In the same nightfall, Emperor Chen Yu sat silently in his study.

This wasn’t the usual study, the official emperor’s study, despite that one being brightly lit, filled with books, almost like a library. But in his eyes, the real study was the small room piled with storybooks on the shelf.

Only there, he was truly Chen Yu.

"Haven’t come here for a while..."

Looking at the dust on the desk, Chen Yu sighed.

Back in the day, when he was still a child, this small courtyard held so many joyful moments. Only in this secret base of his own, he could escape from training, martial arts practice, and the burdens of affairs outside. He didn’t have to face his fearsome father.

Of course, the time spent here couldn’t be too long, otherwise the palace attendants would start looking for him everywhere. But playing hide and seek with them, keeping his wits sharp, was a fun game.

Sadly, good times didn’t last.

He had to grow up. He had to become a qualified Crown Prince. Those storybooks gradually became dusty memories — but still, whenever he had leisure time, he’d come back to this abandoned courtyard. Even if just for a moment, it was a great relief for him.

After all, the pressure from his father was immense, not anyone could withstand such ruthless education.

Despite this harshness, Chen Yu didn’t detest it. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Because he later found out, this abandoned courtyard, including those storybooks on the shelf, were left for him by his father.

If in this courtyard he could be Chen Yu, then likewise, only here would his father show a paternal side.

People say, in noble families, there is no kinship, more so in the royal family — the so-called heartlessness of the imperial family.

But is it really true?

Walking in the old courtyard, sitting in this secret base crafted by his father, Chen Yu felt a bit bewildered.

He couldn’t think, dared not think. Whenever remembering his father’s figure, he would end up recalling that headless corpse.

Regarding the arrangement of his father’s remains, Chen Yu barely remembered. He had asked the imperial physician, who said it was because the human heart actively forgets painful memories, admonishing him not to fall into illness from worry.

Yet, can one truly not think of it?

Impossible, right?

Chen Yu suddenly felt the saying of the heartless imperial family might be true.

After all, that single kinship was no longer here.

"Do you know? Your grandson has grown up, almost caught up to how I was then..."

Saying so, Chen Yu picked up the first Short Sword from the desk.

"If you were still here, you might have given this Short Sword to him, then taught him how to fight, taught him how to kill, taught him where to stab the fastest..."

Looking at the sharp blade and feeling the murderous urge from the Evil Qi on it, Chen Yu couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.

Although this Short Sword suits a child, he would never give this thing to his young son. Back then, he wasn’t one for killing or causing harm, how could he let his child suffer the same hardships?

"But I should teach him martial arts, make him learn to fight."

Saying so, Chen Yu smiled, picking up the Ring-Headed Saber from the desk.

Back then, when his father had him practice the saber, he disliked it. As the Crown Prince, future Emperor, using a sword seemed more fitting — everyone spoke of the Feudal Lords Sword and the Emperor’s Sword. No one mentioned a Feudal Lords Saber or an Emperor’s Saber, particularly a rough Ring-Headed Saber, more like those used by soldiers.

But now, Chen Yu understood it wasn’t about fitting.

It was about a father teaching his child how to fight, how to survive.

If a change did occur, relying solely on an Emperor’s Sword might be useless. He had to learn how to fight, how to battle like a frontline soldier to ensure his basic safety, to have the courage to fight even in danger.

"Yet you chose a sword later yourself."

This time, Chen Yu couldn’t smile anymore.

Facing the relics left by his father, the smile Chen Yu tried to muster finally crumbled.

When it comes to inheritance, the former Emperor of Da Chen actually left him a lot, including the imperial palace, the chief ministers, even all of Da Chen — this was the inheritance his father left for him. But Chen Yu knew it wasn’t meant for him, but for a Crown Prince left by an Emperor.

Only the plain, unadorned Longsword before him was something a father left for his son.

Drawing the sword from its sheath, Chen Yu casually performed a few sword flowers. If those ministers saw this scene, they’d likely be too shocked to speak — because beneath the lamp light, where was there any trace of foolishness in Chen Yu, just the posture of casually wielding a sword, clearly he was a skilled Martial Artist!

No one knew, that seemingly foolish emperor secretly trained such excellent skills.

Or perhaps, it was only the emperor that was foolish.

What did that have to do with Chen Yu?

An emperor could be stupid, foolish, anyway, the ministers liked seeing an emperor who knew nothing and didn’t care about anything sitting on that grand chair. But as for Chen Yu, he never showed any laziness towards what his father taught him while alive.

Just because he didn’t want to kill didn’t mean he wasn’t proficient in the art of killing.

Remember, even as a child, he had already mastered that Short Sword which killed over a hundred, even successfully resisted the murderous urge from the Evil Qi, eventually abandoning the Short Sword.

Only his father knew all this.

Perhaps, seeing he disliked killing, his father made that decision, wanting to seek a result at the royal mausoleum for his disappointing son in the end.

But unfortunately, they are the royal family. After their ancestor inherited the throne from the Grand Ancestor Emperor, these descendants could no longer escape the cycle of destiny.

"Who touched my sword? Forget it, it doesn’t matter."

Chen Yu suddenly felt the grip of the sword slightly altered, as if refined.

But right now, he didn’t mind these small matters.

He only knew, the sword remained, and that’s enough.

"You wanted to see, didn’t you?"

Across the blade, Chen Yu gazed towards the distant darkness.

That was the direction of the royal mausoleum.

"Since you wanted to see, I’ll let you see all you want."