Chapter 272: 273. Prince Dies Sudden Death, Emperor Explodes in Rage

273. Chapter 273: Prince Dies Sudden Death, Emperor Explodes in Rage

"Alright, rest easy—I've already made arrangements."

Bai Zhou looked confident, gently stroking Orange's head.

He had the most spies in Xu Tianran's camp; even though Norman died unexpectedly, Bai Zhou still had people he could use.

Only a handful knew Xu Tianran came to see Orange—Bai Zhou had already arranged for their elimination.

That means, right now, no outsider besides him and Orange knows Xu Tianran is dead.

Of course, this secret won't stay hidden for long…

Either way, the Imperial Family will eventually descend into chaos—so Bai Zhou would make it descend even more thoroughly.

"Pop~"

Bai Zhou snapped his fingers lightly.

The next instant, deep within the Imperial Palace, the Third Prince—protected by countless safeguards—trembled violently, then exploded into a mist of blood…

…

"Then… what are you planning to do…?"

Orange, of course, knew nothing of what Bai Zhou had done; she had strained her mind to the limit, yet no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't conceive a solution to their current predicament…

It seemed, only fleeing with Bai Zhou remained as an option…

"Don't worry—I've already arranged everything."

Bai Zhou gave Orange a reassuring glance, then waved his hand lightly; his Spiritual Power surged, gathering all the corpses of Xu Tianran and his companions into one pile.

Bai Zhou owned a specialized Storage Soul Tool for disposing of trash, inside which he had installed a High-Temperature Incinerator—specifically designed to handle waste generated by the Wishing Tree's wishes—perfect for disposing of Xu Tianran's remains.

Of course, during this process, Bai Zhou carefully removed all Soul Tools and valuables from Xu Tianran and the Shadow Douluo.

Bai Zhou had to admit: Xu Tianran, as Crown Prince, was truly wealthy…

He carried a full ten Level 9 Soul Tools! Three for physical defense, two for spiritual defense, two for offense, one for Healing, and one for acceleration—all essential for survival.

Four of them reached Level 9 peak! One was even the Invincible Shield—an invaluable treasure!

So many trump cards—and not a single one was used… truly the most frustrating end imaginable.

"Just how are you arranging things, you scoundrel? Still hiding it from me!" Orange pinched Bai Zhou lightly, pouting.

Everything that happened today—clearly, Bai Zhou had planned it all in advance.

And she had been completely left in the dark.

She had even worried about him…

If Bai Zhou had just told her he had such powerful cards, she wouldn't have had to exhaust her mind trying to protect him! "I was just afraid you wouldn't believe me~"

Bai Zhou shrugged.

"Hmph! You still doubt my trust in you? How despicable!" Orange pinched him hard again.

"Fine, I'll be honest—I'm confident mainly because of my own strength." Bai Zhou spread his hands, choosing to confess.

"Your strength? You're just a Soul Saint… you're not lying to me again, are you…?" Orange's lips puckered, tears nearly welling up.

This big liar! Lying to her once or twice was bad enough—now he was pulling off a chain of lies… this was too much…

"Yes, I'm a Soul Saint—I'm not lying. But my Soul Saint level is unusually strong—equivalent to a Titled Douluo above 95 Soul Master Level. In your Sun Moon Empire, I'd likely rank among the top five…"

Bai Zhou nodded, giving a conservative estimate.

After all, he'd never fought other strong opponents—he didn't know their true strength.

But if Spiritual Power was factored in, Bai Zhou believed he could match anyone.

"T-Titled Douluo strength… top five… how is that possible…?" Clearly, Orange was utterly stunned by Bai Zhou's words.

"See? I told you you wouldn't believe me—and yet you scolded me." Bai Zhou feigned helplessness.

"W-What? I believe you, okay?!" Orange blushed, stammering in protest.

"So, you needn't grieve over Xu Tianran's death—after all, you still have me. Since you're mine, I'll avenge your parents' deaths for you."

Bai Zhou's tone softened, gently pulling Orange into his arms. "R-Really… is that possible…?"

At these words, Orange's body trembled slightly.

Clearly, Bai Zhou's words had struck the deepest, softest part of her heart.

"See? You still don't believe me." Bai Zhou feigned annoyance.

"Hehe, no I don't~ I believe you, I believe you! My Little White is the strongest!" Orange smiled brightly, leaping onto Bai Zhou and smacking a loud kiss on his cheek.

Then she clung tightly to him, hanging entirely from his body, tears welling in her eyes.

For with Xu Tianran's death, her greatest pillar was gone—now, she had only Bai Zhou… and in her heart, only Bai Zhou remained.

"Mm, that's better~"

Bai Zhou cupped Orange's rear and walked into the room, saying as he went: "Starting today, the Imperial Family will face great turmoil. For the next few days, don't go to the Academy—stay home with me."

"Mm, I'll do whatever you say~"

Orange nodded gently, appearing obedient.

…

…

Meanwhile.

Within the Imperial Palace, chaos had erupted completely.

Though imperial succession struggles were brutal, they never resorted to such extreme brutality—opponents' corpses were always preserved.

But now, the Third Prince's body had exploded into blood mist, not even a shred of flesh remaining—this was an act of unforgivable treason.

All members of the Imperial Family assumed Xu Tianran was responsible, and rushed to confront him…

Only to discover Xu Tianran had vanished without a trace! Quickly, the Imperial Clan members rushed to the Ancestral Hall—only to find Xu Tianran's soul aura on the ancestral tablet had completely dissipated, confirming he was dead too.

In an instant, every member of the imperial clan understood completely — the deaths of both sides were not caused by a struggle for the throne, but by outsiders targeting the imperial family!

The two princes with the best hope of inheriting the throne had suddenly dropped dead overnight.

The imperial family was in turmoil, hanging by a thread.

……

……

"Investigate! Investigate for me… cough cough cough…"

"Who exactly dares to assassinate a prince! I will make them pay the price! Cough cough cough…"

Within the Imperial Palace, the Old Emperor on his sickbed now forced his frail body upright, bursting with rage, nearly driven mad with fury.

If his two sons had died or been injured due to infighting, he would not have said a single word.

Even though Xu Tianran had lost the ability of a man, he still placed great hopes in him.

After all, there were so many members of the imperial clan, and the imperial bloodline was not limited to Xu Tianran alone — to have an heir, "surrogacy" or "adoption" would both work.

The premise was that National Fortune flourished and the imperial family prospered.

But now, with both the Third Prince and Xu Tianran unexpectedly dropping dead, he could not hold on much longer either.

The imperial family was very likely to face the greatest turmoil in a hundred years…

Even his own branch could be completely wiped out by opposing forces.

Just like back then, when he raised his army in rebellion…

"Detestable… detestable!!!"

At the thought of this, the Old Emperor violently spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, his heart full of unwillingness, wishing he could borrow another five hundred years from the heavens…

(End of this chapter)