"My Lord, a discovery!"
Just as the commander was about to inspect the well, his subordinate made a new find.
A piece of cloth was found on a wall. It was made of golden silk, the fabric exclusively used by the imperial family.
"Pursue!"
The commander immediately ordered a pursuit, and the Imperial Guard left the area to chase after the suspect.
Not long after the Imperial Guard departed, Zhao Ling'er and Xiao Yan crawled out of the well.
"Cough, cough!"
Xiao Yan's injuries had not yet healed, and this movement easily aggravated his wounds.
"Are you alright?"
Zhao Ling'er quickly and gently patted Xiao Yan's back.
"Exit the palace through the secret passage and find Su Fan!"
Xiao Yan knew that a major upheaval had occurred in the palace and it was not safe to linger.
"Okay."
Zhao Ling'er nodded and helped Xiao Yan to his feet.
Xiao Yan had often snuck out of the palace before and had discovered a secret passage within its grounds that almost no one knew about. It was perfect for their escape this time.
...
Beside the ice-covered street, Guang Long saw the frozen scene and immediately realized something was amiss.
This kind of display strongly suggested Su Fan's involvement. He knew Su Fan had obtained the Heart of Ice and had used it himself, possessing terrifying ice-elemental abilities.
Only Su Fan could have created such a spectacle.
But today was Su Fan's wedding day; why would he be fighting someone?
Guang Long was puzzled.
Furthermore, he had come here because the current Crown Prince, Xiao Zhihong, had informed him, which was why he was present.
Guang Long frowned, a sense of conspiracy subtly dawning upon him.
"This is bad! Xiao Yuan is in danger!"
After careful recollection, Guang Long suddenly realized that there were no high-level experts protecting the palace at this moment. Su Fan was getting married and was not present, and he himself had been sent away by the Crown Prince. Xiao Zhihong had done this intentionally!
With this realization, Guang Long immediately prepared to return to the palace.
However, a figure blocked his path.
"Su Fan?"
The person who appeared before Guang Long was none other than Tianming Su Fan.
Tianming Su Fan looked at Guang Long with a blank expression.
"Hurry back to the palace, His Majesty is in danger!"
Guang Long said urgently to Tianming Su Fan.
Tianming Su Fan remained unmoved, merely blocking Guang Long's way.
Guang Long immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"What do you mean?"
Guang Long frowned as he looked at Tianming Su Fan, who was blocking his path.
"After tonight, the royal family will cease to exist. I will be free. Join me, and I will grant you wealth and honor."
Tianming Su Fan said to Guang Long with a calm expression.
Guang Long's heart was immediately shaken.
He looked at Tianming Su Fan with disbelief.
"You have your own agenda?"
Up until now, Tianming Su Fan had always seemed like a puppet who only followed orders. However, the words spoken by Tianming Su Fan at this moment completely overturned his perception of him.
"I always have. Consider my words. As long as you don't leave this place, I won't attack you for now."
Tianming Su Fan did not deny it and said to Guang Long with a placid expression.
Guang Long frowned deeply.
However, Tianming Su Fan's appearance further solidified his suspicions.
"You are the mastermind?"
Guang Long's eyes narrowed. It wasn't Xiao Zhihong who was rebelling, but Tianming Su Fan!
This time, Tianming Su Fan did not answer Guang Long, simply standing opposite him.
"Su Fan, oh Su Fan, I thought it was pitiful enough that you were controlled by destiny. I never expected your consciousness to be occupied by it now. I've failed you!"
Guang Long sighed and looked at Tianming Su Fan with a hint of guilt.
"Today, let me see how much you've improved during this time!"
Guang Long's body slowly floated upwards, ascending into the sky.
Tianming Su Fan's body also rose with Guang Long, maintaining the same altitude.
Guang Long knew that Su Fan's strength would advance by leaps and bounds after obtaining destiny, as he himself had experienced it. Moreover, with the addition of the Heart of Ice, Su Fan's power might have reached a terrifying level, and he might not be Tianming Su Fan's match.
However, even if he was outmatched, he had to fight to the death. Xiao Yuan was in danger, and he could not stand idly by!
Thousands of meters above the ground, two figures instantly collided. The sky echoed with thunderous roars. The entire sky above Tianlong City changed color. The originally clear, starry night sky was soon shrouded in dark clouds, accompanied by lightning and thunder, giving the appearance of an impending storm.
One figure pierced through the clouds and plummeted from the sky, crashing directly into a residential courtyard in Tianlong City, causing the entire building to collapse.
Tianming Su Fan's figure followed closely behind.
He looked at Guang Long amidst the ruins.
"I'll give you one more chance. Surrender to me, or die."
Tianming Su Fan said in a deep voice, looking at Guang Long, who was covered in frost.
"Hahaha, I've roamed the world my entire life. When I was dominating the land four years ago, you didn't even know where you were! You want me to surrender to you? Dream on!"
Guang Long laughed heartily.
He would rather die than surrender to Tianming Su Fan and betray Xiao Yuan.
"What a pity."
Tianming Su Fan said indifferently.
With a wave of his staff, the temperature around Guang Long plummeted. The frost covering his body thickened, and Guang Long's body became increasingly stiff until he could no longer move.
Finally, Guang Long was frozen within a block of ice.
Tianming Su Fan waved his hand lightly, and a fireball struck the ice block. The ice block, along with Guang Long's face, was shattered into pieces.
Guang Long was dead.
Afterward, Tianming Su Fan returned to the驸马府 (Fù mǎ fǔ - Prince Consort's Residence), calmly awaiting Xiao Zhihong's arrival.
Soon, the third watch arrived, deep in the night.
Xiao Zhihong arrived in a hurry.
He was alone, without any guards.
"You're here. Have they all been dealt with?"
Tianming Su Fan asked Xiao Zhihong.
"They have. Xiao Yuan is dead, and Xue'er has been imprisoned."
Xiao Zhihong nodded.
"What about Xiao Zhi Qian?"
Tianming Su Fan pressed.
If he wanted freedom, he couldn't let anyone with royal bloodline remain.
Xiao Zhihong's expression stiffened.
"Big brother... he escaped."
Xiao Zhihong said helplessly.
He couldn't help it. Who would have thought that the heavily injured Xiao Yan would still be so vigilant? He had fled before Xiao Zhihong's men could reach him.
"So, our deal is not complete? You promised to kill everyone."
Tianming Su Fan looked at Xiao Zhihong with deep eyes.
"It was an accident. Once I ascend the throne, I will issue a warrant for their arrest. We can pin all the crimes on him. Murdering his brother and father is an act of treason. No one in this world would dare to help him."
Xiao Zhihong had already devised a plan to blame all his actions on Xiao Yan. This would allow him to legitimately ascend the throne and become the Emperor of the Tianlong Dynasty. Then, he would blockade Tianlong City and conduct a thorough search, making it impossible for Xiao Yan to escape.
Tianming Su Fan stared intently at Xiao Zhihong for a while.
He had originally intended to have his hidden forces strike and eliminate Xiao Zhihong after he had killed all the members of the royal family. However, with Xiao Zhi Qian still at large, he had no choice but to keep Xiao Zhihong alive for now. Once Xiao Zhi Qian was found, he would deal with both of them.