"Now that the evidence and the culprit are in hand, even if I don't believe it, I have no choice but to believe it!"
The Heavenly Emperor said, "I just didn't expect things to turn out this way. It was actually my son. This has truly opened my eyes!"
"There's no other way. No matter how you investigate, it will always point to a few princes!" Lu Fan shrugged. "After all, only the princes could truly orchestrate something of this magnitude!"
The Heavenly Emperor nodded. He was well aware of Lu Fan's words, but the turn of events had caught him somewhat off guard.
"Prince Bailong requests an audience!"
A young eunuch rushed in, looking flustered. Prince Bailong was in a hurry, and he dared not delay.
"He still dares to come see me!"
The Heavenly Emperor's eyes turned sharp, filled with anger. The events of the day had already made him quite displeased.
"Prince Bailong's request for an audience must be about this matter!" Lu Fan said. "Since that is the case, the Heavenly Emperor should make a decision and not be swayed by others!"
"King of the Northwest, your words just now were loaded. Do you think I'm going to be partial?" The Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes, looking at Lu Fan with displeasure.
"Regardless, Prince Bailong is your son. For committing such a grave offense, it is natural for the Heavenly Emperor to want to protect him!" Lu Fan stated directly. "However, if that were the case, there would be no justice within the entire dynasty. At that point, the entire dynasty would fall into paralysis!"
"Are you threatening me?"
The Heavenly Emperor smiled faintly, his gaze returning to Lu Fan. A coldness entered his eyes, as if all of this meant nothing to him.
"I am not threatening the Heavenly Emperor, but reminding him!"
Lu Fan smiled faintly. "After all, no matter what, reaching this point is ultimately unbearable!"
The Heavenly Emperor said no more. He understood Lu Fan's words, but in his heart, he already had his own judgment and knew what he needed to do.
At the same time, Prince Bailong entered the hall. He looked at Elder Gui and asked, "Why? Why would you do this? You should know the consequences of such actions!"
"Your Highness, I have wronged you. I will bear this burden alone!" Elder Gui said repeatedly. "I will not implicate you in any way!"
"You..." Bailong stood there, his face instantly turning ashen. Elder Gui's words left him speechless.
"The matter has reached this point. What else do you have to pretend about?" The Heavenly Emperor looked at Bailong. "You are my son, and you have a boundless future ahead. Why would you do such a thing? Why would you put yourself in danger!"
"If I say that I did not do this, and that I am not the mastermind behind it, will Father Emperor believe me?" Bailong asked.
The Heavenly Emperor stood aside, his expression indifferent, as if he simply didn't believe Bailong's words, otherwise, he wouldn't be acting this way.
Bailong stood there, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He understood the feeling of being doubted.
At the same time, Lu Fan looked at Bailong. "You claim that this matter was not your doing, but Elder Gui is your subordinate. Without your instruction, how would he dare to interact with people from the Hell Dynasty!"
"King of the Northwest, I know that Father Emperor has entrusted you with this matter. However, you cannot make baseless accusations without evidence!" Prince Bailong said solemnly. "Why he acted this way, and how I would know. Although I am his master, I cannot control his every action!"
As he spoke, the old eunuch frowned. If Prince Bailong continued to quibble, they truly wouldn't have direct evidence, which would put them in a difficult position.
At the same time, Elder Gui's voice rang out again. "Your Highness, since it has come to this, why not confess? This way, the Heavenly Emperor can show leniency and not trouble you further!"
Hearing this, Prince Bailong's face instantly turned ashen. He glared at Elder Gui. "What do you mean by that? I don't quite understand!"
"Prince Bailong, the matter has reached this point, why cling to it?"
Lu Fan smiled. "If you feel you are being wrongly accused, you can provide evidence. If not, then this matter can only be confessed by you. After all, Beichen is still in the dungeon."
Bailong's expression shifted. He had never imagined that things would escalate to this point.
"If you admit your mistake now, you might still be able to save your life!" The Heavenly Emperor looked at Bailong. "If you refuse to repent, the ultimate outcome will surely not be good for you!"
"How can I admit to something I haven't done?"
Prince Bailong sneered. "I thought you would believe me, but it seems I was mistaken!"
"Prince Bailong, it has come to this, why continue to feign innocence!" Lu Fan smiled. "If you can provide proof, I will naturally not hold onto you. But now that your subordinate has contacted people from the Hell Dynasty, that is enough to explain everything. If you cannot provide proof, then it is your problem!"
"You're saying all this 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 speaking, Bailong walked towards Elder Gui. "It seems you have been by my side with ulterior motives all along. I never realized it. Who sent you to frame me!"
"Your Highness, it is all my fault for being so useless that I was captured!"
Elder Gui said repeatedly, looking agitated. He gazed at Bailong with a solemn expression.
"What do you mean by that?" Prince Bailong frowned. "This matter was never my doing. Who sent you to do this? If you don't tell me now, I'll make sure you regret it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, blood spurted from Elder Gui's mouth, and he instantly died.
"You rebellious son, how dare you attack someone!"
The Heavenly Emperor roared with anger. A surge of spiritual energy erupted, instantly incapacitating Prince Bailong. His gaze became sharp. He had not expected Bailong to be so direct, letting his subordinate die before his eyes. Such ruthlessness, even he could not achieve.
"It wasn't me, it absolutely wasn't me!" Bailong shook his head, his expression grave. Even he didn't know what was going on. Elder Gui suddenly spat blood from his mouth, as if his internal organs had been destroyed.
"He's dead!"
After examining the body, Lu Fan 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, it wasn't me!" Bailong spoke again.