Today, they too are going to their deaths.

The next day, Cui Xun had just finished the breakfast provided by the Royal Hotel and opened his room door when he was greeted by Prince Charlemagne, who had rushed over.

Compared to the last time we met, he looked very bad now. He not only looked exhausted from not sleeping well for several days, but also had countless wounds on his body that had not yet healed.

The curse and poison, like a persistent ailment, prevented all treatment options.

"Long time no see, Cui Xun. I'm so glad you've finally arrived in Dunling. I hope you enjoy the scenery and life here. You'll probably be staying here for quite some time."

"Recently, the Royal Guards have sealed off the palace, prohibiting anyone from visiting the Queen, and I alone cannot persuade them to let you pass."

"You can only enter the throne room if you have the joint permission of me, Valencia, and Evan, the three people who are currently in power in the royal family. I have already convinced Valencia halfway, but Evan believes that he is the only one who can inherit the throne. Once he realizes that you are special, he will definitely do his best to stop you."

"Evan has allied with the Serpent Cult and enjoys considerable prestige within the Royal Academy of Sciences. He also has deep connections within the military and among the new nobility. However, as a collateral illegitimate son with no talent for the power of oaths, he is not favored by the traditional nobility and the church."

"Oh, right, I haven't told you about the alliance I'm currently building yet."

Cui Xun nodded and said, "But before we talk about those things, please come in first."

Charlemagne didn't stand on ceremony and went straight into the house to find a seat. Then he saw Alice pour him warm tea, treating him as if he were a guest, with a slightly unfamiliar attitude.

He originally intended for this elite agent to protect Cui Xun while also monitoring him. How did Alice end up completely under Cui Xun's command? Oh well, they're all on the same side, there's no need to delve into it.

Charlemagne finished his tea, moistened his throat, and then spoke at a rapid pace: "Recently, I have formed an alliance with Valencia, and at the same time, I have won over some people who worship the red dragon and are eager for expansion, as well as some royalists who hope that the royal family can continue normally, in addition to my original forces."

"I have close ties with the Church of the Sun. I served as a clergyman in my early years, where I honed my skills by listening to confessions. Later, I served as a royal agent for a period of time, and I had the loyalty of more than 60% of the royal agents under my command."

"Valenshina was born into the military and is skilled in swordsmanship. Of course, she is far inferior to you, but because of her bravery, she holds a higher position in the military than Evan. Many military nobles have placed their bets on her, while she herself is keen on investing and has funded many projects of the Royal Academy of Sciences and adventurers."

"With Valenshina and me together, we could have easily overpowered Evan, but he refused our demands with the support of the Serpent Cult. Fortunately, the Serpent Cult has never been recognized by the Queen and is considered an illegal cult."

Cui Xun speculated, "So, you plan to have me wipe out the Snake Worship Cult in my spare time?"

Charlemagne tapped the table, looking somewhat nervous. After a long hesitation, he slowly said, "No, the Serpent Cult is no longer a threat."

"At first, I wanted to make the decision for you directly, but after thinking about it carefully, I realized that some things are for you to choose yourself. I'm just passing on the information."

"Both Evan and the Snake Mother are willing to compromise with you."

"They respect a strong person like you and don't want to break ties yet, so they are willing to let the Snake Worship Cult develop according to your wishes."

"Simply put, because you like the snake worship cult that claims to 'help the common people,' they will promote free education in various places while claiming that you are the one who made them reform."

"Of course, I personally think this is just a delaying tactic, since you know the reason."

Cui Xun affirmed, "I understand. The blood money created by that 'mentor' is a power that can completely rewrite the concept of the extraordinary, making it a kind of 'ordinary,' and ushering in a new era."

"Every moment, a large amount of spiritual energy is transformed into blood money and flows to him, using a capital operation-like method to make his power grow continuously."

"Although he dislikes the practices of the Serpent Cult and is elusive, making him difficult to capture and interrogate, since he was able to create such power, the Serpent Mother, as the pinnacle of the Serpent Mystic Arts system, might very well be able to replicate something similar."

I understand your concerns.

"By the way, let me mention that the mentor isn't our enemy. I've had a secret conversation with him, and I completely trust his abilities and character. Moreover, he's started to soften his stance, hesitating whether to share the Blood Money technique with me as well."

"The only problem is that he dares to allow the blood money technology to circulate within the Serpent Worship Cult because he now firmly holds the power of minting coins and restricts the circulation of blood money to a city that he can control. Unless we can develop a nationwide instant communication and monitoring device, he will not dare to loosen the blood money system."

"That is both a great force capable of rewriting the course of civilization and a desperate cause capable of creating a cruel hell."

Charlemagne tapped the table faster, seemingly pondering how much Cui Xun had kept from him, whether that 'mentor' was trustworthy, and how he should view the Blood Money Technique. But in the end, he simply said, "Fine, since I've given you the power to decide, I won't waste any more words. You decide for yourself whether to wipe out the Serpent Worship Cult."

Cui Xun stated his thoughts: "I want them to come out into the open, be supervised by royal agents, and do what the kingdom's subjects should do. The Ice Age is coming, and I don't want to waste any resources unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Of course, I will deal with those scum who insist on hiding in the shadows, including some high-ranking but inhuman individuals."

Charlemagne abruptly interrupted, "Wait, people are willing to back down now because backing down avoids war with you. I have gone to great lengths to cultivate an unassailable image for you in the kingdom's power arena."

"Once you take the initiative, you will immediately become the target of everyone's attacks. They can barely accept someone sharing the cake, but they cannot tolerate having a sword to their own throat, and they are truly willing to do anything to achieve this."

"I don't know what country you come from, but for some people, even if they raze Tun Ling to the ground, it would be completely worth it just to kill you."

Cui Xun casually said, "Don't treat me like a reckless brute just because I possess great power."

"I'll use incentives to get them to do what I say. Those who refuse under those circumstances will be killed by everyone else anyway!"

Charlemagne asked in bewilderment, "What benefits are we talking about? The kingdom's pie has already been divided up. If someone gets a bigger slice, everyone else gets a smaller one."

Cui Xun pointed to his head and said seriously, "I could be considered an invention genius, if I may."

Invention genius? Charlemagne didn't want to be too impolite, but he felt it was a bit crazy for someone who hadn't received a proper scientific education, who had probably spent most of his life on the path of the extraordinary, to think he was an "invention genius" and to think he could make the pie bigger in this way.

Alice noticed Charlemagne's suspicion. Standing behind Cui Xun, she chimed in, "Lord Cui Xun is indeed an 'inventive genius.' He possesses many extraordinary ideas and the ability to turn them into practical actions."

"His hometown possesses science and technology that are completely different from ours, yet equally advanced."

Charlemagne never found out Cui Xun's true identity, but vaguely realized that Cui Xun had a special background and was unable to go home, so he did not bring up this issue in detail.

Now that one of his best agents was pointing out the special nature of Cui Xun's hometown with such certainty, he was nine-tenths convinced.

It would have been even better if Alice had been standing in front of Cui Xun instead of behind him, giving him a normal report.

"Alright." Charlemagne stopped tapping the table and looked intently into Cui Xun's eyes. "Since you believe you have the ability, then it's entirely up to you."

"So, what are you planning to do next?"

Cui Xun replied, "Let's take a look at the exchange arrangements you've prepared. I remember you told me that many people want to meet me, the kingdom's new scion."

Charlemagne took a schedule out of his pocket and showed it to Cui Xun: "This is a list of people who want to communicate with you directly recently."

"You'd better attend the banquet marked in red. It involves some cooperation with important domestic forces, especially the banquet in two months to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's birthday. You absolutely cannot miss it, as the kingdom's highest-ranking officials will all be there."

"For other people you don't want to meet, you can send someone to inform them in advance."

Cui Xun took the timetable and glanced at it casually.

Today's meeting, as Charlemagne and the others had negotiated, was of little importance. The main purpose was for an earl to meet with Cui Xun, hoping he would set sail to hunt the giant octopuses that frequently disrupted trade routes.

After a moment's thought, Cui Xun instructed Alice, "Alice, have your royal agents form a small team to communicate with those seeking military support. I don't want to waste time on exchanging favors and gathering intelligence; I'll only be responsible for making the final decision."

Alice pounded her chest with her fist and said seriously, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Upon seeing this, Charlemagne's expression changed slightly: "Ms. Alice, you, and the other agents under your command, are currently still affiliated with me. I am, by a means, your superior."

Alice feigned innocence and said, "But according to your instructions, I should now offer my complete loyalty to Lord Cui Xun, and in the future you will also be under Lord Cui Xun's command, won't you?"

To ensure the kingdom's continued prosperity, Charlemagne didn't mind anyone else becoming king. He felt he had completely convinced himself and would never again be swayed by such matters. However, after being instigated by Valencia and now witnessing Cui Xun using the power that originally belonged to him, a strange feeling still crept into his heart.

Those who wield power often become poisoned by it, and Charlemagne was no exception.

But what's the point? Just because you're unwilling to give up, does that mean you can continue to hold onto this power?

If it were anyone else, Charlemagne might have thought of using some means to control their life from behind the scenes after they reached the pinnacle of power. But Cui Xun's power was like a hero from a mythical era reborn. He even defeated the flawless knight who had been resurrected.

Strength can indeed calm people down.

Cui Xun sensed that his traits were taking effect on Charlemagne.

Charlemagne's exhaustion was suddenly dispelled by a sense of liberation, and even the effects of the curse and poison on his body weakened. He looked as if he had become decades younger, and he said cheerfully, "Ha, indeed, but when that time comes, I might not care about anything anymore."

"When I was young, what I wanted to do most was to be a playwright who wrote terrible scripts but was still adored because of his royal status and had a blast with women. I would get drunk every day, sometimes using my power to promote others, and sometimes just buying other people's scripts, putting my own name on them, and greedily taking away their talent and honor."

Alice and Cui Xun didn't quite understand why Charlemagne would suddenly bring up such a thing, and this dream, how should I put it, was a bit too terrible, it didn't give people the feeling of sharing a dream at all, it only gave people a strong feeling of a rotten person.

Charlemagne laughed and said, "You think this dream is terrible, right? Actually, it's a kind of rebellious mentality. I have royal blood and power, so I must take responsibility and do my best so as not to let down the Queen's cultivation."

"My teachers, secret agents, other royal elders, and even Her Majesty the Queen, who was still asleep at the time, were all watching me. I wasn't allowed to make a mistake."

"But if you, Cui Xun, can really become the new king, take away all my power, and do as well as Her Majesty the Queen, or even better, then at that time, I should probably consider retiring early."

"Even if I can't abuse royal privileges, with my talent and charm, I could easily be a dashing bard!"

Charlemagne's smile was radiant and pure, but after only a few moments, he snapped out of his overly revealing state and, regaining his composure, suggested to Alice, "Ms. Alice, you should also take on more responsibility."

"When I step down completely, you can become my successor."

Alice found the conversation a bit strange; she felt like she'd seen it somewhere before. Cui Xun bluntly retorted, "The way you're setting up this FLAG makes it sound like some kind of old-timer who's about to die."

Charlemagne didn't seem to care much about Cui Xun's strange remarks. He confidently said, "I won't die so easily."

"Oh, right, there's something else. Valencia made a request of me; she wants you to protect the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences for three weeks. Of course, this isn't mandatory, and it conflicts with part of the schedule."

"However, if you want to change the kingdom through invention, you will inevitably have to meet him."

Cui Xun agreed, "Indeed, I also want to meet the person who represents the highest wisdom of the kingdom, and even this era, and who has created countless wonderful inventions."