thought, his gaze darkened, and his expression grew somber. He couldn't help but harbor resentment. If his mother had not gone to such extremes, these past transgressions wouldn’t have been unearthed, and he wouldn’t have to endure the torment of these old scandals.

  Even now, despite the fact that his mother had carefully paved a path for him and even brought Master Yuanhui—such a powerful ally—to his side, he still felt uneasy. How could he not? He didn’t even have the courage to face his father.

  Master Yuanhui saw through his thoughts. Pressing his palms together in a gesture of prayer, he recited a Buddhist chant before fixing his gaze upon the prince. “Your Highness is not an ordinary person. You must always remember this—bming fate for one’s troubles is futile. The only way out of hardship is to move forward. At this moment, even Your Highness yourself does not fully understand the state of affairs. Do not imprison yourself within an imaginary cage before you even step out. Instead of lingering here with me, it would be far better for Your Highness to return to the Eastern Pace and serve the Crown Prince, fulfilling your duty as a son.”

  Some things could not be avoided forever. Sooner or ter, he would have to face them.

  The Prince of Commandery closed his eyes briefly before nodding. Rising from the prayer mat, he turned toward the door, but just as he was about to step out, he hesitated and looked back at Master Yuanhui with a trace of doubt in his expression. “Master, why did you choose me?”

  Why had he been chosen? Even knowing that he was at risk of falling out of favor with the Crown Prince, why did Master Yuanhui still stand firmly by his side?

  Master Yuanhui smiled enigmatically and pressed his hands together once more in prayer. “This cannot be spoken.”

  The Prince of Commandery shook his head, yet somehow, those simple words lifted his mood. Zhou Weizhao had his Celestial Master Zhang, who cimed to be a chosen one ordained by Daoism. But he also had Master Yuanhui—could he then say that he was the one chosen by Buddhism?

  Fate or not, in the end, everything depended on one's own ability.

  With a hearty ugh, he turned back and respectfully saluted Master Yuanhui in a Buddhist gesture before stepping out and personally closing the door behind him.

  From behind the screen, Yuan Jue emerged, his gaze fixed thoughtfully on the retreating figure of the Prince of Commandery. Turning to Master Yuanhui, he asked, “Senior Brother, I understand your ambitions, but why did you choose this prince? I do not see in him the makings of a great ruler…”

  “It is precisely because he needs guidance that I chose him.” Master Yuanhui also rose from his prayer mat, his clear and tranquil gaze falling upon the swaying red plum blossoms outside the window. “You have met the other prince as well—despite his youth, his mind is unfathomably deep, his emotions hidden beneath an unshakable mask. To possess such restraint at his age speaks volumes of the depth of his training at Mount Longhu. Instead of trying to mold someone who has already been shaped, it is better to support one who can still be influenced.”

  Only then would his talents have a pce to be utilized, and only then could his ambitions be realized through that prince. A person with too many personal opinions was too difficult to assist—like negotiating with a tiger.

  Yuan Jue knew that once Yuanhui made a decision, it was impossible to change, so he simply nodded in agreement and added, “But this prince is just as greedy. Senior Brother, you don’t want another Song family or Cui family blocking the way in the future, yet from what I see, this prince is not likely to easily let go of them…”

  “That’s why I must act myself.” Yuanhui’s gaze darkened as he recalled his mother and sister, his expression growing even more severe. “If he has no other choice, he will have to rely on me completely.”

  Years of careful pnning had made him far more than just an ordinary monk presiding over Huangjue Temple. He now had an entire network of loyal subordinates and a well-established power base, wielding it with ease.

  The hostility in Yuanhui’s demeanor had only intensified over time—a dangerous sign for one devoted to Buddhist practice. Perhaps the horrors he had witnessed during the coastal battles against the Japanese pirates in Fujian had left too deep a scar, shaping him into what he was now.

  How had Yuanhui transformed from a compassionate monk—who wouldn’t even harm an ant and had once longed to emute the Buddha’s self-sacrifice—to this ambitious, ruthless man? Yuan Jue could no longer remember.

  He let out a silent sigh and stood respectfully to the side, murmuring a prayer.

  “Are the preparations ready?” Yuanhui turned to look at him, his ever-penetrating gaze now tinged with malice.

  Since Song Chuyi had dared to kidnap his mother and sister to threaten him, then she had to understand—he was no benevolent monk.

  The moment she had started probing into his background, he had already uncovered every detail of hers.

  The people living in that residence in Tongzhou were all her most trusted aides. He would make sure Song Chuyi understood the consequences of provoking him—he would see whether the malevolent spirit residing in her body was truly that powerful or if he was stronger.

  Yuan Jue immediately answered, “Everything is ready. The men we sent reported that the residence was thoroughly searched, but your mother and your sister were nowhere to be found…”

  So, she had hidden them well. But if she thought that would be enough, she was gravely mistaken.

  Yuanhui let out a quiet, sinister ugh. “Burn it down. Let’s see how they handle that.”

  It didn’t matter whether the people inside lived or died—he had plenty of other pns in pce.

  If they perished, it would only prove that Song Chuyi’s fate as a camity-star was taking effect, dooming those around her.

  If they survived, it would mean her fate was so cursed that anyone who got involved with her would suffer misfortune. Either way, it would be her accursed destiny that had caused all this misfortune.

  The next time he entered the pace, he would make sure to mention this incident to Emperor Jianzhang—the blizzards in Jiujiang and Pingxiang were very likely another manifestation of this disaster-star’s curse.

  It was the perfect opportunity. Most inauspicious omens only brought bad luck to one’s family, harming one’s parents or spouse at most. But Song Chuyi’s fate was now influencing the entire empire, bringing disaster upon the people. No emperor would ever tolerate such a thing.

  And when it came to matters like this, it was always better to kill a thousand by mistake than let one slip through the cracks.

  Even with all their power, the Song and Cui families would not be able to save Song Chuyi. The common people suffering from the disasters, and the officials struggling to deal with the chaos, wouldn’t care whether she was truly cursed or not—they just needed a scapegoat for their rage and misfortune.

  And this was only the beginning.

  Once Song Chuyi was dead, he would move against the Song and Cui families one step at a time—first eliminating Cui Shaoting in the northwest, then targeting Cui Yingshu, and finally Song Jue…

  One by one, they would all die.