Ye Qian's interest in Li Luo had nothing to do with courtesy. He knew precisely why the Third Prince had come—gift-giving was mere pretense. His true aim was to pursue Yun Xi relentlessly.
The System's voice cut through his thoughts.
[Ding! A person with an important connection to a Child of Destiny has been detected. Target: Li Luo, third brother of the Child of Destiny, Li Fei.]
Ye Qian's gaze sharpened as it settled on Li Luo. So this prince carried a connection to a Child of Destiny—how unexpected.
The Third Prince stood below two older brothers, which meant one of them bore the designation. First Prince or Second Prince? The question lingered only briefly.
A calculating gleam flickered through Ye Qian's eyes. He pulled Li Luo's information through the System without hesitation.
[Name]: Li Luo
[Age]: 23
[Identity]: Third Prince of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, younger brother of the Child of Destiny, Li Fei
[Cultivation]: Early Stage of Enlightenment Realm
[Physique]: None
[Cultivation Technique]: Heavenly Dragon Heart Sutra, Breaking Kill Fist, Ghost Shadow Charm Step
[Magic Treasure]: Azure Shadow Sword (Spiritual Artifact)
[Luck Value]: 100
[Introduction]: Third Prince of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, possessing exceptional talent. Despite lacking a special physique, his cultivation speed far exceeds ordinary practitioners.
In the future throne struggle against his imperial brothers, he will fall victim to the Child of Destiny's schemes—the Second Prince Li Fei.
His fate: death by a thousand arrows piercing his heart.
…
The Second Prince. Li Fei.
Ye Qian's lips curved slightly.
So the second Child of Destiny he would encounter ruled from within the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty's palace walls.
They had not yet met, but fate would draw them together eventually. Children of Destiny never remained hidden for long.
His mind began to turn, examining the pieces before him. Throne struggle. Brothers. Schemes and blood.
He had not laid eyes on Li Fei yet, could not measure the man's capabilities or temperament. But the designation alone told him everything he needed to know.
A Child of Destiny would not simply contend for the throne—he would seize it with near certainty, blessed by fortune itself.
Unless someone disrupted those plans.
Ye Qian's thoughts crystallized into strategy. If Li Fei's path led inevitably toward the Dragon Throne, then he would simply cultivate a rival strong enough to shatter that inevitability.
The Third Prince standing before him made a perfect instrument.
Li Luo desperately sought the Yun Family's support—the very reason he pursued Yun Xi with such determination.
How small his ambitions were.
The Yun Family's backing was nothing compared to what Ye Qian could offer. With the Ye Family's support, Li Luo would transform from a distant contender into a genuine threat.
Even if Li Luo ultimately failed to claim the throne, he would drag Li Fei through hell first. And when the Child of Destiny bled, when his carefully laid plans crumbled, the Luck Value Ye Qian would harvest would be substantial indeed.
Ye Qian turned and walked from the bow down to a secluded lower deck, away from Yun Xi and the rest.
Before descending, he paused at the railing and, without looking back, raised one finger in a subtle beckon.
Li Luo pressed his hand against the burn mark, his temper as dark as his scorched palm.
Seeing Ye Qian summon him so dismissively grated against every imperial instinct he possessed, yet he swallowed his displeasure and followed.
He had come to curry favor with a power that dwarfed his own dynasty. When beneath another's roof, pride became a luxury he could no longer afford.
When Li Luo reached the lower deck, Ye Qian was already waiting in a quiet corner, his posture relaxed yet commanding.
Li Luo halted there and bowed with practiced deference, even as anger simmered beneath his composure.
"Young Master, do you have any instructions?"
The Lightning Qilin's attack still burned in his memory, but he could only endure.
Ye Qian remained facing away, his voice casual, almost contemplative.
"Li Luo. You claim to be the Third Prince of a proud dynasty.
Tell me—are you tempted by your imperial father's crown?"
The words 'tempted' and 'crown' struck Li Luo like physical blows. His head jerked up slightly, staring at Ye Qian's back with undisguised shock.
Why would the Young Master of the Ye Family speak to him of such things? The question carried no mockery, no casual cruelty—only genuine interest.
Tension coiled through Li Luo's frame. His mind raced through possibilities, searching for the trap hidden within the question.
Is Ye Qian merely toying with me?
No—that made no sense. The Young Master did nothing without purpose.
Could he truly be offering support?
The possibility sent Li Luo's heart hammering against his ribs.
If he gained Ye Qian's backing—even without the full weight of the Ye Family behind it—he would vault from insignificant third son to genuine contender overnight.
The throne, once an impossible dream, would suddenly fall within reach.
Of course, nothing came without cost. If Ye Qian extended his hand, he would expect payment in kind.
But what price was too high for the Dragon Throne itself?
Li Luo's talented cultivation and natural gifts meant nothing in the imperial succession. Strength alone did not place crowns on heads.
The First and Second Princes had spent years accumulating supporters, building foundations of power that dwarfed his own pitiful resources. He had struggled endlessly to bridge that gap and found every door closed against him.
Until now. Perhaps.
The decision crystallized in his mind. He would pledge himself completely.
Even if he ruled as Emperor in the future, bearing the identity of Ye Qian's subordinate would bring no shame—only prestige and protection.
The past humiliations, the Lightning Qilin's burns, all of it faded into irrelevance.
Li Luo dropped into a full bow, the gesture of a vassal to his lord.
"Young Master Ye, as a prince, I naturally dream of sitting upon that throne.
But I have no one to stand with me against my imperial brothers.
I have the talent, and my cultivation meets the standard—yet a single tree cannot stand against the forest.
To win the Dragon Throne…"
He let the words hang, heavy with impossibility.
"It is no simple thing to accomplish."
He glanced up cautiously, trying to read Ye Qian's expression, searching for any hint of the Young Master's intentions.
Ye Qian nodded once, a curt acknowledgment of honesty.
He turned with a sweep of his sleeve, facing Li Luo fully now, his voice carrying absolute certainty.
"Li Luo… since you have no one to support you, I suppose I can, on behalf of the Ye family, extend our favor.
Consider me your backer.
I will help you stake a claim to the Dragon Throne.
With my support, your slim chances of becoming Crown Prince may yet rise to something faintly worth considering.
Would you disagree?"
He spoke as if elevating a prince's fate were no more effort than breathing.
For Ye Qian, this was simple truth.
The Heavenly Dragon Dynasty held no weight in his eyes—only the presence of a Child of Destiny within its borders warranted his attention.
Without Li Fei's designation, he would not have spared the dynasty or Li Luo a single glance.
Li Luo's eyes widened, shock stripping away every careful mask of composure.
He stared up at Ye Qian, disbelief written across his features. For a heartbeat, he wondered if his ears had betrayed him, if desperation had conjured false words from thin air.
But the searing pain where the Lightning Qilin had struck him remained brutally real, grounding him in the present moment.
This was happening. Ye Qian had truly offered him the impossible.