"Now that the evidence is conclusive, even if I didn't want to believe it, I would have to!"
The Heavenly Emperor spoke, "It's just that I never imagined things would turn out this way, that it was truly my son's doing. This has certainly opened my eyes!"
"There's no other way. No matter how you investigate, it will always point to the princes!" Lu Fan shrugged, "After all, only the princes could truly drive such a matter forward!"
The Heavenly Emperor nodded. He was well aware of Lu Fan's words, but the turn of events had caught him off guard.
"Prince Bailong seeks an audience!"
A young eunuch rushed in, looking flustered. Prince Bailong was in a hurry, and he dared not show any disrespect.
"He still dares to come see me!"
The Heavenly Emperor's gaze sharpened, laced with anger. The events of the day had already displeased him greatly.
"Prince Bailong's request for an audience must be about this matter!" Lu Fan stated, "Since that's the case, the Heavenly Emperor should make a decision and not be swayed by others!"
"King of the Northwest, your words just now seemed to carry a hidden meaning. Are you implying I would show favoritism?" The Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes, looking at Lu Fan with displeasure.
"No matter what, Prince Bailong is still the Heavenly Emperor's son. If he has committed such a grave offense, naturally the Heavenly Emperor would want to protect him!" Lu Fan said directly, "But if that were the case, there would be no justice within the entire dynasty, and the entire dynasty would fall into paralysis!"
"Are you threatening me?"
The Heavenly Emperor smiled faintly, his gaze returning to Lu Fan, his eyes now holding a cold glint, as if he considered none of this to be of any consequence.
"I am not threatening the Heavenly Emperor, but reminding him!"
Lu Fan smiled gently, "After all, no matter what, this matter has reached this point, and it will ultimately be unbearable!"
The Heavenly Emperor remained silent. He understood Lu Fan's words clearly, but in his heart, he already had a clear sense of what he needed to do.
At the same time, Prince Bailong entered the hall and looked at Old Ghost, "Why? Why did you do this? You should know the consequences of such actions!"
"Your Highness, I have wronged you. I will bear the consequences of this matter alone!" Old Ghost said repeatedly, "I will not implicate you!"
"You..." Bailong stood there, his face instantly turning ashen. Old Ghost's words left him speechless.
"Now that things have come to this, why are you still pretending?" The Heavenly Emperor looked at Bailong, "You are my son, and you have a boundless future ahead of you. Why would you do such a thing and put yourself in such danger!"
"If I say that I didn't do this, and that I am not the mastermind behind it, will Father Emperor believe me!" Prince Bailong asked.
The Heavenly Emperor stood by, his expression indifferent, as if he didn't believe Bailong's words, otherwise he wouldn't be acting this way.
Bailong stood stunned, his heart filled with a mix of emotions. He deeply understood the feeling of being doubted.
Meanwhile, Lu Fan looked at Bailong, "You claim this matter was not your doing, but Old Ghost is your subordinate. Without your instruction, how would he dare to associate with people from the Hell Dynasty!"
"King of the Northwest, I know Father Emperor has entrusted you with handling this matter, but without evidence, you cannot slander me!" Prince Bailong said solemnly, "Why he acted this way, and how would I know? Although I am his master, I cannot prevent his every action!"
As these words were spoken, the old eunuch frowned. If Prince Bailong continued to quibble, they truly wouldn't have direct evidence, and that would put them in a difficult position.
At the same time, Old Ghost's voice rang out again, "Your Highness, since it has come to this, why not confess! This way, the Heavenly Emperor might show leniency and not trouble you further!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Bailong's face turned ashen, and he glared at Old Ghost, "What do you mean by that? I don't quite understand!"
"Prince Bailong, now that things have reached this point, why bother with such entanglement!"
Lu Fan smiled, "If you believe you are wronged, you can produce evidence. If not, then this matter will likely fall upon you to admit guilt, especially since Beicheng is still in the dungeon."
Bailong's expression shifted. He hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.
"If you confess your mistake now, you might still save your life!" The Heavenly Emperor looked at Bailong, "If you remain unrepentant, the ultimate outcome will certainly not be good for you!"
"How can I admit to something I didn't do?"
Prince Bailong sneered, "I thought Father Emperor would believe me, but it seems I was mistaken!"
"Prince Bailong, it has come to this, why continue to pretend!" Lu Fan smiled faintly, "If you can produce evidence, I naturally won't pursue you. But now that your subordinate is in contact with people from the Hell Dynasty, that is enough to explain everything. If you cannot produce evidence, then it is your problem!"
"All this talk is just to shift the blame onto me!" Bailong said instantly, "Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say. This matter is ultimately beyond my control!"
After saying this, Bailong walked towards Old Ghost, "It seems you have been by my side with ulterior motives all along. I never realized who sent you, and why you would frame me!"
"Your Highness, it is my own uselessness that led to my capture!"
Old Ghost said repeatedly, appearing somewhat agitated. He looked at Bailong with a grave expression.
"What do you mean by that?" Prince Bailong frowned, "I didn't do this at all. Who sent you to do this? If you don't tell me now, I will make you suffer!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, blood spurted from Old Ghost's lips, and he instantly died.
"Rebellious son, how dare you attack and kill someone!"
The Heavenly Emperor roared in fury. A surge of spiritual energy erupted, instantly pinning Prince Bailong. His eyes turned sharp. He hadn't expected Bailong to be so direct, causing his subordinate to die before his eyes. Such ruthlessness was something even he couldn't achieve.
"It wasn't me, it was absolutely not me!" Bailong shook his head, his expression extremely serious. Even he didn't know what was happening. Old Ghost suddenly spat blood, his internal organs seemingly destroyed.
"He is dead!"
After Lu Fan examined the body, he reported to the Heavenly Emperor.
The Heavenly Emperor's face darkened. He looked at Bailong again, "Do you know that your actions are pushing yourself towards a dead end!"
"I already said, it wasn't me!" Bailong spoke again.