Chapter 72

Ji Fang was previously assigned to guard the Snowy Mountain City by order of the king. His departure should have been arranged by the king's order. However, on the surface, everyone thought that Ji Fang was the Second Prince's man, including the king himself. Otherwise, he would not have arranged for him to be stationed in the Snowy Mountain Range, far from the center of the vortex, at such a critical moment.

Ji Fang tapped two fingers lightly on the table, pondering the current situation. With the king gone, who would ultimately succeed him? Until the very last moment, no one knew.

However, judging from the king's actions of transferring the second prince's troops, the king may ultimately want the first prince to succeed to the throne. If the first prince succeeds to the throne, he, who is nominally the second prince, will definitely face a purge in the future, and his family will also be in a low point.

Ji Fang had been sitting quietly in his room for a long time since receiving the order.

Qiao Ye watched his master deep in thought and sat quietly beside him, not disturbing him at all. Qiao Ye's mind flashed through some historical fragments he had learned: princes killing each other when the emperor was critically ill, and after everything settled down, subordinates who had made great contributions were killed out of fear. These messy things made Qiao Ye nervous and quite tense.

Seeing that Qiao Ye was restless, Ji Fang raised his hand to gesture for him to come to his side. Once Qiao Ye nimbly climbed onto his lap, he stroked his beloved pet's paw and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ji Fang touched Qiao Ye's stomach again, seemingly looking for the reason: "Is your stomach full?"

Qiao also slapped away the large hand that was stroking her stomach and sent a message explaining: "I'm afraid you're in danger."

Ji Fang rested his chin on Qiao Ye's head and rubbed it against her: "Don't worry, when that really comes to it, we'll go begging and wandering around. You'll be in charge of begging and bringing back food for me to eat, or I'll take you out to perform for money."

Qiao's eyes widened: "I don't have any special talents, how can I sell myself?"

Ji Fang pinched his paw: "That's easy. When the time comes, I'll give you an arithmetic problem. I'll say, 'What does one plus one equal?' and you just 'Ha, ha' twice."

Joe was speechless with disdain and replied with two words: 【Hehe】

Ji Fang nodded in a mocking manner: "Even two 'heh, heh' sounds are fine."

Qiao Ye: [...]

Ji Fang was not the only one who received the Second Prince's secret order. Soon after, Wei Liangguan called to report that he and Ji Fang were both members of the Second Prince's faction. He had also received the Second Prince's order in Jianwu to return to Lixi immediately.

Wei Liangguan hesitated on the other end of the communication and asked, "Ji Fang, are you really going to Lixi as part of the Second Prince's faction?"

Normally, they were like brothers, even siding with the same faction. Ji Fang noticed Wei Liangguan's hesitation and asked, "Do you want to pledge allegiance to His Highness?"

Wei Liangguan immediately denied it: "How could that be? You know we're in cahoots."

Ji Fang looked weary and said in a tired voice, "It's not that I want to take sides, but my father has already chosen the Second Prince, and I have no choice."

Wei Liangguan nodded silently, then asked with some worry, "What if, hypothetically speaking, the Second Prince fails to be chosen and doesn't succeed to the throne? What will you do then?"

Ji Fang shook his head and said, "If the two of us side with the Second Prince, we will become his strongest force. In the current situation, the First Prince is not a qualified leader."

Wei Liangguan remained silent; the usually jovial man was now completely different.

When faced with such a critical moment of dynastic change, caution and seriousness are normal, because it may be related to the future development of the family. If the wrong side is chosen, the cost of failure that the family will bear will be enormous.

Soon after, the army set off. Ji Fang led the army forward at top speed, and Qiao Ye followed Ji Fang. Because of the excessive speed, he had some adverse reactions. He felt dizzy, had a poor appetite, and felt a little worried.

The distance from the snowy mountains to Lixi is relatively far. Weiliang Pass, which departed from Jianwu, had already arrived, while Ji Fang arrived nine hours later.

Nine hours may not seem like a long time, but in crucial moments, a lot can change within nine hours.

Although Ji Fang didn't care who succeeded him—he would still be in the army and on the front lines killing alien beasts—his father was the Second Prince's man, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, the Second Prince succeeding him was the best choice.

Wei Liangguan was on his side, and his ability to go to Lixi to support the Second Prince first undoubtedly gave him a great chance of victory.

However, just as Ji Fang entered the Lixi airspace fortress, he was intercepted by Zhou Shiqing.

Zhou Shiqing, piloting his mecha, spoke to Ji Fang remotely: "General Ji, the King ordered you to guard the snowy border. What do you mean by coming back now? Are you planning a rebellion?"

Ji Fang replied casually, "I received orders to return to Lixi to await further instructions. But you're here, surrounding Lixi completely. Aren't you the one planning a rebellion?"

Zhou Shiqing laughed heartily and grinned, saying, "We don't have the ability to rebel, so you can't just accuse us. You got a transfer order, and so did I. I was ordered to protect Lixi well, not even a mosquito can be allowed in."

Just then, a mosquito landed on the back of his hand. Zhou Shiqing frowned, raised his right hand, and slapped the mosquito, which was sucking blood on his hand, into a bloody pulp. The mosquito's blood was bright red and eye-catching. He said angrily, "See? This is what happens when mosquitoes try to get in! Not a single mosquito can get in."

Ji Fang frowned. If Zhou Shiqing wouldn't let anyone in, then Wei Liangguan had no reason to enter. He hadn't received any news that Wei Liangguan had been intercepted, so Zhou Shiqing was specifically targeting him at this moment.

Ji Fang was getting impatient: "Whose orders did you receive?"

Zhou Shiqing declared with unwavering righteousness: "Whoever is the king, I will obey their orders."

Ji Fang sneered: "The king is critically ill, or rather, the king may already be dead. Are you trying to stop me from entering Lixi because you think the Crown Prince can become the new king?"

Zhou Shiqing, having his faction guessed, didn't hesitate and declared, "Further words are pointless. As long as I'm here today, Ji Fang, don't even think about getting in!"

Ji Fang leisurely looked at the army formation behind him, which was at least several times the size of his own, and calmly said, "Is that so?"

Zhou Shiqing was provoked by his dismissive and nonchalant attitude. His father had always scolded him for being inferior to Ji Fang, and Ji Fang was a thorn in his side. He became indignant: "What, do you really think you're invincible? Everyone says that you, Ji Fang, are a living Yama. They're afraid of you, but I'm not!"

Qiao Ye was right next to Ji Fang in the mecha's control room. Ji Fang gently patted Qiao Ye's head and whispered, "Baby, sit tight, buckle up."

In this tense atmosphere, Qiao took a few deep breaths and hurriedly shoved himself into the safety compartment next to him. Inside the safety compartment, no matter how much the mecha vibrated, as long as the mecha did not crack and Ji Fang was in control, he would be safe.

Ji Fang's mecha is undoubtedly of exceptional quality; no one has ever been able to damage it. As for Ji Fang's own strength, Qiao has great confidence in his master.

Zhou Shiqing was on high alert. He knew that Ji Fang's strength was not to be underestimated and had never taken him lightly, so he brought only the elite troops.

With war imminent, Ji Fang released his mental energy and instantly took control of half of Zhou Shiqing's army's mechs.

Zhou Shiqing's expression changed drastically: "Ji Fang, are you really going to rebel! Today we'll settle this once and for all!"

Suddenly, the two armies began to fight. Mechs flew through the air. The biggest victims in political struggles are never politicians and people from high society, but the sons and fathers of the most ordinary families. Ordinary soldiers will be cannon fodder.

Zhou Shiqing's mental strength was already at its peak, but Ji Fang was even more abnormal.

Ji Fang didn't want too many people to make unnecessary sacrifices; he just wanted to quickly control Zhou Shiqing, and he wouldn't let go of Zhou Shiqing.

Soon, Zhou Shiqing was suppressed by Ji Fang. The soldiers who approached Zhou Shiqing to protect him were all controlled by Ji Fang's mental power and instantly and mercilessly fell down. It wasn't until Zhou Shiqing's mecha was shot down by him that Ji Fang ruthlessly pulled him out of the mecha.

Blood streamed into Zhou Shiqing's eyes, smearing his face with blood, which was still flowing down his face. He was still staring at Ji Fang with wide eyes, unable to imagine what level Ji Fang's mental strength had reached. Could he never be better than Ji Fang?

Ji Fang was actually able to control his mecha; what terrifying strength that was!

When Si Ze intercepted Ji Fang before, Ji Fang didn't have such monstrous combat power. Si Ze was just a defeated opponent of Zhou Shiqing. So Ji Fang deliberately held back? He's really cunning, actually hiding his strength.

If the Second Prince had kept Ji Fang by his side from the beginning, the consequences would have been unimaginable, because no one would have been a match for Ji Fang. But now, Zhou Shiqing, panting and laughing, said, "I may not be as strong as you, but Ji Fang, don't think you'll win. Even if you rush to the palace now, it will be too late."

Ji Fang's eyes flashed coldly as he demanded, "What do you mean?"

Even at this moment, Zhou Shiqing couldn't resist teasing him with a mischievous grin: "Guess, I won't tell you."

Ji Fang stared at Zhou Shiqing for a while, then suddenly became bored. He tightened his gloves, ignored Zhou Shiqing, quickly organized his troops, broke through Zhou Shiqing's defenses, and headed towards the Lixi Palace.

None of Zhou Shiqing's men dared to stand in front of Ji Fang's army. After all, their leader had been defeated, and they simply did not have the strength to fight General Ji.

Ji Fang arrived at the palace without incident, but surprisingly, he didn't see any heavy guards. Something was wrong.

Just as Ji Fang stepped forward to investigate, Wei Liangguan led a large force to block his way.

Instead of approaching him warmly like a good buddy, Wei Liangguan avoided his gaze and simply called out, "Ji Fang, don't go in anymore."

Ji Fang glanced at the men Wei Liangguan had brought, then stared at him and asked, "Where is the Second Prince? What are you doing here instead of by his side?"

Wei Liangguang didn't dare look him in the eye. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "The Second Prince is dead."

Ji Fang's breath hitched, and then he looked at Wei Liangguan's sharp face: "Who did this?"

Wei Liangguan didn't want to answer the three-word question. Ji Fang strode forward and grabbed Wei Liangguan's collar with one hand: "Tell me, who did it?"

Wei Liangguan suddenly became agitated. He broke free from Ji Fang's grasp and shouted, "I did it! I did it when he wasn't looking! Yes, I betrayed you and sided with His Highness the First Prince! What do you want from me?!"

Ji Fang's facial muscles twitched slightly. He clenched his teeth, trying his best to control his emotions, and asked as calmly as possible, "Why? Give me a reasonable explanation."

Wei Liangguan was overwhelmed with emotion, his chest heaving violently. He pointed at Ji Fang with trembling hands, seemingly venting his resentment: "Listen to this, even at this point, you still arrogantly question me. Have you never considered me a friend? Everyone else thinks I'm your follower. My Fifth Army is under your Seventh Army. Do I have to report to you for anything I do?"

Ji Fang looked somewhat astonished. He couldn't believe that his best brother had broken ties with him, nor could he believe that the reason was like this.

Wei Liangguan, having given up all hope, revealed his true feelings: "I don't want to be tied to you. I have my own choices, so don't ask me why. His Highness has already taken control of everything. I'm here to remind you, as a last act of friendship, to think things through."

Wei Liangguang took a few steps back, then led his men towards the palace without looking back.

Ji Fang remained silent for a long time. Beneath his calm face was a turbulent inner world. His mental energy was surging wildly, his head was throbbing, and his hands were clenched into fists.

Qiao was also a little worried about Ji Fang's condition. Although Ji Fang was not in a good state at the moment, no one dared to get close to him, for fear of provoking the boss's anger and suffering undeserved disaster.

Qiao walked over, wrapped her hands around Ji Fang's clenched fists, and looked up at Ji Fang with worried eyes without saying a word.

Ji Fang snapped out of his daze, bent down, grabbed Qiao Ye under the armpits, picked him up, and led the troops in a swift retreat.