Tonight, the air was clear and the sky was cloudless. There was only a bright moon hanging high in the school. Xu Sili put on a robe and walked slowly on the promenade toward the big bath in his memory. He had sent a message to Janice, asking her to order people to prepare everything for the bath. She might have been injured but she didnât have to go out. She could let the maids do it.
He walked slowly, leaving enough time for the maids to prepare. As a ruler, he was still very considerate.
A refreshing breeze blew toward his face and blew his silvery hair into the air. Xu Sili walked slowly along the promenade. He stared up at the bright moon in the night sky and his purple eyes dimmed slightly. His entire body became shrouded in a melancholy air.
Perhaps it was because the moonlight was too intoxicating. The emotions he neglected during the day inexplicably poured into his heart. He suddenly⊠thought of his parents and his brothersâŠ
Starry Sky Age finished development nearly 10 years after his death. In other words, it had probably been 8 or 9 years in reality now. His parents, big brothers and grandparents, were they okay? Xu Siliâs lips pressed together tightly. He stood in the moonlight and his atmosphere became cold.
In a shadowy corner that the young man couldnât perceive, quiet communication was taking place.
âWhatâs wrong with His Majesty?â
âMaybe he is thinking of the second princess? I heard that His Majesty and Her Highness had a good relationship.â
âIt is really pitiful. He is still a childâŠâ
âEleven, be careful. Donât be found!â
âDiscovered? Shadow Nine, you are too cautious. How can His Majesty find us?â
âHis Majesty has become a spiritual elementalist.â
âSo what? Even Justin isnât able to find us, let alone His Majesty.â
âStill, donât you think His Majesty has become stronger?â
The other voice didnât speak. It took a long time to say, âIt seems⊠he is better than during the day.â
Xu Sili had no idea about the conversation between the two shadows. He stood under the moonlight for a while before raising his feet, ready to head to the bath again. The resultâŠ
âHe! Ha!â There was a small sound in the wind. It was very light and came from very far away. If it was before then he wouldnât be able to hear it. Now it was different. The sound elements had become his microphone and he could hear movement from more distant places.
Xu Sili was vigilant and listened attentively. There was no danger? It seemed like a childâs voice. How could there be a child at the palace? He mustâve heard wrongâŠ
Suddenly, Xu Sili paused and he thought of a certain name. Was it him? Xu Sili hesitated for a moment before walking in the direction of the sound. As for safety, shouldnât it be okay in the palace? Didnât Li Zhecheng say there were shadow guards protecting him?
Xu Sili had this thought and looked around while walking. He had the favorability system. As long as it was a person, donât think about wanting to hide around him. After all, there was a label above their heads that was almost like a target. It wasnât difficult for him to find people. Of course, if he was too far away then he probably wouldnât be able to see it clearly.
Somewhere in the shadows, the silent figures started communicating again.
âWhere is His Majesty going?â
âI donât know. In any case, just follow.â
âHe is looking around. What is he looking for? Huh? Why do I feel like⊠His Majesty is looking at me?â
âDonât be too nervous. His Majesty has become stronger but it isnât to the extent of finding us.â
âReally? Are you sure?â
âIâm really certain.â
âBut⊠but⊠I really think His Majesty is looking at us!â
Xu Sili looked around. Not far away, around 20 meters from him, there were two labels floating under a large stone.
[Respect] and [Respect].
One was darker and the other was slightly lighter. He frowned and secretly used Insight on the two.
[Shadow Nine]
[Identity: NPC
Personal level: Lv 19
Health: 71500/71500
Magic: 1100/1100
Elemental Affinity: Dark
Occupation: Warrior]
[Shadow Eleven]
[Identity: NPC
Personal level: Lv 18
Health: 68000/68000
Magic: 1000/1000
Elemental Affinity: Dark
Occupation: Warrior]
Xu Sili saw the new panels and nodded. He retracted his gaze with ease. They were a bit worse than Li Zhecheng but they were much stronger than Janice. These two shadow guards also had a very high concealment ability.
If an enemy really appeared, he could control them with his song while the two shadow guards dealt damage. The lethality must be very high. Of course, this was as long as he didnât meet anyone abnormal like Si Sheng.
Xu Sili continued to move forward toward the direction of the sound. There was someone around to protect him so he felt much more at ease. Moreover, he was only level 7 right now. His health was half of Shadow 11 and he was about to surpass Janice. Oneâs own strength could always make a person more confident.
Soon, Xu Sili left the promenade and walked around a high wall. He finally arrived at a certain place. There was a cut-out window. He stood outside and could see inside the wall. It was an open-air courtyard.
A small figure stood in the open space. The short black hair shook gently as he kept swinging and slashing with the wooden sword in his hand, slightly glowing in the silvery-white moonlight. It was a boy around 10 years old. His facial features werenât really visible. Based on the side profile, his face value wasnât low. He should be a young, handsome guy.
He was holding a wooden sword in hand and slashing at the wooden man in front of him. He was young but his face was full of perseverance. His training shouldâve been going on for quite a while. On this cold night, he was actually sweating profusely and the back of his clothes was wet.
âHe! Ha!â He slashed and slashed with his sword in a tireless manner.
âYour Highness, it is time to rest.â Just then, a gentle female voice was heard.
âNatasha, go to bed first. I will practice a bit more.â The little boy didnât look back and continued to slash with his sword, making a clattering sound.
âYour Highness, you are a spiritual talentâŠâ The maid named Natasha tried to persuade him again.
âSo what?â The little boy told her coldly, âMy oldest brother was also a powerful spiritual elementalist. As a result, his magic value ran out and he could only rely on his body!â
Natasha watched him in a worried manner, brow slowly furrowed. âYour Highness, you wonât fall into that situation.â
âWho knows?â The little boy said as he stabbed at the wooden manâs heart with his sword.
Natasha hesitated before trying to persuade him, âYour Highness, you have to go to the academy tomorrow.â
âIâll get up on time.â
Natasha saw he was so insistent and sighed. âOkay, Iâll prepare some food for you. Eat it when youâre done with training.â
âYes. In addition, get some ready for Snowball as well.â
âYes, Your Highness.â
There was the sound of footsteps and the maid called Natasha left the yard. The boy wasnât affected. He was still staring at the wooden man in front of him like it was a life or death enemy. He kept stabbing and slashing at it with his wooden sword. Every move was used in a different way. He might be an elementalist of the spiritual department but his physical strength was comparable to some of the warriors around the same age.
In the distance, the two shadow guards protecting Xu Sili started to exchange words again.
âIsnât that His Highness?â
âHe is practicing so hard at a young age and his talent is good. He is more than His Majes⊠cough, more than a lot of people.â
âYes. Still, what is His Majesty doing here? I heard⊠When His Majesty was a prince, there was a small gap between him and His Highness. Yet he actually came here.â
âShadow Nine, how do you seem to know everything?â
âIsnât it something that a lot of people know? In any case, stop talking and keep looking.â
In front of the window, Xu Sili watched the young man in the yard and recalled the memories of Snow Roland. In his memories, Snow and Joanâs relationship wasnât good. In this generation of the Roland imperial family, there were four princes and princesses. Among the four people, only Prince Snow was an ordinary person and didnât have the talent of an elementalist.
Meanwhile, Joan was the one with the best talent. He was currently only 10 years old but he had reached level 5, which was the strength of half a star. Once he was 18 years old, he would have no problem being one star. Perhaps he could even be one and a half stars.
Snow Roland respected his older brother and sister but for his youngest brother, his feelings were very complicated. Before Joan turned five years old, he really liked this younger brother. Even though he wasnât living well himself, he would get good things to enjoy with Joan. No matter how scared, he would step forward to protect the young one from being bullied by the servants.
At that time, Joan was an emotional support for Snow.
Then it changed when the five year old Joan was tested as a powerful elementalist. Snow was happy for his younger brother but at the same time, he couldnât restrain the loss and jealousy in his heart. It was obviously the same blood flowing through their bodies but he was just an ordinary person. He was clearly a prince but in the palace, he was ignored like he was an invisible person. No one seemed to remember him except for his second sister.
Therefore, once his little brother was allowed to leave the palace to report to the academy, the two brothers gradually became estranged. Later, they quarreled over a small matter and the two of them hadnât spoken since.
Once Snow took the throne, he didnât think of his younger brother again. Even when deciding to abandon the throne and escape Escher Star, he never considered bringing his younger brother with him.
Xu Sili recalled this with a sigh. If it hadnât been for the favorability system, he never wouldâve known that Joan Roland, who Snow felt jealousy and disgust toward, was actually his die-hard fan. He believed the system wouldnât make a mistake.
At the same time, he was a bit speechless. If the game planners stood in front of him at this moment, Xu Sili would definitely blow them up. What about a domineering ruler of a kingdom? Why arrange such a bloody growth experience for him?
Fortunately, he was here now. Nothing from the forum in the future would happen. The matter of fighting among themselves was even more impossible.
Xu Sili took one final glance at the young boy in the yard and turned around. He was prepared to leave here and not disturb the boyâs training. It was just thatâŠ
Rustle.
The sound of his soles rubbing against the ground wasnât particularly loud but it was still heard.
âWhoâs there?â The boy yelled out in an immature voice.
Xu Sili only had time to look back as he saw a short figure quickly rushing forward, jumping cleanly over the wall and landing in front of him. It happened in the blink of an eye. Joan Roland was truly worthy of his hard work and talent.
The little boy stared at him coldly with a pair of purple eyes. He held the wooden sword and was about to attack. Then he saw Xu Siliâs face clearly and couldnât help freezing in place.
âImperial⊠Brother?â He stared up at Xu Sili, his cold face becoming dull and silly in an instant.
Xu Sili hadnât expected the boy to be so reckless. Joan rushed over the moment he heard movement and seemed to want to fight with him. He looked down at the little boy and his face became gloomy. âWhat are you doing?â
âIâŠâ Joan glanced at the wooden sword in his hand and hurriedly placed it behind him. A trace of panic flashed in the boyâs purple eyes but he soon tensed up his small face again.
âThat is what I should ask.â He raised his eyes and stared directly at Xu Sili. He even became a bit angry. âIt is late. Why is the emperor here? Didnât you just encounter an assassin last night? What about Li Zhecheng? Why did he let you run around?â
He was full of spirit even at a young age. For a moment, Xu Sili was baffled. However, he felt the concern in the childâs words. These ties between relatives suddenly cleared up his mood, which had been somewhat dull.
âI came to see you,â he answered in a soft tone.
âSee meâŠâ At first, Joan was still aggressive. Then as he kept talking, he weakened and it changed to a doubtful voice. âS⊠see me?â
He stared at Xu Sili in a daze.
âYes. Who knew you would suddenly rush out and want to hit me?â Xu Sili walked over and rubbed the boyâs head. âDid you take me as an assassin?â
Speaking of which, his voice abruptly became strict.
âWhat if it was really an assassin? What are you going to do with a wooden sword?â
The boy was dazed. He opened his mouth in an attempt to justify himself but no sound came out. The originally white ears slowly turned red. He lowered his head, allowing Xu Sili to rub his hair.
âI saw you were quite smart. You know that you need to practice fighting. Then how did you suddenly become dumb?â Xu Sili felt resentment for this person failing to meet expectations. âNext time you discover something isnât right, run quickly or call someone over to fight, you know?â
âI know, Imperial Brother.â The little boy bowed and responded submissively.
Xu Sili was taken aback at not hearing the rebuttal he expected. Then the corners of his lips curved slightly. This kid was really good.
âIf you know then donât worry me,â he whispered. âYou and I are the only ones left. What should I do if something happens to you?â
The little boy raised his head, wide purple eyes staring at Xu Sili. He seemed a bit disbelieving and excited.
Xu Sili rubbed his head again. The childâs hair was soft and thin. It felt good to touch. He didnât say any more scolding words. He turned around, went through the side door and entered into Joanâs little yard. Now that he was discovered, he would take a look around. Joan looked at his brotherâs back and happiness appeared in his eyes. He quickly reacted and hurried forward while holding the sword.
Not far away, the two shadows communicated again.
âDidnât you say⊠the brothers have a bad relationship?â Shadow Eleven was suspicious. âWhy does it look so good?â
âHow do I know? In the rumors, their relationship was really badâŠâ Shadow Nine was a bit depressed.
âOh, seeing is believing. You shouldnât keep listening to gossip. Hearing too much affects your judgment.â
âI know.â Shadow Nineâs voice was a bit dull. âShould we go in? Or just protect from out here?â
âProtect from outside. In any case, there are people around His Majesty.â
âYes.â
The two shadows moved silently, always alert.
Xu Sili walked in the yard and saw the favorability tag hovering in the corner. Seeing that it was respect, he didnât waste his magic. He pretended not to see it and walked around the yard. Finally, he came to the wooden man and examined it carefully.
He hadnât seen it clearly from outside. Now that he was closer, he found that this wooden man had long been scarred. The countless old and new scars showed how hard the owner had been training.
âImperial BrotherâŠâ Joan came up behind him and glanced at him hesitantly, a bit of expectation in his eyes.
Xu Sili turned and smiled at him. âLittle Joan is amazing.â
Seeing the smile on his face, the boy blushed slightly before quickly shaking his head. âI am too weak. I still have a long way to go! Imperial Brother, I saw your broadcast. You were at the mercenary town todayâŠâ
âDid you actually watch it?â Xu Sili raised his eyes slightly as he recalled the scene in the mercenary town today. It was still exciting to remember it. âIt is true that we still have a long way to go. If it wasnât for Si Sheng arriving in time, Iâm afraid it wouldnât have ended well. Even if it was seriously injured, the three star beast was still so strong.â
Joan pursed his lips as he looked at his brother. In fact, what he wanted to say was that his brother was very brave today. He also wanted to say that when he grew up, he would protect his brother like the marshal. However, he couldnât say it. His brother didnât seem to like himâŠ
âJust take it slow. You are still young and you have a long time to train in the future. Donât be in a hurry.â
Xu Sili shook his head and didnât continue this topic. His eyes moved slightly as he became interested in the sword in the boyâs hand. Joan saw it and offered him the wooden sword.
Xu Sili didnât refuse. The wooden sword looked light and floaty. He hadnât expected it to be quite heavy. He used Insight to see that it was made of special materials and was very heavy. Little Joan was so small yet he could lift this sword with a lot of weight. It seemed he had always been training hard.
Xu Sili played with the wooden sword and had a sudden whim. He remembered the sword skill that Si Sheng had used during the day. A sword that directly cut the interstellar beast in half! He licked his lips, looked through Si Shengâs skill panel and soon found it.
[Sword of Imprisonment]
[Description: A must kill skill. Once the swordsmanship is launched, the enemy will be imprisoned in place for 3 seconds. During the imprisonment, all defenses will be invalid.
At the same time, you will cut with the sword. After this, you will temporarily be unable to use swordsmanship for 1 minute.
Skill level: Lv 10 (full level)
Required physical strength to use: 100
Attribute: Lightning]
Xu Sili saw the skill description and couldnât help feeling realization. No wonder! This was why the beast suddenly seemed still. It was cut in half before falling to the ground, followed by the bleeding. It turned out to be imprisonment.
This was a warrior skill. He needed to pay 100 physical strength to use it. If he encountered the enemy, he wouldnât be able to show any resistance after using this move. However, he was currently in the palace and there were guards secretly protecting him. Or⊠should he try it?
Xu Sili frowned and thought about it. This was a must kill skill. He wouldnât use it until he had to but he also needed to practice it and know it. He glanced at the young boy next to him and hesitated for a moment before saying, âLittle Joan, can I borrow your wooden sword for use?â
Joan nodded. âImperial Brother, just use it.â
Then he saw the emperorâs slightly curved lips and extremely warm smile. Then the emperor examined the yard and walked to a big stone in the corner.
Joan saw him take a posture and hurriedly suggested, âImperial Brother, just cut the wooden man.â
âNo, Iâm afraid of breaking your wooden man.â
He wouldnât be able to pay for it if he broke it.
Joan frowned. âThis wooden man is very hard! It is harder than stone.â
âYes, I know.â
Xu Sili nodded but his eyes were fixed on the big stone in front of him. This was Si Shengâs swordsmanship. The power could be expected and he didnât want any accidents to happen. Joan wanted to come over but Xu Sili stopped him.
âJust stand there and donât come over.â
Joan had to be obedient. He frowned and watched his brother suspiciously. What did his brother want to do?
Xu Sili took a deep breath and his eyes fell on the skill panel. His brain moved and he thought that he wanted to use it. In just a second, he felt a powerful energy filling his body. It was like his body was occupied by another powerful soul. This strength⊠it was Si Sheng!
Xu Sili felt that at this moment, he had become Si Sheng or that Si Sheng had controlled his body. It was a mysterious and strange feeling.
Focus filled his eyes. He followed this feeling and his eyes locked firmly on the big stone in front of him. Then⊠Sword of Imprisonment!
The invisible energy locked around the rock and even the blades of grass growing on it were still. Then it was cut by a sword. There was no sound and no huge movement. In the silence, a straight line appeared on the stone.
The wind blew gently. The stone that was half the height of a human was silently divided into two parts. The cut surface was flat and as smooth as a mirror. It was quiet, completely quiet.
Xu Sili stared blankly at the big stone cut in half in front of him. It was difficult to imagine this was the result of his use of a wooden sword. Then the feeling of being possessed disappeared. A great sense of emptiness and detachment spread all over his body, making him almost unable to stand firmly.
[Ding~ Sword of Imprisonment Lv 10 has been successfully triggered. Physical strength -100.]
Xu Siliâs legs softened. It felt like he had run 1,500 meters in a second. Nevertheless, the results of the experiment were encouraging. Si Shengâs skills were too good to use! This Sword of Imprisonment was so handsome!
Joanâs mouth dropped open as he stared at the big stone in the distance. Although the wooden sword was harder than stone, cutting the stone in half like this⊠was it something ordinary people could do? In any case, he couldnât do it. It was impossible for him.
Xu Sili supported his body and walked forward in a good mood. Then he returned the wooden sword to the child. He didnât explain what happened just now. He just smiled and asked, âJoan, would you like to take a bath with me?â
Joan shook his head mechanically. âIâŠI want to go back and sleep now.â
Then under Xu Siliâs watchful eyes, he turned and ran to his bedroom. After seeing Xu Sili leave through the window, he withdrew his gaze and sat on the ground while remembering the powerful swordsmanship just now.
Meow.
He didnât know how much time passed before his cat was heard. A white figure came to Joanâs side and licked his face. He suddenly pouted as he took the white cat into his arms and whimpered, âSnowball, I canât protect my imperial brother. Woo, he has become so strong.â
The boy huddled in the shadows, his mentality completely collapsed. Fortunately, there was the cat to quietly accompany him.
The cause of all this, Xu Sili, was completely unaware. He saw the child run away and had some doubts, but he didnât chase. He felt the cold wind at night and couldnât help shivering. Then he remembered the reason for coming out at night.
Taking a bath!
Xu Sili turned around and dragged his feet that were heavy due to physical exhaustion to move in the direction of the big bath. Neither he nor his two shadow guards noticed the figure that stopped on the wall before flashing away.
The author has something to say:
Joan: Brother, am I your only younger brother?
Xu Sili: Yes.
Xiao Wu: Brother, what about me?
Xu Sili: âŠâŠ
Si Sheng: ? Suddenly has the feeling of something being stolen from his home.