Chapter Fifty-Three: Rising in Rebellion Together

The Seventh Prince noticed Tao Ming’s sorrowful expression and offered gentle comfort. “You need not blame yourself. Their minds had long since been seized by the Heavenly Emperor; their actions were no longer their own.” Tao Ming knew she could never regard human lives with the same detachment as the prince, nor could she explain her feelings to him. She simply kept silent, burying her face in her arms upon the low table, and before she realized it, tears had begun to fall.

The prince reached out several times to pat her shoulder, but in the end withdrew his hand, gazing at the back of her head and waiting patiently in silence.

Before long, Qin Siyu returned, the air of violence around him now even more pronounced. “The Imperial Dragon Guards are no more—the bodies have yet to be dealt with.”

The Seventh Prince’s brow creased slightly. “Uncle, the Heavenly Emperor ordered Longlin One to shadow me. I sent him away, but if he discovers what happened, he will surely come to investigate.”

Qin Siyu turned to leave. “I’ll have them disguised, and if Longlin One grows suspicious, he’ll be eliminated as well.”

Hearing Qin Siyu depart, Tao Ming rubbed her eyes on her sleeve, lifted her head, and looked at the Seventh Prince. “I agree. I’ll join you in this rebellion.”

The prince took out a handkerchief to offer her. “Why?”

Tao Ming didn’t take it. Instead, she pulled out two tissues, wiped her face, and blew her nose. “I can’t let these people die in vain.”

The prince didn’t quite follow her reasoning and withdrew his hand. “Whatever you say.”

Tao Ming’s mind went blank. What does he mean, “whatever you say”?

How did all of a sudden everything depend on her? This was too much responsibility!

“Rebellion is no small matter. It takes people, money, a base of operations. Have you thought this through?”

The prince turned a teacup in his hands. “A base of operations?”

Tao Ming sighed. “A headquarters!”

“Hm?”

“A rear stronghold!”

“Hm?”

“A lair!”

At last, the prince understood. “I have my own fief, and I secretly maintain a number of private soldiers. As for money, I’m afraid I don’t have much.”

“How many soldiers do you have?”

He thought for a moment. “I keep them hidden, so just over five thousand, all above the Day Rank in strength.”

“What about the Imperial Dragon Guards? What kind of strength do they have?”

“The Heavenly Emperor is exceedingly suspicious. Besides Longlin One through Longlin Nine, the others are only just above the Day Rank.”

Tao Ming took out paper and pen to make notes. “How many soldiers are stationed at Weishui? What is their strength? Who is in charge?”

The prince glanced at the simplified characters Tao Ming wrote—some looked familiar, others not at all. He answered calmly, “I’ve gathered all that information. The details are in a ledger. When we return to the capital, we can study it together.”

Realizing she was getting ahead of herself, Tao Ming put away her notes. “You’re right. My head’s a bit muddled right now.” She glanced toward the carriage door. “It’s been so long; why isn’t he back?”

The prince followed her gaze. “Though my uncle has a fiery temper, he’s exceedingly thorough.”

Tao Ming lowered her voice. “Does anyone in the Qin family know you’re plotting a rebellion?”

“Your father knows.”

“What did he say?”

“He said I was dreaming in broad daylight.”

“My father makes sense.”

The prince fell silent.

“A rebellion is a massive undertaking. With your handful of private soldiers, you can barely protect yourself. And your fief—surely it’s surrounded by the Heavenly Emperor’s men. Every move you make is under his watchful eye. What grand schemes can you accomplish?”

The prince looked at her with composure. “I believe you’ll think of something.”

“You think I’m some kind of magic cat? I’m just an ordinary person, I’ve never even been in a fight.”

“Who’s the magic cat?”

Tao Ming sighed. “I’m going to check on Rou Rou and Nuo Nuo.”

With a thought, she entered the revolving starlight realm.

In the familiar silver room, Tao Ming’s brow was clouded with worry. “Star, someone’s trying to drag me into a rebellion.”

The Star’s voice was bright and cheerful. “You rushed in and out just now—I knew you’d landed yourself in trouble!”

“Why do you sound so delighted at my misfortune?”

“I’m excited! At last, something grand to do!”

Tao Ming gave a noncommittal laugh and headed for the little house, going straight to the bedroom on the second floor.

The two little ones sat together, munching on snacks. Seeing Tao Ming enter, they asked in unison, “Mom, is it dangerous?”

Sitting down across from them, Tao Ming spoke gently. “You don’t have to worry. If there’s danger, I’ll be the first to run. But you’ll need to stay here a while longer. Once it’s safe, I’ll let you out. All right?”

Rou Rou pouted. “All right, but it’s a little boring here.”

Tao Ming produced two tablets. “You can play games or watch cartoons! No time limit today—play as long as you like!”

She set out snacks and drinks, and thoughtfully added boxes of tissues and wet wipes. “I have to go out for a bit. You two behave and stay here.”

The two little ones barely looked up from their tablets. “Okay!”

Leaving the little house, Tao Ming called, “Star.” The Star replied instantly in a northeast dialect, “What do you want?”

“Why the dialect now?”

“You just laughed at me.”

Tao Ming sighed. “You know how frustrated I am? I still haven’t solved Rou Rou’s problem, and now someone wants to pull me into a rebellion!”

Star’s voice was calm and unconcerned. “What are you worried about? You have me!”

“And what good is that? Besides storing things and hiding from danger, what else can you do?”

The Star sounded indignant. “Once you reach Moon Rank Five, I’ll unlock new functions!”

Tao Ming groaned. “Look how busy I am every day. Do I have time to train?”

“Not really.”

“Don’t you have any way to help me get stronger? If you want me to do something big, at least give me some benefits.”

“I can’t boost your strength directly. But as for benefits, you’ll know once you reach Moon Rank Five.”

“Can’t you give me a hint?”

“Any item you bring in—so long as there’s enough energy—I can copy it endlessly, exactly the same.”

Tao Ming’s eyes lit up. “Can you copy Dongfeng Express deliveries?”

“As long as you can get them and there’s enough energy, I can copy them.”

Tao Ming wilted again. Where would she get those?

She asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that before? If I’d known, I would have stocked up on equipment before coming here.”

“You weren’t strong enough.”

“What else can you do that you haven’t told me about?”

“At Moon Rank Six, I’ll unlock an exchange function.”

Tao Ming’s interest was thoroughly piqued. “Exchange? For what? What can I get?”

“You’ll find out when you reach the right level. Work hard and train!”

Another noncommittal laugh.

Back in the real world, Tao Ming saw that Qin Siyu was still not back.

“How are they?”

“Fine. They have food, drinks, and entertainment.”

The prince asked quietly, “Their hiding place…”

Tao Ming cut him off. “Perfectly safe.”

“Is it an artifact that travels between worlds?”

“Yes.”

“Could you…”

“No. I’m too weak. I can only bring two people inside.”

At that, Tao Ming suddenly remembered—if her mother had left her an inheritance, could there be another way to raise her strength?

She quickly asked, “Is there any way to quickly improve my power? I don’t need much—just up to Moon Rank Five.”

The prince shook his head. “Diligence in training is the only way.”

Tao Ming slumped over the table, downcast.

Seeing the gloom written all over her face, the prince spoke softly. “I’ve heard…”

Tao Ming perked up. “Heard what?”

“I’ve heard that the Su family has a formation that accelerates training, but I’ve never seen it myself. Who knows if it’s true.”

Tao Ming dropped her head back down, her spirits sinking once more.