Chapter 119: The Student Surpasses the Master

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: The Student Surpasses the Master

"Are you really going to the Imperial Mausoleum?"

Outside the imperial palace, Sister looked at Su Han with surprise in her eyes. "You weren’t just trying to scare Xiaosanzi?"

Su Han nodded. "I’m really going."

Sister shot him a wary look. "You... don’t do anything reckless!"

Su Han shook his head and smiled. "Relax. Am I the kind of person to do reckless things?"

"You are!"

Su Han was speechless.

There was no way to continue this conversation.

"Sister, you should just prepare to gather people to visit Xiaosanzi."

Leaving without looking back, Su Han headed straight for the Imperial Mausoleum.

"Crown Prince... are we really going to dig up the Imperial Mausoleum?"

Leading the way in front, Su Xiao’Er felt his legs grow weaker the closer they got to the mausoleum.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t call me ’Crown Prince’ when we’re doing bad things."

THUD.

Su Xiao’Er’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. "Do... doing bad things? Crown... Young Prince, are you really going to dig up our ancestor’s grave?"

Su Han rolled his eyes. "Does this Crown Prince look like someone that unhinged?"

Su Xiao’Er resisted the urge to nod. He wanted to shout, "You are!"

"We are just going to the Imperial Mausoleum to demand an explanation from the ancestor."

Su Xiao’Er scrambled up from the ground. "Really?"

Su Han shot him a glare. "Or would you rather go back now and drive an excavator over?"

Su Xiao’Er was speechless.

He wondered, "What is an excavator?"

However, even though he didn’t know what an excavator was, the words "excavate" and "dig" gave him a bad feeling. Did it have to do with digging up ancestral graves and Tomb Raiding? Could a thing like that be used for anything good?

He shook his head decisively. "No... no need. I don’t know how to drive one."

Su Han snorted. "Then lead the way."

Su Xiao’Er obeyed, navigating the familiar path they had taken during their last nighttime visit to the Imperial Mausoleum.

As they walked, three figures appeared ahead, coming straight toward Su Han’s group.

When Su Han saw the people approaching, they also saw him.

"Han?"

Emperor Jing paused, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. Then, realizing something, a hint of panic set in. "What are you doing at the Imperial Mausoleum?"

"Uncle? What are you doing here?"

"I came to discuss some matters with Eighth Duke. But you... what are you doing running off to the Imperial Mausoleum in broad daylight?"

Su Han glanced at him, grumbling inwardly. He thought, "Broad daylight? Are you implying you know I snuck in here at night last time?"

"Eighth Duke?"

Emperor Jing nodded and pointed to the elderly, white-haired, and beardless man standing behind him. "This is Eighth Duke, the Spirit Guardian of the Imperial Mausoleum."

Su Han’s gaze fell on Eighth Duke. His pupils contracted slightly as a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

He thought, "Another Celestial Being? It’s no wonder even Uncle treats the old man with such respect. But wait... wasn’t Jing Country supposed to not have a single person successfully ascend the Immortal Platform since our ancestor? Yet I’ve already met two Celestial Beings in just the past few days! Then again, if I really think about it, the ancestor didn’t seem to be at the level of the Immortal Platform either. Even a Human Demon like Su Xiaoqi was suppressed by him, so terrified that he didn’t dare fight back even when dragged into the grave."

With these thoughts in mind, Su Han respectfully nodded to the old man and greeted, "Eighth Duke."

While Su Han was sizing up Eighth Duke, Eighth Duke was also observing him.

Seeing Su Han bowing to him, the old man hurriedly stepped aside to avoid the gesture. "Young... Crown Prince, there is no need for such formalities. This old servant cannot accept this! I cannot accept it!"

Su Han looked at Eighth Duke, slightly confused.

Emperor Jing looked at Eighth Duke, then at Su Han, and asked again, "Han, what are you doing at the Imperial Mausoleum?"

Su Han thought, "Like I’d tell you I’m here to settle a score with the ancestor."

Keeping his thoughts to himself, Su Han replied obediently, "Uncle, I came to pay my respects to the ancestor."

"Pay your respects?"

Emperor Jing’s mouth twitched. He wondered how Su Han could say that without his conscience hurting. The ancestor had died but left behind some ridiculous marriage contract, completely screwing Su Han over. Would he really come all this way just to pay his respects in good faith? If Su Han had said he came to dig up the ancestor’s grave, it would have been much more believable.

"COUGH COUGH. Han, it is not yet time for the sacrificial ceremony. In life, the ancestor always preferred peace and quiet, and he disliked being disturbed. If you wish to pay your respects, why don’t you wait until the next ceremony, and I will bring you along?"

Su Han glanced at him and nodded. "Alright."

"Han, what... what did you say?"

Emperor Jing was about to offer more persuasion when he suddenly realized Su Han wasn’t insisting on paying his respects. He stood there, stunned.

"I said... alright."

"Alright?"

Emperor Jing looked Su Han up and down, his eyes filled with immense suspicion.

He thought, "Could this be a fake Han? Would my nephew really be this agreeable? I had already prepared myself to be tricked again! This..."

"Truly?"

Su Han nodded. "Uncle, please don’t forget to bring me along during the next sacrificial ceremony."

Emperor Jing nodded, his eyes full of gratification. "Good! Good! I will definitely bring you next time."

"Then... if you are busy, please go ahead. I will take my leave first."

Emperor Jing nodded. Su Han turned around, and the three of them began walking back the way they came.

Watching Su Han leave, Emperor Jing stared at his departing figure, his heart filled with deep gratification. He thought, "Han... has really grown up!"

"Your Majesty, regarding that clan..."

Eighth Duke’s voice pulled Emperor Jing out of his sentimental thoughts.

Glancing at Eighth Duke, then back at Su Han’s nearly vanishing figure, Emperor Jing shook his head and asked a question in return. "Eighth Duke, what do you think of that child, Han?"

Eighth Duke watched Su Han’s retreating back, his gaze flickering. "He has the demeanor of the old master from back in the day. Furthermore... he gives this old servant the feeling that the student has surpassed the master."

Receiving such incredibly high praise from Eighth Duke, the satisfaction on Emperor Jing’s face grew even thicker. "Indeed! It has been over a thousand years. Since the ancestor, our Imperial... our Su Clan has finally produced another Emperor’s Blood!"

Eighth Duke glanced at him, his mouth twitching. He hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself several times. After struggling for a long while, he finally swallowed the words he had been about to say.

On the other side, the three of them had walked very, very far away—so far that when they looked back, they could no longer see Emperor Jing’s silhouette.

"Crown Prince, are we... not going to find the ancestor anymore?"

After hesitating for a while, Su Xiao’Er finally couldn’t help but voice the doubt in his heart. He felt that this completely contradicted his Crown Prince’s usual style.

Su Han stopped in his tracks and cast a sideways glance at him. "Not going? Why wouldn’t we go?"

"But..." Su Xiao’Er paused.

He thought, "Didn’t you already turn around and leave? Could it be... Could it be that you intentionally made His Majesty lower his guard, only to lie in wait and sneak in secretly after he leaves?"

Believing he had grasped his Crown Prince’s true intentions, Su Xiao’Er nodded secretly to himself.

He was just about to speak when he felt the space in front of his eyes suddenly distort.

When his feet touched solid ground again, Su Xiao’Er realized that he was already standing in front of a familiar Array.

He watched as his Crown Prince skillfully plucked a strand of his own hair.

He watched as his Crown Prince blew a breath. The moment the hair fell, the Array stopped operating on its own.

He watched as his Crown Prince walked into the Array like he had done this a million times before.

Su Xiao’Er was speechless.

He lifted his foot and quickly hurried to catch up.

P.S.: Third update, and there’s more to come.