The day after Princess Ling Ge’s grand marriage, the emperor, who had been seriously ill for several consecutive months, suddenly returned to the court looking healthy. Just when everyone thought that he had recovered from his sickbed, the emperor announced his last order.

  He ordered his five sons to swear an oath in front of the whole, pulling up the curtains to the competition for the throne.

  And then, he did something that Bai Xiaofei never thought of – Summon him!

  Full of doubt, Bai Xiaofei followed Lan He into the palace. After passing through layers of guards, he entered the imperial study.

  Different from the magnificence one would imagine of a palace room, the imperial study of the Ethereal emperor was neat and uncomplicated, and the emperor did not wear the kind of splendid clothes that everyone would think but was dressed plainly instead.

  “Surprised, aren’t you?” The emperor greeted Bai Xiaofei with a smile, looking like a friendly next-door neighbor.

  “Greetings, Your Majesty!” Bai Xiaofei wasn’t stupid enough to think that a powerful man who had established an empire was as simple as he looked.

  “I think you already know my situation, so there is no need for courtesies with me. I am a dying person who wants to have a chat with you, so please don’t regard me as a high and mighty emperor, but an old man who would like to entrust his affairs with you,” said the emperor as he walked to Bai Xiaofei and pulled out two chairs before sitting down in one.

  Then, seeing that Bai Xiaofei was in a daze, he laughed. “What’s wrong? Can’t take my words for real? I heard from Lan He that you aren’t the unconfident type who cares about so-called status.”
This was an obvious provocation, but it worked wonders.

  “Then I will make myself at home.” Returning to his senses, Bai Xiaofei chuckled and sat down on the other chair opposite the emperor, making history to be the first of his generation ever to sit on the same level as a great emperor!

  “I collected your information and know everything that you’ve been through. To be honest, you remind me of a person who I met many years ago. You are very similar to him at that time, nosy and unpredictable.” The emperor sighed, his eyes deep as if lost in memories.

  It was not difficult to see that he had a good impression of the man he mentioned.

  “Is there really such a person?” Bai Xiaofei couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

  “Of course. His name is Bai Longfei. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep him in Ethereal, and I didn’t expect him to end up like that,” said the emperor regretfully.

  Bai Xiaofei was stunned to hear his father’s name as his emotions stirred. He knows what happened to my father?!

  “End up like what?!” asked Bai Xiaofei, unable to control his emotions.

  “You know him?” The perceptive emperor immediately sensed that something was wrong from Bai Xiaofei’s tone. He didn’t expect his random exclamation would actually lead to something interesting.

  “In the academy, the principal and teachers often compared me with this senior and said that if we were born in the same era, the rivalry between us would be outstanding, so I have always been curious about him.” Bai Xiaofei made up an excuse so quickly that it gave the emperor no chance to doubt the truth of his words.

  “It turns out to be so, but his affairs should be well known. Didn’t anyone mention it to you?” Another fatal question from the emperor.

  “I also want to know why, but they always avoided answering when I asked. I could see that they were angry about what happened to him and also worried as if I would do something. After all, I’m a bit nosy.” Again, Bai Xiaofei replied instantly and flawlessly.

  Indeed, no one in Starnet told him anything about his father. Lei Shan and those who knew he had a special relationship with Bai Longfei and would provoke people who he could not afford for the sake of revenge.

  “I see. I think I should let you know because I don’t want you to follow his path.”
Pausing briefly, the emperor went on to say,

  “Many years ago, he left Ethereal to travel. Later, when war broke out between Violethorn and Soarwind, he, who was a member of Violethorn, returned without hesitation, fighting countless battles and never losing one. In the end, however, he was inexplicably branded a traitor and became a wanted fugitive. That’s when he disappeared.”
It was a story that Bai Xiaofei had never heard before, throwing him into shock and confusion.

  Wanted by the Violethorn Empire?! Why?!

  Violethorn!! Was it you who killed my dad?!!!

  Fury soared from his heart as well as the urge to rush to Violethorn immediately and question them. However, this impulse was quickly suppressed.

  Bai Xiaofei understood why Lei Shan never told him about it. And, the reason why Luo Xi specifically mentioned Lan Qiushuang had to be for fear that he would choose Violethorn as his first stop.

  After all, it was not yet time to go against such a giant like Violethorn…
“This is really the first time I’ve heard about it. If I have the chance, I will visit Violethorn and see if I can return my senior’s innocence. I don’t believe someone who graduated from Starnet would become a traitor,” Bai Xiaofei declared. He did not believe his father to be that kind of person. In his impression, his father was a hero and a good man from what everyone in the Gorge of Heroes had told him!

  “I’m afraid it’s not that easy. It was decades ago. Even if some people still remember, they will still keep it sealed. Every empire has secrets that cannot be spoken of and this may be one of Violethorn’s,” the emperor lamented with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

  Like Violethorn, Ethereal also had matters that could not be mentioned…
“Alright, let’s end this topic here. You summoned me not just to tell me a story, right?” Bai Xiaofei calmed down as he got down to business.