6 Do Not Blame this Prince for Being Merciless!

"Thank you imperial uncle!"

Hou Hui replied with clasped hands and a polite bow.

"No need. Let's finish our game before you go on your way."

And so the game resumed. Upon finishing it, Hou Hui bade his farewells and quickly exited the residence.

"That rascal really dared beat me."

Zui Gao inwardly laughed while gazing at his nephew's departing form.

.....................................

Meanwhile, a few miles away from the residence, a group of six men clad in cloaked black robes had locked their spiritual sense on the gate while waiting for a certain prince to emerge.

As soon as Hou Hui walked out of the residence, their spiritual sense furtively locked onto him and from the shadows, they silently followed.

"Even Long Xi Li has been dispatched. The empress is truly overreacting this time."

"What do you know? That waste prince has the support of the Great Elder. Even if his cultivation has not reached the Life Immortal realm, as long as he wields a few treasures bestowed by the Great Elder, can most Life Immortals be his match? The empress is simply being thorough."

"As servants, it is not our place to question our master. Let's just focus on the task we've been given. If Hou Hui decides to leave the Heavenly Capital, slaughter him!"

Although they only mentally exchanged those words, their talk had not escaped Hou Hui whose spiritual sense was locked onto them from the very beginning.

Leisurely, he walked out of the Heavenly Capital and headed into one of the numerous peach forests that neared its outskirts. While plucking the peaches of immortality was forbidden, observing the forests' beauty was not so every now and then, there would be people strolling inside. Only when someone attempted to pluck one of the peaches would the formation protecting them activate and wipe out said person from existence.

Seeing him so leisurely enjoying the scenery, the six immortals were annoyed. They had other, more important duties they wished to tend to and relatives to care for. However, because of him, most of their time was squandered doing nothing productive.

Long Xi Li especially was particularly irritated. He was a rank three official with superior status and certainly had better things to do than assassinating a Soul Transcendence junior. However, when the empress' order echoed within his mind, no matter how frustrated he felt, he could only obey.

Soon, however, they reached a clearing and upon verification that there wasn't a living soul in a hundred miles radius, Hou Hui decided to cut the act.

"No need to hide in the shadows like some despicable rodent. This prince has better things to do than playing hide and seek with your lot."

Hearing those words, the group was horrified. But as experienced immortals, they quickly regained their composure.

"The Great Elder must have granted him a treasure that allows him to sense our presence. That being the case, let's stop this pointless game."

Long Xi Li ordered, and alongside the remaining five immortals, he emerged from the shadows. Turning to face them, and while he was already aware of their numbers and cultivations, Hou Hui couldn't help but feel surprised. The empress who believed him to be below the first immortal ream had actually dispatched six immortals to deal with him.

That was still permissible. But among the six, three were at the peak of the Life Immortal realm, two were in the Dao Revelation Immortal realm and Long Xi Li, as a rank three official, was in the early Dao threading Immortal Realm. Such a lineup that would be enough to easily deal with most Dao Revelation Immortals was actually established to slay a Soul Transcendence junior?

"It seems I have underestimated my value in the empress' eyes. Yue Li, Yue Li. What has my mother done to you that you must hate me so? If you knew my true cultivation, could anyone really stop you from personally killing me?"

While his face still displayed a smile, Hou Hui's heart brimmed with fury. He only wanted to cultivate in peace and leave the Celestial Realm, but times and times again, the empress would attempt to humiliate and shackle him, be it through her position as his legal mother or the resources at her disposal. How such a narrow-minded woman had managed to reach divinity was truly a mystery.

"Eldest prince, you have without authorization left the Heavenly Palace and incurred the empress' wrath. It is still time to obediently return to the palace and ask for punishment. The empress is merciful and will not make things too hard on you."

As the leader of the group, it was Long Xi Li who spoke first. Although this place was currently deserted and there wasn't a soul in hundreds of miles, he truly didn't want to use force. The reason was simple, although the empress was quite eager to have Hou Hui removed, if the Great Elder had granted him treasures that allowed him to track them, who could say whether he was aware of this situation or not. Perhaps right now his eyes were locked onto them, ready to act should they make a rash move.

It would be best If this could be resolved peacefully.

"Preposterous! Since when did a prince need anyone's permission to go anywhere? I don't remember having been put under house arrest? Or is it what you're here to do? Are you here to arrest this prince?"

His cold booming voice took the six immortals aback. Although he rarely appeared and was mostly confined to his prison like palace, he had always looked like a meek and submissive man. Why was he suddenly showing such a strong front?

"A good man must understand the times. Although you have the backing of the Great Elder, he is after all not involved with the affairs of the court. I will be frank. Submitting to the empress's will is the only way for you to keep your life! If you think the Great Elder can always protect you, you are sorely mistaken!"

Long Xi Li really wanted to eliminate Hou Hui and return to his duties, but fearful of the Great Elder's wrath, he didn't dare act.

"A good man must understand the times. Good, very good. As a rank three official, instead of faithfully serving the emperor and working toward the betterment of all lives within the Celestial Realm, you gathered a band of low-level officials to assassinate the eldest prince! Long Xi Li, Long Xi Li, who gave you that courage? If you truly understand the times, then immediately follow me back to the heavenly palace to confess your sins! This prince can consider your ten thousand years of service and forgive your dog life."

Hou Hui coldly spat.

Long Xi Li's heart was set ablaze. His hands and teeth were tightly clenched while his burning eyes stared at Hou hui with profound wrath. But before he could respond, one of the two Dao Revelation Immortals sent him a mental message.

"After all this time and in spite of the rising tension, the Great Elder as yet to make a move. Therefore, I suspect he's not aware of the current state of things. So, we should first have the Life Immortals kill him and destroy his body. Afterward, even if the Great Elder can retrace it, it can only be traced back to them and if push comes to shove, to protect herself, the empress will have to protect us."

Long Xi Li thought the man's words made perfect sense, and so his attitude took a 180-degree turn.

"Hou Hui, you are rebellious and uncontrollable, have stood in the empress' way for far too long and constantly disturb the heavenly court's peace. Today on behalf of heavens, we shall execute you!"

Long Xi Li heroically declared and motioned for the three Life Immortals to act.

"This is your last chance. Admit your sins and return for punishment. Otherwise, do not blame this prince for being merciless!"

Although Hou Hui's tone was cold and overbearing, no one took him seriously. Who did not how low his cultivation was? He wasn't even qualified to be a rank nine official.

The three peak Life Immortals didn't want to waste time in idle chatter and immediately made their move. Dazzling crimson flames erupted from their bodies and morphed into the illusory form of a thirty meter tall three headed fire serpent. Those three immortals were brothers and had cultivated the same scripture which allowed them to combine and multiply their powers. Together, even an early stage Dao Revelation Immortal wouldn't be able to receive one of their blows.

The three headed fire serpent soared and with a deafening roar shot at Hou Hui. The brothers were confident that regardless of what treasure he held, Hou Hui wouldn't be able to resist and would immediately collapse into screams and ashes.

"Insignificant display."

However, as the fiery beast approached him, Hou Hui merely waved his right sleeve and the ferocious fire serpent was swallowed within, fading into nothingness.

"How is this possible?"

Not only were the three immortals shocked but even Long Xi Li with his enormous experience was flabbergasted. Among the people currently present, only him could accomplish such a task with ease. But before he could make conjectures, reality chose to further oppress him.

Hou Hui raised his palms and summoned a seemingly boundless amount of white light which converged within his right hand and turned into a large immaculate looking eyeball which glittered with the supreme power of seeing through truths and falsehood. Seeing it, the present immortals went from shocked to horrified in the split of a second.

"E-eye of truth! It is a complete eye of truth! Dao Threading…Peak Dao Threading…He has reached the peak of Dao Threading! Aaaaargh, RUN AWAY!"

Long Xi Li was confused. The six immortals were all confused and felt horribly wronged. But before they could escape, a dome of white light sealed their path.

"I have given you an opportunity, but you didn't cherish it. Now you can only blame yourselves for your demise."

The eye of truth flew from his palm to stand above the six runaway immortals who gazed upon it with incomparable horror.

"The empress deceived us. Why did she send us to our deaths? I'm unwilling!"

"Eldest prince please have mercy! If you forgive us this once we swear to serve you for a lifetime. If you say one, we won't dare say two!"

Long Xi Li aside, the remaining five immortals had fallen on their knees and endlessly kowtowed to beg for forgiveness.

Long Xi Li in particularl was full of remorse. How could he have known that he was only being sent to a mortal trap? What had he done to offend the empress so?

"Why? Why? Yue Li you vile, immoral woman! I have served you for so long and this is how you repay me? I will never forgive you!"

He roared but unlike the other five, refused to bend his knees.

"The opportunity knocks only once in a lifetime. For you I now only have one thing; DEATH!"

Once the word "death" was pronounced, the eye of truth released its supreme light which descended upon the six immortals, ruptured their immortal cores and erased their immortal souls. They didn't even have the time to wail before turning into six lifeless bodies with empty, white eye sockets and dying full of grievances.

Before they could fall onto the ground however, Hou Hui added.

"DISAPPEAR!"

Once again, the eye of truth sent its light to shine upon the bodies and from lifeless immortal corpse, they turned into illusory forms and quickly vanished into nothingness as if they had never existed in the first place. This was the power of truth. The ability to control reality itself and will it out of simple words.

Without any more hindrance, Hou Hui turned heels and flew toward the starry sky, knowing full well that back in the Heavenly Capital, a great commotion would follow. But since his imperial uncle had already given him his pass, he was completely unafraid.