"Tell me why you came back without authorization," Lin Feng asked Fa Xuan. When the elders saw Lin Feng and Fa Xuan walking together, they guessed there was something wrong.
"Chu Li knows Mu Feng, and Mu Feng is extremely strong. Fa Xuan could take advantage of that opportunity to cause trouble," said an elder cautiously.
"I don't think so. Mu Feng is strong, but he's just a Supreme God. If he were a Great Supreme God, then we could tell the Emperor, but a Supreme God can't change Fa Xuan's destiny."
"What if Fa Xuan really had an opportunity, though? What if he did something incredible and then the Emperor paid attention to him?"
"Don't forget that if Fa Duo hadn't helped Fa Xuan back then, the Emperor would have already gotten rid of him."
"Shush! You want to die or what? What if other people heard us?!"
——
Lin Feng followed Fa Xuan to the Heaven and Earth Temple. On the way, Fa Xuan told him why he had come to the imperial city without authorization. The imperial city hadn't sent the borderland village food and resources for three months, and it had sunk into chaos. It could turn into a civil war, and then the Ri Guang Empire might get involved.
Therefore, Fa Xuan had decided to leave the borderland village one night to go and report to the Emperor and ask for resources to solve the crisis.
Lin Feng and Fa Xuan arrived in front of the Heaven and Earth Temple. It was a hundred meters high and polished brightly. One felt pressured just standing in front of such an building. All the geniuses were already there and the atmosphere was bustling with activity.
But Lin Feng and Fa Xuan didn't feel like going inside. Lin Feng wasn't interested in a banquet and Fa Xuan didn't know how to talk to the Emperor, so he felt depressed. If his plan failed, he might be killed.
"What do you intend to do?" asked Lin Feng, pointing to the Heaven and Earth Temple. Lin Feng and Fa Xuan stayed in the corridor to chat. There was nobody else there.
"I don't know, but I need to go back to the borderland village before tomorrow morning, or a war could break out," Fa Xuan replied worriedly. He had no plan. He was a level three high-level Supreme God, but he couldn't stop so many people alone.
"Why has the empire stopped giving the borderland village goods? Isn't it to cause trouble? Maybe it's all part of a plot," Lin Feng said.
Fa Xuan's expression suddenly changed. He couldn't believe it. A plot? How was that possible? It wouldn't be beneficial for the empire! Why would they try and crush a small place on their own territory?
"I don't think so. Why would they crush a small village like that?" Fa Xuan asked skeptically. He couldn't believe there were people ready to do such things in the Fa Lan Empire. If there were such people, wouldn't it lead to their destruction?
Lin Feng smiled and shook his head. Fa Xuan hadn't spent much time in the political center of the empire, so he probably wasn't aware of everything that was going on. But when Lin Feng was young, he had spent much time in Xue Yue and he remembered everybody used to plot on every side.
"In every empire, there are people who don't really care about the empire itself; they care about their own personal interests. Even if an emperor dies, there's always a new one. When an empire is destroyed, there's a new institution which can replace it. It's always like that, and it's always about power.
"So, don't be a fool. If someone is plotting and you ruin their plan, you could die.
"Third Prince, you are in danger now. You've had a difficult life because of your mother. You shouldn't have come back. You should even be happy; if the borderland village sinks into chaos, it's a good thing for you.
"The best thing to do is to wait until the end, and when everybody else is in a difficult position, then it's the best time for you to strike.
"Wait for the borderland village to sink into chaos. The Emperor will find you and ask you. Tell him the truth, about the lack of food and resources, you are smart. You know what the Emperor will do," Lin Feng said.
Fa Xuan listened carefully, but he didn't want to see the village in which he had lived for such a long time destabilize so much.
Lin Feng knew how he felt, he smiled and continued, "I didn't tell you to really wait for that. You haven't lost control yet, right?"
"Indeed, they still trust me," said Fa Xuan, nodding seriously.
"Indeed. So, go back now. Have them people pretend, tell them to feign a civil war. I will help you and tell people here that the borderland village has fallen apart. Then your father will want to see you and you will be able to come back. He will forgive you.
"At that moment, he will feel sad for you, and he will start considering you as his child. If you do well, then a bright future will await you. If he thinks you can contribute to making the Fa Lan Empire better and stronger, he will do that.
"Go now. Good luck. Don't let this opportunity slip by," Lin Feng said. He wanted to help Fa Xuan because he'd had a difficult life.
Fa Xuan was surprised when he heard Lin Feng's plan. He hadn't thought Lin Feng would be so smart.
Lin Feng smiled indifferently. He had fought against Di Shu for a long time, and Xu Gan and Jeston had also taught him a lot, so now Lin Feng had become better at plotting as well.
"Thank you. If I succeed, you and I will need to get drunk together to celebrate," said Fa Xuan, smiling excitedly.
"Haha! Third Prince, you know how Great Prince Fa Chun tried to curry favor with me? He used a wood stone! The Second Prince gave me a real dragon belt, and the Fourth Prince gave me an ice eye, haha! And you think some alcohol is enough? Haha!" Lin Feng said as a joke.
Fa Xuan blushed. He had no precious treasures.
"Alright, I'm just joking. I prefer getting drunk with someone nice and honest. I don't care about precious treasures, but since they gave them to me, don't you think I was right to take them? Haha!" Lin Feng said, laughing and patting Fa Xuan's shoulder, before walking towards the Heaven and Earth Temple.
Fa Xuan watched Lin Feng, such mysterious person, Few people liked to talk to him. It was the first time he had such a long conversation with someone. He felt touched, and he admired Lin Feng.
"I hope that I will overcome this difficulty and that nobody will ruin my plan. I'll try what you told me. We'll see if this time I can succeed," said Fa Xuan, and headed out.
The guards and elders were surprised. Didn't the Third Prince want to see the Emperor? How come he was leaving?
"Poor Third Prince. Since the Emperor doesn't know he came, let's not tell him."
"Alright, I agree."
"Fa Duo likes the boy, so let's not make him angry."
—
Lin Feng entered the Heaven and Earth Temple. It was gigantic. The ground floor was hundreds of square meters in size. In the middle of it were two gigantic and extremely long tables with many old people seated at them, most of them probably elders from the Fa Lan Empire.
Lin Feng walked up to the first floor and saw Chu Li, Garuḍa, Fa He, and the others.
When Lin Feng came in, everybody looked at him.