The palace guards escorted Xu Yin home overnight in a royal car.
The night was tranquil, and Xu Yin was deep in thought on the way back to the Xu family home, contemplating the series of recent events.
He had never heard of anyone placing an energy segment into someone else’s body, yet what happened with Jun Yuzhou was undeniable.
The energy segment’s ripple did not belong to Jun Yuzhou.
The segment seemed intent on disrupting Jun Yuzhou’s entire energy flow.
Which illusionist implanted that energy segment?
Perhaps when Jun Yuzhou awakens, they could recall who he encountered before it happened and reach a conclusion.
As for now… with Mr. Lu around, Xu Yin felt fairly reassured.
He closed his eyes again, carefully recalling the sensation of discovering that energy segment, his fingertips moving slightly.
To insert one’s energy segment into an illusionist’s body…
Although it was the first time he’d seen such a method…
It didn’t seem all that difficult to accomplish.
He slowly opened his eyes.
*
Upon arriving at the Xu residence, the guard driving him respectfully said, “Young Master Xu, I will wait outside.”
“Alright.” Xu Yin gave a slight nod and entered this home, which still felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
The Xu family had deep roots, and the mansion they resided in was over a century old. It had a traditional style and had been expanded several times, now covering a vast area.
It was already quite late, and the entire residence was very quiet. On the surface, it seemed like everyone was already asleep.
However, that was just the appearance—
The original host’s parents lived in the northwest corner of the mansion. Xu Yin walked down the corridor for a few minutes before reaching it. As soon as he arrived at the door, he heard his mother’s exasperated, yet forceful voice coming from inside: “I told you, I’m fine. Why did Dad have to call Yin back?”
“Ah, how would I know? Yin should be arriving any minute now!” This was his father’s voice.
Mother Xu: “Your father did this on purpose! He just wants to drag Yin back home—he can’t stand seeing him stay in the palace!”
Father Xu: “Yes, yes, yes, please just sit down. Calm down!”
What could he say? Xu Yin had already come to terms with the fact that, no matter how many worlds he crossed, he would never have a great relationship with his parents. But he hadn’t expected to encounter a pair quite like these, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly.
He knocked on the door, and after hearing “Come in,” he opened it and walked in. Inside, he saw Mother Xu with a cooling patch on her forehead, standing on the bed in her pajamas, legs apart, looking fierce.
When the door opened, the couple paused upon seeing Xu Yin. Father Xu put his hand to his forehead and sighed deeply, while Mother Xu sat down heavily on the bed and started wailing, “You foolish boy! Why did you come back? Don’t you understand? Your grandfather just wants an excuse to get you out of the palace!”
“Seems like you’re in perfect health,” Xu Yin smiled, his tone gentle as he asked, “Mom, are you alright?”
“Just a mild fever for a few days that wouldn’t go down!” Mother Xu ripped the cooling patch off her forehead and flung it to the floor in frustration.
Father Xu quickly picked it up, saying, “Don’t be so stubborn. Just now, didn’t the thermometer show it was still at thirty-nine degrees?”
Mother Xu’s eyes widened, and she roared, “That’s just because I’m furious with your father!”
Father Xu flinched from her yell and immediately shrank back, trying to appease her.
Mother Xu gave him a hard shove, then turned to Xu Yin. “Yin, go back to the palace immediately! Just go. Your mother’s fine—go and take good care of the Crown Prince. If you don’t hurry, your grandfather will probably send You Yuan straight to the Crown Prince’s bedside!”
Mother Xu even jumped off the bed, trying to push Xu Yin out the door. But just then, an elderly voice came from the doorway, blocking the exit.
“No need, Xu Yin doesn’t have to go back. I’ll inform His Majesty and Her Majesty that he’s also fallen ill and can’t continue taking care of the Crown Prince. You Yuan will take over for him.”
With that, Xu Rusu entered with a serious expression, accompanied by… a thoroughly confused You Yuan, who looked utterly lost.
You Yuan, full of questions and utterly clueless about the situation, was urged by Xu Rusu to straighten up as he gave him a pat on the back. Xu Rusu then cleared his throat, straightening himself with an air of authority.
Xu Rusu had received word in the past couple of days that the Crown Prince’s condition had significantly improved; he was no longer prone to sudden bouts of madness. Seeing that his daughter-in-law had been running a mild fever for several days, Xu Rusu saw an opportunity.
Whether it would succeed or not, he figured he’d at least call Xu Yin back. While he hadn’t particularly disliked his grandson before, each additional day Xu Yin spent in the palace now made Xu Rusu increasingly agitated.
Hearing his words, Mother Xu’s body trembled in anger, and Father Xu’s expression also shifted.
What had been only her suspicions before was now openly confirmed by Xu Rusu himself.
Father Xu, visibly upset, said, “Dad, this is going too far! You may have looked down on Yin before, but now he’s proven himself. Why are you still trying to suppress him? Is You Yuan the only member of the Xu family and Yin isn’t?”
“You just can’t admit that you misjudged him all these years!” Mother Xu, pushing Father Xu aside in her fury, snapped at Xu Rusu. “Dad, haven’t you heard the saying? If something is meant to be yours, it will be yours; if not, it never will be. You keep trying to force Yin’s position onto You Yuan, but you’ll end up paying for it!”
Xu Rusu’s face darkened. “Then I’d like to see if that so-called punishment can really strike me!”
As his words fell, a lightning bolt suddenly tore through the previously peaceful night sky. It struck a tree in the courtyard, and a large branch, seemingly blasted off, flew straight at Xu Rusu, hitting him squarely on the back. The impact sent him lurching forward, dropping to his knees as his old bones emitted a loud Crack!
Father Xu, Mother Xu, Xu Yin, and You Yuan: “…”
Xu Rusu: “…”
Mother Xu was overjoyed, as if she’d won the lottery. “It struck! It actually struck!”
You Yuan, snapping out of his daze, quickly rushed over to help. “Grandpa!”
Realizing what had happened, Xu Rusu, face as dark as thunder, shakily climbed back to his feet. Mortified and enraged, he shouted, “It doesn’t matter! A lightning strike changes nothing! I am still the head of this family, and I say Xu Yin is not to return to the palace. You Yuan will handle the Crown Prince’s treatment from now on!”
At this, Mother Xu’s eyes flashed. She pointed at You Yuan and yelled, “If you dare to accept, you’ll be struck by lightning too!”
Startled, You Yuan’s hands trembled, and he let go of Xu Rusu. Halfway through standing up, Xu Rushu abruptly fell back to his knees with a thud, looking up at his grandson in shock and disbelief.
Mother Xu’s face fell in instant disappointment.
You Yuan, completely flustered, thought, Wait, are you defending your son or just enjoying the lightning-strike game at my expense?
After trying to process everything, You Yuan turned to Xu Rusu. “Grandpa, did you wake me up just for this? I don’t even want to treat the Crown Prince!”
Living separately from his parents, You Yuan had been staying in this mansion for years, studying under Xu Rusu. He’d been about to go to bed when Xu Rusu suddenly called him up, leading him to believe something important had happened—only to find out it was for this!
Nearly furious to the point of collapse, Xu Rusu slapped his knees and barked, “What nonsense are you spouting!”
You Yuan protested, “Grandpa, you already know how the Crown Prince feels about me! Not only did I lose face, but being around him might actually cost me my life!”
Xu Rusu, enraged, replied, “That was when the Crown Prince was still out of his mind! Now he’s much better and might even fully recover soon. He won’t go around confusing people with animals anymore!”
Mother Xu chimed in, “He just called you an animal, you know.”
You Yuan: “…%&*%#!!”
Xu Yin suddenly spoke up, directing a question at Xu Rusu. “And how exactly did you get updates on the Crown Prince’s condition?”
Caught off guard and slightly flustered, Xu Rusu answered in a huff, “With Xu Shu still in the palace, how would I not know?”
Xu Yin smiled. “True.”
It wouldn’t be hard to get any news to reach Xu Rusu. And for someone already scheming, just a nudge would set everything in motion.
Realizing he’d been tricked into answering so easily, Xu Rusu glared at Xu Yin. “Anyway, you’re not to leave this house! You Yuan, you’re going to the palace!”
You Yuan shook his head vehemently.
Mother Xu pushed Xu Yin toward the door. “Yin, hurry and go!”
You Yuan nodded frantically.
Xu Rusu delivered a swift kick to his backside, roaring, “Whose side are you on?!”
Stumbling forward, nearly out of breath, You Yuan protested, “Grandpa, this isn’t just about you deciding it’s me or not! If the Crown Prince is really close to recovery, couldn’t any palace illusionist take over? Why does it have to be me?”
Mother Xu scoffed, “Now you’re thinking clearly. Unlike that day when you couldn’t even squeak out a word in response.”
You Yuan: “…Auntie, I didn’t try to trip you up today!”
Xu Rusu sneered, “Oh, well, that’s quite something.”
You Yuan: “…???”
You Yuan was losing it—he didn’t understand the world anymore!
Today, he’d been dragged into this mess without warning, yet somehow, he seemed to be the one taking the worst of it. Desperate, he turned to Xu Yin, “Could you just go? I’m not trying to take the Crown Prince from you, please just go already! It’s late, and I want to sleep!”
Xu Rusu, who’d gone to such lengths to secure this opportunity for You Yuan, was now thoroughly humiliated as he saw his grandson siding with Xu Yin. Blocking Xu Yin’s way, he gritted his teeth and declared, “Over my dead body will you leave tonight!”
Xu Yin found the whole scene amusing.
Xu Rusu, furious, snapped, “What are you laughing at?!”
In the next instant, both he and You Yuan were frozen in place.
Xu Rusu was stuck mid-yell, hands outstretched, neck rigid, and eyes wide with anger, while You Yuan was frozen in a frantic, head-clutching pose.
The room fell silent, as if all noise had been swallowed up in an instant.
‘If you have powers, you might as well use them’, Xu Yin thought calmly. ‘No point in wasting such a perfect ability.’
He glanced at his stunned parents. Though they were ambitious and status-driven, their hearts were ultimately in the right place when it came to their son. Xu Yin felt confident using his powers in front of them because, ultimately, he trusted them.
Still, an explanation was in order.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw his mother muttering to herself, “…Divine judgement.”
Xu Yin: “…?”
Mother Xu stepped out of the room, glancing at the night sky, then at the scorched tree, and finally back at the rigid figures of Xu Rusu and You Yuan. Shivering, she whispered, “It really is divine judgement!”
Xu Yin: “……”
018: “Wow. Just wow.”
Even though this world was technologically similar to Xu Yin’s original one, Xu Father and Xu Mother, as natives, genuinely believed that divine judgement had come down on their behalf.
