Chapter 204 - 203: The Truth of That Year

Chapter 204: Chapter 203: The Truth of That Year

Xia Wuyang appeared calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

He stared fixedly at Zheng Zhicang, waiting for him to continue.

"The Former Empress went to great lengths, not even hesitating to use several hard-won Spirit Talismans, and finally managed to open the Secret Realm. She discovered that this realm, hidden deep within the Luo River, was none other than the legendary Luo River Secret Realm, which had supposedly vanished for millennia."

Zheng Zhicang continued, "The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in that Secret Realm was exceptionally dense, and many precious Spirit Grasses and Medicines grew there. The most valuable of all was a Spirit Level Breakthrough Miracle Treasure: the Sensing Fruit. It could assist with Celestial Human Communication, allowing one to sense various types of Spiritual Qi, condense a True Qi Seed, and step into the True Monarch Realm."

"Besides this Spirit Level Breakthrough Miracle Treasure, there were several other Spirit Level Miracle Treasures that could help a True Monarch significantly advance their Cultivation. As for Mortal Level Miracle Treasures and Special Miracle Treasures, there were dozens of them. And that’s to say nothing of the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and Exotic Flowers and Herbs, which were too numerous to count."

Hearing this, Xia Wuyang’s heart pounded. He never imagined the Luo River Secret Realm contained so many treasures.

He naturally knew of the Luo River Secret Realm. However, according to the news that had circulated back then, the Secret Realm was discovered by the Luo Clan. The story went that their desire to monopolize it was what drew the ire of various other powers.

But he never expected that it was his mother who had first discovered and opened the Secret Realm, not the Luo Clan.

No wonder the incident later implicated him and his mother. The true owner of the Luo River Secret Realm should have been his mother all along. After all, according to the unwritten rules of the Great Xia Dynasty, whoever discovers and opens such a treasured land essentially becomes its owner.

"The Former Empress suppressed the news at the time. Unfortunately, the Luo River Secret Realm was located near the Luo Clan’s ancestral tombs, and opening it required the use of some of the Luo Clan’s treasures. Naturally, the clan’s leadership found out."

As Zheng Zhicang spoke, a disdainful sneer touched his lips. "The Former Empress wanted to leave the Luo River Secret Realm and most of its treasures to her son, the man who is now the elder Crown Prince, Xia Wuyang. This was to help him secure his position as Crown Prince and give him a chance to pursue the True Monarch Realm in the future. She only left a small portion of the resources and treasures for the Luo Clan, which was more than fair compensation for their contribution. After all, the discovery and opening of the Secret Realm were almost entirely due to the Former Empress’s efforts."

"And the Luo Clan was unwilling?" Xia Wuyang asked.

Zheng Zhicang nodded. "That’s right. Patriarch Luo and his sons, who were aware of the situation, were vehemently opposed. I’m referring to the Former Empress’s own father and three brothers. They wanted to monopolize the Luo River Secret Realm and use the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and Exotic Flowers and Herbs inside to cultivate their family’s experts. They were only willing to give the Former Empress and her son a minuscule portion of the resources and treasures."

"Naturally, the Former Empress refused. The two sides argued for days and nearly came to blows. The commotion from their dispute was so great that it was discovered by a spy Emperor Xia had planted in the Luo Family, who then relayed the information back to the palace. Emperor Xia rushed from White Jade City overnight and took most of the treasures and resources from the Luo River Secret Realm, including all the Spirit Level Miracle Treasures. The insatiably greedy Luo Clan suffered a tremendous loss."

Xia Wuyang’s expression turned grim. ’So that’s why Mother always told me not to get too close to my grandparents and three uncles.’ He never imagined they could be so shameless.

Zheng Zhicang continued, "The Former Empress argued her case forcefully and managed to claim the Luo River Secret Realm and a portion of the resources and treasures from Emperor Xia, which she intended to leave for Crown Prince Xia Wuyang. Even then, the Luo Clan didn’t learn its lesson. They blamed the Former Empress for everything, stole more than half of the remaining resources, and tried to seize the Luo River Secret Realm by force. The two sides clashed once more."

Xia Wuyang’s hand suddenly clenched, his knuckles turning white.

"Meanwhile, Emperor Xia, having returned to White Jade City, was still not content. He felt he shouldn’t have left the Luo River Secret Realm to the Former Empress and her son, Xia Wuyang. However, he had already given his Promise. Going back on his word would invite ridicule. So instead, he leaked the secret. This prompted several Princes, Princesses, and other major powers to take action, all of them wanting to seize the Luo River Secret Realm for themselves."

At this, Zheng Zhicang himself seemed shocked by Emperor Xia’s shamelessness, and his expression soured. After all, he had always been one of the Emperor’s most loyal subjects. "Emperor Xia did this because he wanted to wait until the Former Empress and the Luo Clan were on the verge of collapse. Then, he would step in to ’help’ and, in the process, seize ownership of the Luo River Secret Realm."

"But he hadn’t anticipated the sheer scale of the fallout. The allure of the Luo River Secret Realm far exceeded his imagination. It wasn’t just factions within the Great Xia Dynasty; several neighboring countries also dispatched their top experts to fight for it. Even after the Former Empress and the Luo Clan announced that all the Spirit Level and Mortal Level Miracle Treasures inside had already been taken by Emperor Xia, most people didn’t believe them."

The candle flame crackled with a POP, causing the shadow of Xia Wuyang’s cloak to waver.

A fierce hatred welled up in his heart—not only for Emperor Xia, but also for the Luo Clan and all the powers that had swarmed in like vultures.

Memories from those years surfaced in Xia Wuyang’s mind: his mother’s face, growing paler and more terrified by the day. Yet she had hidden everything from him, not wanting to drag him into it.

Back then, his mother hadn’t known. It wasn’t just the Luo Clan that was betraying her; even the man closest to her, her own husband, Emperor Xia Shengming, had betrayed her as well.

’And Mother had been forced to face such betrayals all for my sake.’ The mere thought made Xia Wuyang’s heart ache.

"The Luo Clan, with its thousand-year heritage, was the first to suffer. You could say they reaped what they sowed." Zheng Zhicang’s tone was placid, but his words were utterly blood-soaked. "In just a few short months, most of the Luo Clan’s members were massacred. The Former Empress’s parents and brothers died one after another inside the Luo River Secret Realm. The great Luo Clan was all but annihilated."

"Even the Crown Prince at the time, Xia Wuyang, was dragged into it. Young and oblivious, he was besieged by various powers, including the forces backing the other Princes and Princesses. As a result, Crown Prince Xia Wuyang was deposed. He has languished for decades and is now a ruined man."

"Emperor Xia must have been involved in this as well, right?" Xia Wuyang asked.

Zheng Zhicang nodded, then shook his head. "It would be impossible to say he wasn’t involved. Emperor Xia orchestrated everything from behind the scenes; his actions set it all in motion. However, he never personally sent anyone to deal with Crown Prince Xia Wuyang. He merely gave his silent consent for others to do so."

"After Crown Prince Xia Wuyang was deposed, the Former Empress finally realized something was amiss. After investigating, she discovered that Emperor Xia had been pulling the strings all along. She stormed into Qianqing Palace alone to demand an explanation from him, but the Emperor, flying into a rage born of shame, shattered her heart’s meridians with a single punch."