Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

Yi Tianxing put down his teacup, and Shen Zhen quickly refilled it.

"Speak," Yi Tianxing said calmly.

"Is this a matter of the Evil-Purifying Division, or a matter of your mother?"

Shen Zhen was taken aback, not expecting his master to see through him so directly, so he simply stopped trying to hide it:

"Yes, we have them!"

After this natural disaster, the responsibility is even heavier. My colleague's sacrifice was so sudden that I feel a tightness in my chest.

There's also my mother's case. Jin Wanquan, the supervisor of Shenenkuku, mentioned that the incident four years ago was related to Feng Xun, but now there's no evidence at all.

My dad rarely talked about my mom before, but he only talked more about her recently because the case he encountered was related to an old one.

After hearing this, Yi Tianxing tapped his fingers lightly on the stone table, and after a long while, he sighed, his tone filled with regret and a hint of barely perceptible melancholy:

"He refuses to mention it or come to me. It's not that he doesn't care; he just can't get over his own hurdle."

"Kan?" Shen Zhen was stunned.

"Master, is there... a grudge between you and my father?"

"It wasn't exactly a deep-seated hatred, but it was enough to haunt him for the rest of his life." Yi Tianxing picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gazed at the distant mountain ridge, as if recalling the past.

"Your father, your mother, and I are all from the same school. We entered Zhennian Hall together back then and worked together on many cases."

Your mother is the most talented, and she has a strong personality. Your father and I secretly protect her.

He paused, his voice deepening:

"Four years ago, your mother took on a task from a neighboring county. At that time, Zhennian Hall had arranged several teams of people. Whoever finished their case first would go to support her first."

The coincidence was that everyone was busy with their cases that day, and no one could get away in time, including me.

"Not to mention your father, he was thousands of miles away at the time and couldn't possibly make it in time."

Shen Zhen paused, and the teacup in her hand trembled slightly.

"And the result?" Yi Tianxing's voice carried a hint of bitterness.

"The support was delayed, and by the time your father rushed over, it was too late."

Looking back now, what a coincidence!

Maybe someone is deliberately obstructing things, preventing people from helping your mother in time.

Shen Zhen felt a surge of heat rush to his head. He gripped the teacup tightly, causing the tea inside to tremble violently, almost spilling out.

The image of my mother, isolated and helpless, seemed to appear before my eyes, along with the doubts I had felt over the past four years, my father's silent back, and the sighs I could vaguely hear in the dead of night.

His chest heaved violently, and his eyes burned with heat.

Yi Tianxing looked at Shen Zhen with a complicated expression:

"What hurt your father the most was why he didn't make it. He always felt it was his fault that your mother was left isolated and helpless. He carried this guilt for four years."

As his fellow disciple who also missed the support mission, I became a thorn in his side, and even my repeated explanations later proved futile.

So they simply avoid me and won't even mention what happened back then.

You know what happened after that; your father and I both left Zhenniantang.

Shen Zhen abruptly closed his eyes, forcing himself to suppress the roar that was about to burst from his chest.

When he opened his eyes again, his eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was unusually hoarse.

"Master...are you saying that the coincidence that day was orchestrated by someone in secret?"

"I dare not say for sure, but things that seem too coincidental are often the most complicated," Yi Tianxing sighed.

Shen Zhen clenched her fists, her throat tightening.

He finally understood that his father had been exceptionally strict and rarely spoke to him these past few years because he was overwhelmed by guilt and regret.

Shen Zhen couldn't help but recall the scene before her mother's sacrifice, and her heart was filled with a mixture of grief and anger.

If what Master said is true, this is a blatant conspiracy!

I will never let the person behind this mess get away with it!

The two drank tea for a while longer, as the sun was about to set.

"Master," Shen Zhen stood up and bowed.

That's all for today. I'll come see you another day.

"Yes," Yi Tianxing nodded slightly.

"It's time to untie the knot in your father's heart." He then picked up a patterned pebble from the bamboo basket and placed it in Shen Zhen's hand.

"This stone has a simplified array on it, which can block one fourth-level psychic attack. Keep it with you."

Talk to your father about what happened back then. Only you can help him overcome this hurdle in his heart.

Shen Zhen gripped the array stone in his hand tightly. "I understand, Master."

Yi Tianxing smiled:

"Go ahead, and come visit your teacher often in the future."

Shen Zhen nodded, bowed deeply to Yi Tianxing, and turned to leave the courtyard.

......

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace of the Divine Capital, in the Imperial Study.

The candlelight burned quietly, and Emperor Feng Hongyi sat calmly on the dragon throne.

Feng Xun stood respectfully below, the hem of his long robe trailing on the ground.

He lowered his head slightly, a gentle smile playing on his lips, as if his father's reprimand was just a casual admonition. But the fingers hanging at his sides curled up for a moment.

"Crown Prince, have you grown too big for your britches?" Feng Hongyi's voice was deep and powerful, making one's eardrums throb.

Why didn't you discuss this matter with me, Jin Wanquan?

Besides, you were too reckless. Even if Jin Wanquan was arrested, you shouldn't have shown up in person.

Feng Xun raised her head, her eyes clear, with a hint of grievance, and said:

"Father, please calm your anger. I only resorted to this desperate measure."

"Whatever Jin Wanquan says is not only a matter of personal disrespect, but also of the dignity of the royal family. The temple will surely use this as an excuse to further restrict the royal family's influence."

"In a hurry?" Feng Hongyi stood up from the dragon throne and slowly walked to Feng Xun.

The emperor's imposing aura swept over him, and Feng Xun subconsciously took a half step back, only to be pressed down on the shoulder by Feng Hongyi with an unyielding majesty.

"Your so-called urgency is probably because you're afraid he'll reveal that you were sending the 'spiritual dust liquid' to the heretics, right?"

Feng Hongyi's voice suddenly turned stern:

"I turned a blind eye to what happened in the neighboring county four years ago, so that you could learn from it, not so that you could play with fire!"

Do you think the people in the temple are blind?

"That old fox Gu Qing has long wanted to rise above the royal family. Your actions have given him ammunition."

Feng Xun's face paled instantly, and his smile froze completely. His father had even investigated the matter of the Nianchen Liquid, but he still subconsciously tried to explain:

"Father, I didn't..."

"No?" Feng Hongyi released his grip, turned and walked to the desk, picking up an open booklet—it was the temple's document.

"Gu Qing has already sent a letter saying that the royal family is interfering with the temple's handling of the case, and the dissatisfaction of the temple's high-ranking officials is almost overflowing onto my face."

"You say you didn't, so is the name on this report fake?"

Feng Xun fell silent, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white.

He knew that since his father had said so, he must have already investigated everything, and further denial would only make things worse.

"You want to break free from the temple's control and truly put the royal family in power, that's true."

Feng Hongyi's voice softened somewhat, but he was still somewhat disappointed.

"But you're in too much of a hurry."

The temple has existed for over a thousand years and has deep roots; it cannot be shaken overnight.

I instructed you to secretly plot and contact those forces dissatisfied with the temple to build up your strength, but instead, you directly colluded with heretics and were even caught red-handed.

He paused, his gaze falling on Feng Xun:

"Do you think heretics are so easy to exploit?"

What they want is to overthrow the order, and once the temple falls, the royal family will be the first to suffer.

Those heretics and deformed beings wouldn't recognize any dragon throne or phoenix robes.

Feng Xun took a deep breath, raised her head, and the grievance in her eyes faded:

"Father, I know the risks, but opportunities don't wait for anyone!"

The temple suffered heavy losses in this natural disaster and is now in a weakened state.

If we don't seize this opportunity to disrupt their formation, and wait for them to recover, we'll always be at their mercy!