Chapter 180: He Has a Female

Zelda was so shocked he couldn’t control his voice. "Not Fox Jue? Then who is it?! Impersonating a Prince is a capital offense!"

The moment he spoke, he realized they weren’t in a public place. He glanced around warily, then lowered his voice. "If that person inside isn’t the Second Prince, then where is the real one? Don’t tell me the one who just escaped was actually Fox Jue?"

Zelda asked in confusion, "But why would he do all this?"

Hu Yan said, "This isn’t the place to talk, but I can confirm that the person lying in there is not Fox Jue. It’s highly likely that for all these years, someone has been impersonating him. It’s even possible that the imposter is the one who was diagnosed as unable to wake up, not Fox Jue."

Zelda was still in a daze long after they had left the Prince’s palace.

’The person in the Treatment Pod isn’t Fox Jue. The real Fox Jue has been out in the world all this time, not only conspiring with the Insect Clan to attack his own nation but also kidnapping Bai Zhi to threaten Hu Yan?’

Zelda simply couldn’t comprehend his motives.

’As a Prince, Fox Jue lacks nothing. With a little effort, he could even ascend the throne. I really can’t understand why he would conspire with the Insect Clan to do something like this.’

’To pull something like this off, Fox Jue must have started laying the groundwork at least ten years ago.’

’He wasn’t even twenty back then, was he?’

The more Zelda thought about it, the more horrified he became.

His thoughts were interrupted when Hu Yan said, "Right now, I need you to go and do something for me. Don’t tell a soul."

Then, Hu Yan whispered something in his ear.

Having just learned such momentous news, Zelda was still slow to react. He stared blankly for a few seconds before nodding. "Aren’t you coming with me?"

Hu Yan replied, "I’m going to see my father."

The moment he asked, Zelda wanted to slap himself. ’We’re already in the Imperial Palace, of course Hu Yan has to see the Emperor.’

Hu Yan stood before a pair of massive doors. After only a few seconds, they opened from within.

"Come in."

Hearing the voice, the Emperor looked up. "I hear you went to see your second brother?"

Hu Yan gave a quiet "Mm."

The Emperor asked, "Something must have happened for you to rush back in such a hurry."

「One hour later.」

A disguised Emperor and Empress Leia appeared in a high-end coffee shop. Inside a private room, Zelda and another Healer were already waiting.

Zelda saw Hu Yan and immediately stood up, only to notice two other people following him.

Before he could ask, they lifted their heads. When Zelda saw who they were, he was so shocked he instinctively moved to bow and exclaimed, "Your Maj—"

The Emperor raised a hand. "No need for formalities. Sit."

Zelda immediately understood. Their attire was clearly a disguise. ’I almost made a terrible mistake.’

Just then, Hu Yan said, "Let’s begin."

Zelda’s expression turned serious as he nodded and gestured to the Healer.

"Please, take a seat, you two."

The Emperor sat down first, opposite the Healer. The Healer extended a hand and released his energy, using it to scan the Emperor’s body bit by bit.

After a long moment, he frowned and scanned the Emperor again. Then, he said to Empress Leia, "Could you please come sit here?"

After examining Empress Leia in the same manner, the Healer said, "This Beastman has a peculiar poison in his system. At first, there are no symptoms, but the body grows progressively weaker over time, making it look like an illness. If I hadn’t encountered this elsewhere before, I might not have been able to spot it. This female, on the other hand, has no issues. She’s in very good health."

Hearing this, Hu Yan let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. "Can you cure it?"

’Zelda couldn’t believe it. The Emperor was poisoned?’

’But there are several S-Class Healers living in the Imperial Palace, and none of them discovered it? And why did Hu Yan have me hire a powerful Healer and bring the Emperor out here for treatment?’

’Could it be because of Fox Jue?’

The Healer frowned. "It’s treatable, yes, but this particular poison is very tricky. It requires me to slowly channel my energy to dispel it. Fortunately, it was discovered early and hasn’t seeped into his vital organs. Otherwise, even I would be helpless."

The Emperor hadn’t expected to be poisoned rather than simply ill. Upon hearing the diagnosis, he just said, "It doesn’t matter, as long as it can be treated."

The Healer nodded. "I’ll start by dispelling a small amount, then. This may hurt a little, as I’ll need to essentially pull the poison out of your body."

The Emperor nodded. "Begin."

The Healer began channeling his energy again, bit by bit. Before long, the Emperor’s face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

After about half an hour, the Healer finally withdrew his energy. He looked drained as well; treating this poison clearly consumed a great deal of his own energy.

Hu Yan said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Hu Yan then nodded at Zelda, who took out a data chip and handed it to the Healer. "This has five million Star Coins on it. There will be another payment when the treatment is complete. We also have a request: during this time, we’ll need you to reside at a place we’ve arranged."

The Healer glanced at the Beastman requiring treatment. From his attire to his aura, it was clear he was no ordinary person. The Healer nodded in agreement. "I understand."

Zelda extended a hand respectfully. "This way, please."

After Zelda left with the Healer, only Hu Yan, the Emperor, and Empress Leia remained in the room.

The Emperor asked, "How did you know?"

Empress Leia also looked anxious. "Yes, Yan’er, what on earth is going on?"

"To be frank, I came back from the front lines because my female was abducted. I was leading a raid on the Insect Mother’s lair when I happened to overhear her talking with someone. This person is an important figure in the Federation who has been supplying the Insect Clan with border defense maps and other resources. In return, they borrowed two mutant species from the Insect Clan: an Illusion Insect and an Enchanting Heart Worm. That’s how I lost contact with her. I rushed back in a panic, and my investigation revealed..."

The Emperor hadn’t held his throne for so many years by being a fool. "You suspect Fox Jue?"

Empress Leia, however, focused on something else entirely. "Yan’er," she said, her voice filled with delight, "did you just say you have a female?!"

Hu Yan nodded. "Yes. I’ll bring her to meet you both when I have the chance."

Empress Leia immediately beamed. "Wonderful, wonderful! HAHAHAHA! You have no idea how worried I was that you would be alone forever. Now I can finally stop worrying! Where is she from? Who are her parents? How did you two meet...?"

Seeing she was getting carried away, the Emperor coughed twice to remind her they were in the middle of something important. "You can ask all those questions later."

Only then did Empress Leia compose herself, sitting obediently to one side to listen.

Hu Yan nodded. "I tracked her position using our bond. I found the Illusion Insect there. The lead Beastman was wearing a mask, but the mark on his neck was identical to the one on my second brother’s. I went to investigate the moment I returned to the Imperial Palace—the person lying in the Treatment Pod is not Fox Jue."