I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 740 Does this Wang family brat have any principles or backbone left? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
"Fang Qian! You've gone too far!" Xu Zifeng completely lost his temper and stopped following them. He started arguing with Fang Qian on the street corner outside the Ministry of Personnel. The two of them went back and forth, attacking each other, which attracted the attention of passersby.

The farce lasted for quite a while until an official from the Ministry of Personnel came out to dissuade them, and the two reluctantly gave up.

Fang Qian snorted coldly and left in a huff.

Xu Zifeng stood there, his chest heaving violently, and it took him a long time to gradually calm down.

After calming down, a strange doubt welled up in my mind.

Xu Zifeng, the dignified heir of the Prince of Zhennan, a chosen one of heaven, should have stood at the pinnacle of the younger generation, looking down upon all living beings. To put it bluntly, a few years ago, he also wanted to be the emperor.

But now, why would she argue in the street like a shrew over a question like "who is more favored by His Majesty" with Fang Qian, an official from a humble background?

It feels like two dogs vying for the owner's favor, baring their teeth at each other when the owner can't see them, showing off that the bone they brought back is bigger and tastier, trying to prove that they are the one who is more favored by the owner.

Thinking of this analogy, Xu Zifeng couldn't help but shudder, a bitter and self-deprecating smile appearing on his face.

He shook his head, gazing in the direction where Li Chen had long since disappeared, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and he no longer had the will to continue following him.

Just as Xu Zifeng was losing interest and preparing to head home, he caught a glimpse of another figure out of the corner of his eye, sneaking behind Li Chen and Lin Yue'e not far away.

This person concealed his presence extremely well; if Xu Zifeng hadn't been focused on his work, he would have been almost completely unaware of him.

"Hmm? There's someone else?" Xu Zifeng frowned, his initial shock instantly replaced by curiosity. "Is it His Majesty's secret guards protecting him? Or is it someone hostile to His Majesty?"

Driven by a complex mix of emotions, perhaps wanting to prove he wasn't entirely useless, he decided to follow and see for himself.

He carefully followed the man, who then followed for a while without making any unusual moves. Instead, after Li Chen turned into another street, the man stopped in place, looked in the direction where Li Chen had disappeared, and sighed deeply.

That sigh was filled with helplessness and resignation.
Then, the man turned around and walked in the opposite direction from the center of the capital.

Xu Zifeng's suspicions deepened, and he quietly followed along.

The man left the city and came to a very remote hillside on the outskirts.

There stands a solitary grave here, which looks quite old, but the area in front of the tombstone is quite clean, as if it is regularly cleaned.

The mysterious man walked to the tomb and knelt down with a thud.

He first silently burned some paper money, then his shoulders began to tremble slightly, and suppressed sobs came intermittently.

"Father, your son has come to see you." The man's voice choked with emotion. "As you know, your son considers himself exceptionally talented, with few rivals among his peers, but..."

His voice suddenly became agitated, filled with resentment and indignation, as he gritted his teeth and said, "But with my son's current cultivation level, even if he trains hard for another ten or twenty years, he might not be a match for Li Chen in this lifetime! He's simply a monster!"

At this point, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, blazing with fury as if he wanted to burn through the heavens and earth: "But! If I don't avenge my father's murder, what face do I have to be your son?! What right do I have to bear the surname Wang?!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zifeng, who was hiding in the shadows, perked up and held his breath, expecting to hear some vow of revenge, such as "enduring hardship and biding his time" or "not hesitating to sacrifice himself."

However, what happened next almost made Xu Zifeng's jaw drop. The man surnamed Wang suddenly stood up, his face showing a mixture of pain and struggle.

Finally, with a twisted expression of "I'm going all out," he grabbed the hem of his robe and, with a "rip," tore off a strip of cloth, throwing it fiercely in front of the grave!
He stood before the tombstone and shouted in an almost rogue-like tone, "Father! Since that's how it is, I have no choice! Today, right here at your grave, I sever all ties with you! From this day forward, you are no longer my father, and I am no longer your son! As for the murder of my father, you'll have to find someone else to avenge him! See if there's anyone else down there who can help you! I'm taking my leave now!"

After saying that, the guy actually turned around and left without hesitation, walking very fast, as if he was afraid that if he slowed down even a step, his father would crawl out of his grave and drag him back.

Xu Zifeng, who was watching from the shadows, was dumbfounded, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

"What the hell?!" After a long while, Xu Zifeng finally managed to utter a curse, his heart filled with a sense of absurdity.

"What the hell is this? A blood feud over the murder of one's father, just severed like that? Can you really do something like this?! Does this Wang family brat have any principles or backbone left? He's a complete coward!"

A strong sense of contempt welled up in his heart.

After the man had gone far away, Xu Zifeng came out of his hiding place and went to the grave.

He examined the tombstone closely. It was inscribed with "Tomb of my late father, Prince Wang," and signed "Unfilial son, Wang XX."

The handwriting is very blurry, and it's impossible to make out the name.

Xu Zifeng thought about it carefully and finally remembered.

Several years ago, there was indeed a sizable family in the capital, the Wang family. However, after it was discovered that they were secretly harboring and funding remnants of the previous dynasty, with ulterior motives, the Emperor ordered the extermination of their entire clan.

It seems that the oddball from earlier was a remnant of the Wang family who managed to escape back then.

Despite his disdain, this incident was like a thorn stuck in Xu Zifeng's heart.

He couldn't help but imagine: 'If it were my father, the Prince of Zhennan, who offended His Majesty for some reason and was estranged from him, what about me? Would I be confident and courageous enough to seek revenge?'

The moment this thought crossed Xu Zifeng's mind, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He boasted of his extraordinary talent, but what level of existence was Li Chen?

That's an unparalleled ruthless person who can suppress an entire country single-handedly and annihilate Saint Realm experts with a wave of his hand!
Let alone taking revenge, just seeing His Majesty makes his body instinctively go weak and want to kneel down, stemming from the fear and awe of absolute power deep in his soul.

"Perhaps that burning plan I had when I was young—to 'rebel and become emperor'—can only be frozen indefinitely, or even permanently sealed away." Xu Zifeng smiled bitterly.

He even thought that when he got back, he would have to give his father, the Prince of Zhennan, who was sometimes a bit clueless, a good talking-to in court, and that he must be careful with his words and actions and never do anything to offend His Majesty Li Chen!

Otherwise, if that day ever comes, even I, your son, will be powerless to avenge your "father's murder"! After all, the opponent is simply beyond human capabilities!
Just moments ago, Xu Zifeng was mocking the Wang family's son for being useless, but in the blink of an eye, he realized that he was essentially the same kind of "coward."

There was no other way; Li Chen's strength was simply too terrifying, and his aura had deeply penetrated people's hearts, intimidating the entire continent.

(End of this chapter)