Master of Strange Dao

No wonder the White Water Egg organization was so arrogant before, there were simply too many places to leverage power.

If it weren't for the fact that the retained resources were nearly destroyed after several upheavals, the original top-level of the White Water Egg would have been finished, the current White Water Egg organization would still rise up.

Yu Ziqing recorded the origins of these remaining White Water Egg members, which would be useful in the future.

But he wasn't planning to follow the White Water Egg organization's old methods; relying on control would backfire.

Once he had thoroughly scrutinized the past of the ordinary White Water Eggs, the records were almost complete.

Yu Ziqing finally turned to the page of the new Emperor Qian.

He extended a hand, placing it on the forehead of this face, moonlight reflecting in his eyes, fiercely stirring emotions coming through first.

Those swirling mists, like ink paintings slowly converging, gradually became clear.

From birth, the protagonist of this memory never saw his biological mother again, raised by a wet nurse.

Everything every day was meticulously documented.

From the age of three, he was faced each day with a heap of teachers, instructing him in all sorts of things, or rather, infusing them into him.

From writing to etiquette, then to cultivation, and to concepts...

He was pressured to outperform other princes to proceed further, never catching a break, cramming until he was breathless.

This might have seemed usual, just a more stringent and oppressive life of an imperial prince.

Until one day.

Within the stern palace city, bright lights illuminated the grand hall, a child with a fearful expression performing precise salutations, kneeling and bowing respectfully.

"Your son greets Father Emperor."

Beneath the bright brilliance, the face of the old Emperor Qian was unseen, calmly seated, his tone icy.

"How about appointing you as Crown Prince?"

"Your son... Your son..."

"Speak louder."

"Your son... does not dare..." The child was almost in tears, crying out with a strained voice.

The old Emperor Qian just watched quietly, watching until the child was drenched in cold sweat, his kneeling legs aching, he slowly spoke.

"You are the most suitable to be the Crown Prince, but to be this Crown Prince, you must pay a price.

To become this Emperor of Qian, it is not so simple either.

Among so many sons, none has talent greater than you, but only you are the most suitable.

To achieve great things, sacrifices must be made.

My Crown Prince, remember this.

If you can't bear it, you will prove that you are unfit.

You will follow in the footsteps of your brothers."

The child, ignorant but understanding these four words "my Crown Prince," and understanding "brothers."

He had only occasionally heard of the brothers who had already died young.

He dared not refuse, only bowing in gratitude.

Then, a few days later, an old eunuch by Emperor Qian's side led the Crown Prince out of the palace city.

The Crown Prince didn't know what happened, only that after a whirlwind, he fainted, and upon waking, he saw a person in a metallic mask.

He saw an altar, a table neatly arranged with various knives.

He was guided to learn about the rituals, learning things bit by bit.

Until one day, the true ritual began.

A man with a metallic mask, smiling sinisterly and cruelly, approached him with a small knife in hand.

"Your Highness, you must withstand it, for if you can't or make a mistake, you will die.

I don't mind if you fail; peeling a prince of Daqian myself is quite the rare experience, I'd love to have it more than once."

The Crown Prince, naked and bound, his consciousness razor-sharp, was peeled of his entire face and then all his skin.

The heart-wrenching screams pierced through the bizarre altar.

A bit dazed, the Crown Prince didn't know how he managed to endure.

He never passed out completely from start to finish, he dared not, knowing that if he passed out, he'd truly die.

After who knows how long, the Crown Prince was smeared with volumes of Spiritual Medicine, new skin began growing over the mangled flesh, and his face, along with the peeled-off skin, started continually condensing and shrinking.

This indicated that the ritual was essentially a success.

Just before passing out completely, he saw the masked man who led the skinning, having his head slapped into his chest by that old eunuch, the entire person disintegrating into ashes under a mass of fire.

That old eunuch, always with a sullen face, also revealed a trace of standard respect, bowing slowly towards the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, this old servant arrived late to rescue you, giving you hardship.

May Your Highness never wander out of the palace again, for there are many knaves out there.

This old servant shall escort Your Highness back to the palace.

From today, Your Highness shall be the Crown Prince."

The scene abruptly ended here.

Yu Ziqing blinked and raised his head somewhat dazedly.

He indeed thought too much; how could there be a scene of filial piety and kindness?

If there were such affection, the Crown Prince back then wouldn't have turned into a White Water Egg, losing what once was.

It's just that the situation was even more chilling than expected.

The old Emperor Qian, his intentions unknown, back then the Crown Prince wasn't the first.

But the princes before couldn't withstand the torturous ritual, all dying from it.

This guy's heart, to call it stone-hearted would be underestimating him.

Yu Ziqing felt that if he returned this semi-transparent face to the new Emperor Qian, this already maddened new Emperor Qian would probably explode on the spot.

Wait a bit, just wait for now, it's not the right time yet.

Yu Ziqing closed the golden book, rubbing his forehead, seeing too much of these things made him uncomfortable.

Especially now that he was Emperor Dui, seeing these things made him even more uncomfortable.

He recalled the ritual scene, remembering it all, planning to talk to the New Five, to see what was special about that kind of ritual.

The old Emperor Qian went through so much trouble, rather killing off a few princes, to do so, there must be an extremely important reason.

What was his purpose? Was it merely to establish a connection with the Cliff Divine King?

Surely not.

The next day, Yu Ziqing contacted the New No. Ten, asking him to come to the Health Club.

When the New No. Ten arrived, Yu Ziqing got straight to the point.

"You can meet bare-faced now; I have already retrieved your face and past."

The New No. Ten trembled slightly, his voice a bit shaky.

"Master, is... is it true?"

"It's true, not just yours, but others' too, though I'm unsure whether there are pits inside, how to choose, it's up to you."

"I'm willing to try, life or death without regret. If anything happens to me, someone will replace me, please master, do not hesitate, kill me directly."

The New No. Ten knelt on the ground without a trace of hesitation.

Since it had come to this, Yu Ziqing had no reason to refuse.

He opened the golden book, seeing a face of a middle-aged appearance fly out and merge into New Five's face.

He knelt there, the past returning, his body continuously trembling.

Yu Ziqing sighed softly; that past of a face was no good memory.