My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

Li Chen looked Li Chengqian up and down, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Li Chengqian's arm.

"Ouch!"

Caught off guard, Li Chengqian felt a powerful force coming at him, but instinctively his muscles tensed.

"Look."

Li Chen released his grip, pointed at Li Chengqian's arm wrapped in coarse cloth, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips.

"For the past two weeks, you've been eating the pills I concocted every day and drinking the well water from the spirit-gathering array I set up. Every day, without fail, you've been chopping wood, carrying water, and tending the fire."

"You think that was all for nothing?"

Li Chen stood up, circled around Li Chengqian, and marveled at the sight.

"Touch your own arms and legs now. Your disability has long been cured. Not only cured, but the energy and blood in your body are now as strong as an ox."

"Don't forget your former frail prince appearance. Now, when you step out, you're a genuine muscle-bound hunk. You could easily take on ten fully armed Xuanjia Imperial Guards."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian was stunned.

He subconsciously squeezed his right arm.

hard.

It was a layer of muscle as solid as rock.

He suddenly stood up and pushed off the ground with both legs.

There was no pain, no weakness. The overflowing power made his body feel as light as if it could fly.

He walked to the large wooden stump in the yard that was used for chopping firewood.

He took a deep breath, and instead of using the axe, he swung his right fist and slammed it down hard.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

That hard, solid wood that would have taken half a day to chop with a large axe was actually smashed into a deep dent by his punch. Wood chips flew everywhere, but his fist wasn't even scratched.

Li Chengqian stared at his hands in disbelief, a fire of unprecedented intensity gradually igniting in his eyes.

power.

This was a real power he had never experienced in the first half of his life, a power that allowed him to control his own destiny!

Seeing the increasingly bright fire in the other person's eyes, Li Chen pressed on and continued to offer guidance.

"How is it? Can you feel this power?"

Li Chen walked to his side and lowered his voice like a tempting demon.

"Don't you hate Li Tai for pushing you so hard? Don't you hate him for stealing your father's favor and driving you to the brink of despair?"

"Now that you have power, why are you hiding here wallowing in self-pity?"

"Go find him!"

Li Chen patted Li Chengqian's firm chest muscles, his voice full of seduction.

"Go vent your anger! Get back all the old scores he's held against you for all these years, with interest!"

"Use your fists to show him who the rightful heir of this Tang Dynasty truly is!"

"Come back afterward and calmly answer me whether you still want to compete for the position of Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian's breathing became extremely heavy.

His eyes, bloodshot and terrifying, seemed to look particularly menacing. Go beat up Li Tai? Go rub that round, fat guy to the ground?

He would never have dared to even dream of such a thing before. The Prince of Wei's residence was heavily guarded, and he was a cripple—how could he possibly succeed?

But things are different now!

He has power! Not only did his leg heal, but he became stronger than ever before!

"Sixteenth Brother is right!"

A window next to them was suddenly pushed open.

Little Sizi woke up at some point and was clinging to the windowsill, holding a half-eaten candied hawthorn in her hand.

She waved her chubby little hands and started making a fuss in her childish voice.

"Brother Crown Prince! Go beat up that fatso! He even stole Si Zi's kite before! Sixteenth Brother said, if you can fight, don't just talk!"

The little girl's cheers, seemingly eager to stir up trouble, became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Li Chengqian suddenly turned around and stared intently at Li Chen.

"Okay! I'll go!"

He gritted his teeth, the lifelessness in his eyes completely replaced by a frenzied fighting spirit.

"At worst, I'll die! Even if I die, I'll pluck that fat sparrow's feathers first!"

Seeing Li Chengqian's murderous and ready-to-fight appearance, Li Chen smiled with satisfaction.

"Very good, this is the kind of presence a Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty should have."

Li Chen flipped his wrist and took out a green pill that emitted a faint fragrance from his storage bag.

He casually shoved the pill into Li Chengqian's hand, a wicked grin on his face.

"Take this with you."

"This is a low-grade healing pill. No matter how severe the external injury, as long as you swallow it, it will heal instantly, without even leaving a bruise. You won't be able to tell anything."

Li Chen raised an eyebrow at Li Chengqian, his eyes conveying a meaningful look.

"You know what I mean, right?"

Li Chengqian looked down at the pills in his hand, his mind racing.

Beat someone up without leaving a mark.

This is simply an unparalleled artifact, perfect for ambushing, underhanded tactics, and even turning the tables on the Emperor!

An overwhelming surge of joy and excitement welled up in Li Chengqian's heart. He suddenly realized how incredibly stifled and foolish he had been living before!

"Sixteenth Brother, I can't thank you enough!"

Li Chengqian solemnly stuffed the elixir into his robes and carefully placed it close to his body.

He didn't change into his magnificent prince's robe; instead, he wore a simple coarse cloth outfit and strode confidently toward the courtyard gate.

His steps were steady and powerful, without a trace of the limp of a cripple.

"Go, Pikachu!"

Li Chen waved from behind and shouted loudly.

Li Chengqian paused, turned around, and looked on with a puzzled expression.

"Pikachu? What kind of legendary Pokémon is that?"

"Ahem, that's a very powerful ancient beast, specifically designed to electrocute people." Li Chen coughed twice, spouting nonsense with a straight face. "It's the highest praise for a warrior. Hurry up, don't keep your good little brother waiting."

Although Li Chengqian couldn't understand it, he still felt his heart surging and his blood boiling.

He nodded heavily, and with a determined look, stepped out of the side hall's courtyard gate, heading straight towards the Prince of Wei's residence.

By the windowsill.

Little Sizi waved the half-eaten candied hawthorn in her hand and shouted into the night sky in her childish voice.

"Go, Prince! Beat that fatso to a pulp!"

Li Chen leaned against the doorpost, watching Li Chengqian's figure disappear into the night, listening to the little girl's cheers.

He crossed his arms and stroked his chin with satisfaction.

"The underworld prince of the Tang Dynasty has officially made his debut tonight."

"Your Highness, I wish you good luck."