124: A divine eye? A blind man? (Nine)

Great Jun Divine Dynasty, Chaotian Hall.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

Seated high upon the Dragon Throne, Jun Tianming’s face was as dark as water as he listened to the latest battle reports from the border.

Another defeat.

The war with the Great You Divine Dynasty had lasted for years; what began as a stalemate had gradually turned into a series of retreats.

The treasury was empty, the troops were exhausted, and grievances were rising among the people.

The entire massive Divine Dynasty was teetering in the storm, on the brink of collapse.

"Your Majesty, the Great You delegation is waiting outside the hall."

A Chief Eunuch reported cautiously.

"Summon them."

Jun Tianming's voice was devoid of emotion.

Soon, a group of Great You envoys, dressed in black robes with gold patterns and carrying an arrogant aura, entered the hall, led by an old man.

"This humble official greets the Great Jun Divine Lord."

The leading old man bowed slightly, his attitude neither humble nor overbearing.

"Rise."

Jun Tianming looked at them coldly. "State your purpose."

"Our Divine Lord is willing to establish a temporary truce with your dynasty."

The old man got straight to the point.

As soon as he spoke, the civil and military officials in the hall were stunned, and many soon showed expressions of joy.

A truce?

For the current Great Jun Divine Dynasty, this was like rain after a long drought.

However, Jun Tianming's expression didn't change in the slightest.

He knew things were never that simple.

"The conditions." He uttered only two words.

The old man smiled, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"Our Divine Lord has only one condition."

He paused, then raised his voice suddenly so it rang clearly throughout the hall.

"We request that the Great Jun Divine Dynasty return our Divine Lord's own grandson, who was lost here many years ago, to his rightful place!"

Boom!

The entire Chaotian Hall instantly erupted into chaos.

The Great You Divine Lord's own grandson?

Lost within the Great Jun Divine Dynasty?

What kind of absurd claim was this?

Countless officials whispered among themselves, their faces filled with shock.

Only a few people in the front row had their expressions change drastically.

Several princes felt their hearts leap, a sense of foreboding washing over them.

Upon the Dragon Throne, Jun Tianming's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

A terrifying God Realm pressure erupted from his body, bearing down heavily on the Great You envoy.

"What... are you saying?"

His voice was bone-chillingly cold.

Under the pressure of a God Realm expert, the old man turned pale and his body wavered, but he still gritted his teeth and pulled a jade pendant from his robes.

"This was once the personal item of our dynasty's Prince Li. This jade pendant can sense the location of his Bloodline."

"And the direction it points to is exactly within your dynasty's imperial city!"

Jun Tianming stared fixedly at the jade pendant.

You Li... he recognized it. That was the item of that damned Great You prince from back then.

Jun Yun!

In his mind, he instantly thought of his great-grandson, whom he had forgotten in a corner of the Cold Palace and long since regarded as trash.

They had actually come for that bastard child!

The hall fell into a dead silence.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Divine Lord's decision.

Jun Tianming closed his eyes.

His mind was rapidly weighing the pros and cons.

A blind, useless waste whose cultivation had stagnated.

In exchange for a truce that would allow the Divine Dynasty to catch its breath.

No matter how he looked at it, this deal was incredibly profitable.

More importantly, this would completely get rid of that "Ominous Son" and quiet the growing rumors within the country.

As for the imperial family's face?

What face did a bastard child born to a long-deposed princess have?

After a long time.

Jun Tianming slowly opened his eyes. The killing intent and anger had completely faded, leaving only the calm expected of an emperor.

"Granted."

A single word decided a person's fate.

The old man from the Great You delegation felt a wave of relief and bowed deeply.

"I thank the Divine Lord for his benevolence."

...The dilapidated Cold Palace received a long-awaited imperial decree.

It was still the same Old Eunuch holding a fly-whisk, but this time, the disdain and impatience on his face had been replaced by a business-like indifference.

Pinching his voice, he read the decree that would change Jun Yun's fate.

On the bed, the young man who had sat cross-legged for eight years slowly opened his eyes.

"Jun Yun, receive the decree."

The Old Eunuch handed over the imperial decree, his tone carrying a hint of dismissive urgency.

In his view, for this waste who was traded away like a piece of cargo to be able to leave this death-trap of a cage was already a great blessing.

Jun Yun did not move.

His "Minds Eye" clearly "saw" the Old Eunuch before him.

He "saw" the grayish-black thread of Luck on the Old Eunuch, representing mediocrity and infirmity.

He also "saw" the churning, unconcealed contempt and disdain for him beneath that thread of Luck.

After a long while.

Jun Yun finally reached out and took the imperial decree.

"This subject receives the decree."

His voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.

The Old Eunuch nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.

Jun Yun "watched" his departing back, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Why did the Great You Divine Lord know of his existence?

Jun Yun didn't know.

Perhaps it was a Bloodline secret technique, or a perception of Luck.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that he was free.

The dragon leaves the shallows; the tiger returns to the mountain forest.

This cage that had imprisoned him for eighteen years was finally about to be opened.

He slowly stood up and walked to his mother's memorial tablet.

No words were spoken.

He simply kowtowed three times, calmly and solemnly.

Half an hour later.

Under the "escort" of a squad of Imperial Guards, Jun Yun walked out of the Cold Palace gates step by step.

This was the first time in eight years he had stepped through this door.

The blinding sunlight shone on him, yet he felt no warmth.

His Minds Eye saw everything around him with perfect clarity.

The unconcealed disdain on the faces of the Imperial Guards.

The gazes of the palace maids and eunuchs from afar, mixed with pity and schadenfreude.

And the figure standing at the end of the palace path, dressed in a python robe, his face full of glee and malice.

Jun Wuhuan.

His confinement had ended early, and he was about to be reinstated as the Divine Crown Prince.

He had waited here specifically to see Jun Yun looking like a stray dog.

"My dear grandson."

Jun Wuhuan walked over slowly, looking down at Jun Yun with a voice full of mockery.

"Have a safe journey to Great You."

He reached out as if to straighten Jun Yun's collar, but spoke maliciously in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Your filthy Bloodline is finally rolling back to where it belongs."

Jun Yun's face remained expressionless.

He just "looked" at Jun Wuhuan.

"Watching" the thick but mottled and impure purple Luck on him, which even faintly carried a trace of black Qi.

"Watching" the thread of Karma deep within that Luck, tangled with his own towering resentment.

He slowly pulled a smile.

On that handsome but pale face, the smile appeared eerie and sinister.

"My dear 'Grandfather', you take care as well."

Jun Yun spoke, his voice calm.

"I hope the next time we meet, your position as Divine Crown Prince will still be secure."

Having said that, he ignored Jun Wuhuan, whose face instantly turned incredibly ugly, and turned to follow the Great You envoys out of the palace.

Jun Wuhuan stared at his back, his fists clenching until they cracked.

A waste, a blind man, dared to threaten him?

Killing intent surged in his heart, but he ultimately held back.

It didn't matter.

What waves could a cripple stir up, even if he was taken by Great You?

Outside the palace, the Great You Divine Dynasty's convoy had been waiting for a long time.

At the front was a massive carriage made entirely of Black Profound Iron, engraved with the Dark Sparrow totem.

Under the "support" of attendants, Jun Yun stepped into the carriage that represented the majesty of the Great You Imperial Family.

The carriage curtain fell, cutting off all outside views.

And also cutting off the decaying aura of the Great Jun Divine Dynasty.

The convoy slowly started, driving away from this prosperous yet cold Great Jun Capital.

Inside the carriage, it was pitch black.

Jun Yun sat quietly, his blind eyes "looking" toward the direction of the imperial palace.

In the world of his Minds Eye.

He could clearly "see" the golden giant Dragon representing the national fortune above the magnificent palace.

A cold smile appeared on Jun Yun's face.

Great Jun Divine Dynasty.

This is only the beginning.

He slowly closed his "eye."

Today, I am like a stray dog, discarded by you like worn-out shoes.

One day, I shall return and completely overturn your so-called imperial power, along with this national fortune!