Another World: The Failed Magician

Late at night, outside the imperial palace of the Eastern Dragon Empire.

A group of people dressed as palace maids and eunuchs were cautiously walking out of the palace.

At this moment, a palace maid looked back at the palace with some unease.

"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to just leave like this?"

"What's wrong with that? Zhao Quan has already told us to leave. Who would stay and die with him except for those few idiots?"

"You! That's His Highness the Crown Prince! How dare you call him by his first name like that? Aren't you afraid of losing your head?!"

"Ha! Are you kidding me? Everyone in the capital knows that the Prince of Zhennan has become a Martial Saint, and he's also the Emperor's brother. It's only a matter of time before he becomes Emperor. Zhao Quan is just a dying man. Why should I be afraid of him?"

"But Your Highness, you have treated us well. Don't you feel any remorse saying such things?"

"If you feel guilty, then stay here and die with him! I don't want to die."

"you!"

The two palace maids, neither willing to yield to the other, started arguing on the spot.

"Alright, you two. Now that you've left the palace, let's go our separate ways."

After she finished speaking, the palace maid and the others dispersed to the surrounding area.

Just then, a flash of light appeared, and a crack appeared beneath the feet of the eunuchs and palace maids, preventing them from advancing.

A man dressed in martial arts attire and wearing a bamboo hat appeared before them.

"None of you are allowed to leave."

"Why!" a palace maid asked indignantly.

Then, a flash of light appeared, and the palace maid's head fell to the ground instantly, blood gushing out.

The others were so frightened by this scene that they collapsed to the ground, too afraid to speak.

"Take them all away."

As soon as the words were spoken, a group of people dressed in night clothes rushed out from the dark corner and arrested all the eunuchs and palace maids.

Two people were standing on a roof beam directly above them.

"Aren't we being a bit too opportunistic by doing this?"

"This is not something we two should worry about; we should just carry out the patriarch's orders."

"So, how many people were arrested today?"

"There are at least 500 people here."

"I don't think it makes any sense. Even if the crown prince wanted to escape, he wouldn't use such a low-level method."

"Whether we can capture that Crown Prince or not is not important. Right now, the entire capital is full of spies from all sides, including the Prince of Zhennan's men. What we need to do now is to make a statement to the Prince of Zhennan."

"Judging from what you've said, it seems that the powerful families in the capital are all on the side of the Prince of Zhennan."

"The Crown Prince's reforms have already affected the interests of many powerful families. Even if the Prince of Zhennan doesn't become a saint, they will still support him. The Crown Prince will fail sooner or later. This is just accelerating the process."

"By the way, who do you support?"

"We are just servants under the Wu family, and all we need to do is carry out the family's orders. It doesn't matter who we support."

"That's true, but I still quite support His Highness the Crown Prince. After all, his policies are indeed for the benefit of the people. I was even thinking that if he succeeded, I would retire from the underworld, settle down in a small place, get married, have children, and live out the rest of my life in peace. To be honest, I was really looking forward to it. It's a pity now."

"Alright, that's enough. Keep a close eye on your area and don't let a single person pass by."

"Okay, okay! I understand!"

Then another group of people came out of the palace and were immediately captured.

However, this scene is being repeated repeatedly near the palace.

……

A grand procession was heading towards the capital. The procession was lined with cavalrymen clad in golden armor on both sides, and even the rarely seen mages numbered in the hundreds.

Prince Zhao Qushan of Zhennan appeared at the very front of the procession, riding a magnificent and noble white horse. His original python robe had been replaced with a golden dragon robe.

Yet, despite such outrageous behavior, no one dared to stand up and condemn him.

Anyone who encountered this team either celebrated loudly on the sidelines or left quickly.

With Zhao Qushan's current strength, he could reach the capital in less than a day if he wanted to.

But he didn't want to do that; he enjoyed the feeling of being adored and supported by thousands.

He wanted to unleash all the pent-up emotions he had endured over the years, and he wanted all the people of the Eastern Dragon Empire to see who the emperor of this country was and who the true master of this country was.

Wherever he passed through, he would visit the most powerful family or force in the area.

He would give those families or forces two choices: either submit to him or be destroyed.

Along the way, Zhao Qushan's team has grown from a few dozen people to over a thousand. Among them are even martial arts masters and martial kings.

Zhao Qushan was very satisfied with this. Apart from a very few forces that resisted, most chose to join his ranks. And those few forces were all destroyed by him without exception.

Just as Zhao Qushan was enjoying the fruits of his victory, one person behind him was not so happy.

Li Zheng sat on an ordinary black horse, watching the ever-growing procession, but felt no joy whatsoever.

He couldn't understand Zhao Qushan's behavior; in his view, Zhao Quan and Zhao Huai should have been eliminated as soon as possible so that he could have inherited the throne.

Instead of acting like a child and showing off here.

But Li Zheng dared not utter a single word of these words, for he had witnessed those self-righteous strategists offer this opinion to Zhao Qushan.

However, Zhao Qushan not only ignored them, but also killed all those who opposed his actions. Eventually, no one dared to voice their opinions against him.

Li Zheng's gaze drifted to the very front of the group, looking at the figure clad in a dragon robe, exuding an air of grandeur, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

He vaguely remembered that when he first met Zhao Qushan, his first impression was that this person was a carefree and idle prince.

Later, he gradually realized that beneath that idle mask lay the heart of a ruthless and ambitious man. It was at this time that Li Zheng felt that if it was this person, he indeed had a chance to become emperor.

But now that Zhao Qushan has gained the power to directly overturn the game, Li Zheng is somewhat disappointed with his performance.

He began to become arrogant and conceited, looking down on everyone and no longer hiding his emotions.

This made Li Zheng feel deeply uneasy.

If I had to put it into words, Zhao Qushan now struck me as someone who had endured years of hardship, lost himself after achieving success, and was now wildly venting his previous anger and resentment, finding pleasure in it.

Thinking of this, Li Zheng sighed silently in his heart.

Just then, the group stopped.

Whenever Zhao Qushan arrived in a new place, he would send his envoy to inquire whether the strongest power in the region was willing to submit to him.

Just after the messenger left, Li Zheng walked up to Zhao Qushan, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I damaged my foundation by activating the magic array left by the ancestor a few days ago. I am afraid I will no longer be able to accompany Your Majesty. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow me to retire and return to my hometown."

After Li Zheng finished speaking, everyone around him felt incredulous.

Because if this trend continues, Li Zheng will have rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor's rise to power. Moreover, he will be a first-rate contributor.

It's truly puzzling that they chose to leave at this time.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qushan frowned.

"Why!"

“I have truly damaged my foundation, and I fear my days are numbered. Continuing will only become a burden, so I would like to take this opportunity to retire and return to my hometown.”

Zhao Qushan's expression was very unpleasant, clearly indicating that he did not believe what Li Zheng had said.

"Alright! Since Grand Preceptor Li is unwell, there's no need for me to force you any further. I grant you permission to retire to your hometown. However, I would like to ask Grand Preceptor Li to think this through carefully. Donglong cannot be without a Grand Preceptor for even a day. Since you are no longer fit, I will naturally find someone to replace you. So, Minister Li, you should think this through carefully!"

"I am old and my health has been damaged, so I am no longer fit to serve as the Imperial Preceptor. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

"Alright! Since you've said so, Minister Li, I won't try to keep you any longer. You may retire and return to your hometown."

Li Zheng knelt on the ground and loudly thanked the emperor, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness."

Then, to everyone's astonishment, he left the group.

However, after Li Zheng left, many people in the team began to stir.

Li Zheng's departure meant he was giving up the position of Imperial Advisor, which meant they now had a chance. He was the Imperial Advisor, after all.

In the Eastern Dragon Empire, besides the emperor, the three most powerful officials were the Left Chancellor, the Right Chancellor, and the Imperial Preceptor.

Subsequently, the people in the team began to try every means to curry favor with Zhao Qushan.

Zhao Qushan observed all of this, but he didn't stop it; he actually enjoyed the process. He felt incredibly comfortable watching those renowned martial arts masters fawn over him like children.

……

After leaving the group, Li Zheng walked alone on the path. He couldn't quite describe his feelings at that moment; he felt a mix of regret and remorse.

But in the end, he found that what filled his heart was a deep disappointment, an extreme disappointment in Zhao Qushan. In order to make him a Martial Saint, Li Zheng had almost exhausted everything and even dragged the entire Tai Xuan Sect into it.

But when Li Zheng saw Zhao Qushan filled with desire, he was filled with disappointment. He could have pretended to be stupid, stayed by Zhao Qushan's side, enjoyed wealth and honor, and continued to maintain the Tai Xuan Sect's transcendent status.

But he knew in his heart that a person driven by his own desires and power would eventually fail, and even someone who was already a Martial Saint like Zhao Qushan was no exception.

Therefore, he no longer wanted to maintain that ridiculous, childish relationship between ruler and subject with Zhao Qushan.

For the first time, this centenarian felt so lost and powerless about the future.

Just then, a small, thin figure crossed the path and walked up behind Li Zheng. He spoke breathlessly, "Wait...wait a minute."

Li Zheng turned his head and looked over.

What came into his view was a little boy dressed in gorgeous aristocratic clothes.

Li Zheng vaguely remembered the little boy in front of him. He vaguely recalled that the little boy had joined their team in the previous region two days ago.

To demonstrate his loyalty, the patriarch of the largest family in the region not only handed over a large amount of money and magic crystals, but also entrusted his youngest son to this team.

Li Zheng had also spoken with the family head and learned that his youngest son was ten years old, very intelligent, but had no talent for cultivation.

And this boy was the youngest son of the family head. I think his name was Yu Haoran.

Li Zheng looked at Yu Haoran curiously: "Young friend, is there something you need from this old man?"

"Why did you leave? Everyone says you were the biggest contributor."

"Because my body is truly failing."

"No! You're lying! I've seen elderly people in the family who are about to die; you're different from them."

Looking at Yu Haoran, whose face was slightly red from speaking loudly, Li Zheng suddenly felt a desire to communicate with him.

"Then why do you think I should leave here?"

"I don't know, and I can't figure it out, so I came to ask you."

"Since that's the case, young friend, answer one of my questions. If your answer satisfies me, I'll tell you why. How about that?"

"Okay! It's a deal then."

Yu Haoran walked up to Li Zheng and extended his little finger.

"Pull the hook."

"Hahaha! Good!"

Li Zheng bent down, extended his little finger, and made a pact with the ten-year-old child.

"Young friend, I'd like to know why you're asking me this question? What is your purpose? You should have noticed that no one else has come to me except you. So why are you doing this?"

Without hesitation, Yu Haoran replied seriously, "Because I've been staying with the group these past few days, and I've found that only you, Grandpa, are somewhat incomprehensible to me. The others are all too obvious; they're just trying to curry favor with the Prince of Zhennan, and the Prince of Zhennan knows it too, so their attempts to please him are completely ineffective. The Prince of Zhennan is simply enjoying the process."

"Others took a different approach, using the slogan of 'for the good of Prince Zhennan,' to refute his plan and propose a better solution. They tried to persuade him in this way."

"But these people who think they're clever end up worse off than the other kind of foolish people. And you've been doing nothing all along."

“At first I thought you just wanted to rely on your merits to rise to power and then rest easy, but your withdrawal today has left me completely baffled. I can’t understand your behavior. So I want to know why you did this.”

"Hahaha! Interesting, very interesting."

Li Zheng laughed loudly.

Have you ever been to a casino, son?

The child shook his head.

"I was a gambler. In the last days of my life, I bet everything on a gamble that I thought I had the upper hand. But in the end, I found that I lost everything."

"I've bet everything on this gamble. I'm too ashamed to face anyone right now, so all I want is to find a quiet place. As for the predictable outcome, I have no desire to watch any longer."

"I don't quite understand."

Li Zheng gently patted the child's head: "There are many things in this world that you don't understand. Sometimes asking won't necessarily get you an answer. If possible, I hope you will never experience this feeling. Alright, child, you should go back now."

Yu Haoran nodded as if he understood, and looked at the old man walking into the distance, feeling that his back was so weak and powerless.