At the mention of the Crimson Ghost Sect, Prince Zuo Cheng naturally thought of the infamous Zhenhuang Hall. For the longest time, the Crimson Ghost Sect's most important goal has been to gain some benefit from that place.
The Crimson Ghost Sect had indeed thought about cooperating with Prince Zuo Cheng in the past. But the Prince wanted the entire cultivation world and the Daye Dynasty for himself. His attitude toward the Crimson Ghost Sect had always been ruthless, and he hoped to use his own power to completely eliminate them. Even when the Flowing Cloud Sect had previously worked with the Crimson Ghost Sect, the Prince had not fully approved. It was just that under those circumstances, they had no choice but to use the Crimson Ghost Sect's power to stabilize the situation.
But Prince Zuo Cheng never would have imagined that the Crimson Ghost Sect would secretly collude with the Shangqing Temple, pushing him into such an awkward position now. He had naively believed that the people from the Shangqing Temple were all working for him. If that were the case, many problems could have been smoothly resolved.
But after hearing what Lin Yun had to say, the Prince instantly understood that he was the real fool who had been taken for a ride. Everyone's plans were directed at him, and now, he was powerless to solve these problems.
"You're saying the Crimson Ghost Sect began their operation long ago," the Prince said, his voice trembling violently as he spoke, "and this entire time, I was kept in the dark? Even the men I sent out failed to return with any information." Even with all his mental preparation, the current situation still filled him with a myriad of emotions.
"Your Highness placed great trust in the Shangqing Temple, but the Shangqing Temple simply took advantage of that trust," Lin Yun said, his gaze fixed on the Prince. "I wonder what Your Highness intends to do, now that you know all of this? Will you, as we previously thought, use your most powerful means to completely annihilate the threat?"
He didn't know the full extent of the Prince's capabilities, but after this conversation, he figured the Prince should know what he needed to do next. The Shangqing Temple was clearly using him as a stepping stone.
But the Prince merely shifted his gaze to Lin Yun. "This Prince, however, believes that you are now one of Her Majesty the Empress's people. So, can this Prince interpret your visit here as an attempt to be her mouthpiece?"
The Prince had assumed Lin Yun was still working for Chen Suning and was beginning to consider how to handle the situation. To his surprise, Lin Yun just snorted coldly at his words.
"If Her Majesty the Empress were truly willing to help, I would not have ended up in this state. The entire realm is now searching for me, and I am utterly helpless. Am I supposed to just flee the Daye Dynasty?"
Prince Zuo Cheng fell silent, just staring at Lin Yun, as if trying to see through the young man's thoughts. But he quickly found that he couldn't. Lin Yun's acting was simply too good. From his eyes, one could indeed see a great deal of dissatisfaction with Chen Suning. Thinking of that young Empress, it was clear she was still mishandling many things.
"Your Highness can rest assured. I am merely a person of leisure now, one who hopes to clear his name of the injustices against him," Lin Yun said. "As long as Your Highness can help me prove my innocence, then I shall be a sword in your hands."
Whether to trust Lin Yun was something the Prince had to weigh carefully. But in the current situation, he truly did need someone to help him resolve the predicament with the Crimson Ghost Sect. The Prince didn't know what they were planning, but he couldn't just stand by and watch them cause trouble in his own territory. If Lin Yun was willing to be a pawn in his hand, that was, of course, a good thing for him. What's more, Lin Yun could not possibly cause him any harm through this affair. The Prince, however, could use this as an opportunity to test whether Lin Yun was worthy of his trust.
After a period of serious consideration, the Prince quickly made up his mind.
"So, you came here this time hoping this Prince will help you dispatch troops to deal with the Crimson Ghost Sect. But you must know that such an action will startle the snake in the grass." If there was any large-scale troop movement, he believed the Crimson Ghost Sect would be alerted immediately.
Lin Yun, of course, understood this as well. But since the Crimson Ghost Sect had been operating in secret for so long, they were likely at a critical moment. Even if some of them escaped, it didn't matter. There was no way they could take the treasures of this place with them.
When Lin Yun stated his thoughts, he immediately received the Prince's approval. He was right; they couldn't just watch the Crimson Ghost Sect continue to cause trouble. This was Wangjing, a place the Crimson Ghost Sect could not be allowed to approach lightly.
And so, Lin Yun successfully reached a consensus with Prince Zuo Cheng.
A short while after their conversation, a group of maids brought in a vast array of spiritual foods. Although he knew this prince of the Daye Dynasty enjoyed the height of luxury, when Lin Yun saw the food, he was still taken aback. Delicacies from every corner of the world, including some incredibly rare ingredients, were all present in this one meal. And this was just the Prince's daily fare.
It made Lin Yun find the situation amusing. Even after consuming so many rare and precious items, this Prince had only reached a realm that an ordinary person could achieve. And based on Lin Yun's observation, no matter how hard the Prince tried, he would likely find it difficult to break through for the rest of his life, unless he stumbled upon some great opportunity.
The moment this thought occurred to Lin Yun, he suddenly seemed to understand something. The reason he had agreed to help Chen Suning in the first place was his hope of entering the Imperial Clan's Secret Realm. Perhaps Prince Zuo Cheng was thinking the same thing.
"These are all treasures this Prince has gathered from all over," the Prince said. "Little friend Lin, why don't you savor them, and then go and take care of those idiots from the Crimson Ghost Sect for me."
Lin Yun just shook his head. "The situation is urgent. Your Highness should be cautious. But how does Your Highness plan to deal with those from the Shangqing Temple? If you let them know that you have turned against them, I fear this matter will not be so easily resolved."
Prince Zuo Cheng just sneered. "A mere Shangqing Temple. As long as this Prince is in Wangjing, they can do nothing to me."
At the end of the day, Prince Zuo Cheng was a prince of the Daye Dynasty. Lin Yun was able to come here because of a special decree from the Empress. Whether others had such a privilege, no one knew. The Imperial Clan had countless experts; this was a secret that could likely never be fully fathomed.
Seeing the Prince's confidence, Lin Yun came to a decision in his heart. He said nothing more and quietly took his leave.