The smile on Xu Tiannan's face froze for an instant, but he quickly regained his composure.
He hadn't expected the people of the Holy Spirit Church to treat him with such blatant contempt, showing him absolutely no respect.
"A dragon stranded in shallow waters gets mocked by shrimps."
If he were still the Crown Prince of the Sun and Moon Empire, who would dare speak to him like that?
Rage surged in Xu Tiannan's heart, but he dared not show it.
After all, at this moment, he was the one begging the Holy Spirit Church for cooperation.
If they refused, it would mean little to them—but it would be catastrophic for him.
Without their aid, his plans were doomed to fail.
So even though humiliation burned in his chest, he could only keep smiling, endure it silently, and swallow his pride.
He could not afford to offend them—not yet.
Still, Xu Tiannan intended to fight for whatever leverage he could get.
He wasn't completely powerless.
For one, he could provide cover for the Holy Spirit Church, since, due to their identity, they couldn't intervene openly in the imperial struggle for succession.
That was an internal matter of the Sun and Moon Empire.
If outsiders like the Holy Spirit Church were discovered meddling in royal affairs, it would be seen as interfering in national governance.
Though Xu Tiannan wasn't certain what his father, Emperor Xu Jing, truly thought, he could easily imagine it from the emperor's perspective.
If he were the ruler, he would never allow such interference.
The whole purpose of letting his sons compete was to determine which one was most capable, ambitious, and strong.
If an outside force intervened, that balance would be ruined—no longer a test of merit, but of manipulation.
So, if he were the emperor, he would never allow the Holy Spirit Church to meddle.
Whether Xu Jing thought the same way, Xu Tiannan could not be sure.
He wasn't a worm in his father's stomach—how could he know the man's exact thoughts?
Beyond that, he still had another card to play—the perfect puppet prince.
After careful observation over the past few days, Xu Tiannan had identified the ideal candidate to support:
The Ninth Prince, Xu Tianxuan.
Xu Tianxuan's mother was merely a beautiful palace maid who had caught the emperor's fancy one night by chance.
By pure luck, she became pregnant with a royal child.
As such, Xu Tianxuan had no noble maternal backing, no influential family supporting him.
Worse, he had no ambition at all.
He was addicted to pleasure and indulgence—wine, beauty, luxury.
At fifteen years old, he was still only a three-ring Soul Elder—a complete embarrassment to the royal bloodline.
No family support, no talent, no power—no one among the ministers or nobles took him seriously.
Xu Tiannan had even sent spies—some of them alluring women—to infiltrate the Ninth Prince's residence and gather intelligence during his nightly escapades.
The results only deepened his disdain.
This prince was truly a hopeless fool. His greatest dream in life was to be granted a comfortable fiefdom where he could live in luxury, bossing servants around and sleeping with beautiful women every day.
The affairs of his household were all managed by eunuchs and stewards.
Even when his stipend was embezzled by his own attendants, he remained blissfully unaware.
He was the very definition of useless.
He barely practiced cultivation—lazy to the extreme.
A waste like that… even the gods would shake their heads.
Compared to him, Xu Tiannan was the complete opposite.
Gifted with exceptional talent, he had reached Soul Sage level by age twenty.
He handled political affairs during the day, recruited talent for his faction, and plotted tirelessly against his rival princes.
His schedule was packed so tightly that he barely slept.
He often wished one hour could become two.
Thus, to the ambitious, calculating Xu Tiannan, the hedonistic Xu Tianxuan was utterly contemptible.
But that same uselessness made him the perfect puppet.
No strength, no intelligence, no ambition—someone even the eunuchs in his palace could manipulate.
Once such a man became emperor, he would be an idle ruler, lost in women and wine.
And that, for Xu Tiannan, would be paradise.
If the emperor didn't govern, Xu Tiannan could govern for him.
He could seize power in the name of "helping" the throne—perhaps even rise to the position of Regent Prince.
Given time, he could build his own power, draw loyal experts to his side, and gradually sideline the emperor altogether.
By contrast, the other princes were all potential threats—some talented, some ambitious, none easy to control.
If any of them ascended the throne, Xu Tiannan would never have a chance to regain influence.
So the Ninth Prince, Xu Tianxuan, was his only viable choice.
With his support, the Ninth Prince's faction had grown rapidly.
Though still weaker than that of the Second and Third Princes, it was now a legitimate contender for succession.
The only thing that frustrated Xu Tiannan was that, once the Ninth Prince's power began to rise, the boy's first act was to indulge in even more debauchery—seizing every beauty he previously couldn't have and losing himself in endless nights of revelry.
Watching this made the crippled Xu Tiannan—who could no longer enjoy such pleasures—seethe with jealousy.
Still, that very behavior reassured him.
The more wasteful the Ninth Prince was, the safer he would be as a puppet.
Besides that, Xu Tiannan also possessed deep knowledge of the Sun and Moon Empire's internal workings—hidden court rules, unspoken boundaries, and the tolerance levels of the upper echelons.
All of this gave him bargaining power against the Holy Spirit Church.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Xu Tiannan smiled broadly at the black-robed man trying to assert dominance.
"Hahaha! Holy Spirit Church Leader Zhong Liwu, of course, I can listen to your instructions."
Hearing that, Zhong Liwu nodded with satisfaction.
"At least this crippled prince knows his place," he thought.
His arrogance was understandable—he believed Xu Tiannan was already on the brink of ruin.
Without the Holy Spirit Church's help, he'd be dead soon.
Naturally, he thought he could bend Xu Tiannan at will—make him a vassal of the Church.
But just as Zhong Liwu was feeling smug, Xu Tiannan's tone suddenly shifted.
His smile faded.
"Zhong Liwu," he said evenly, "I have a few questions for your Holy Spirit Church.
Do you understand the hidden rules of the Sun and Moon Empire's court?
Do you know its civil and military officials?
Do you understand my father, Emperor Xu Jing, and the upper echelons of the empire?
If your Church truly understands all of these things… then I'll gladly follow your lead without objection."
Xu Tiannan might need them, but he refused to be treated as a mindless subordinate.
He needed to assert himself, or they would walk all over him.
A little strength was necessary—otherwise, the Holy Spirit Church would see him as nothing but a weakling to be toyed with.
Zhong Liwu frowned.
This crippled former prince—who, without the Holy Spirit Church, was no better than a beaten dog—dared to speak to him like that?
Who gave him the courage?
And yet, he had to admit—Xu Tiannan's words made sense.
The Holy Spirit Church did not understand the empire's politics or inner workings nearly as well as he did.
Still, that didn't mean this cripple had the right to question him.
In Zhong Liwu's worldview—a world built on the law of the jungle—the strong ruled, the weak obeyed.
To him, Xu Tiannan was weak.
For a weakling to speak to a strong one as an equal was nothing less than an insult.
Zhong Liwu's voice grew cold.
"Xu Tiannan, do you still think you're the Crown Prince of the Sun and Moon Empire?
If you still held that position, perhaps you'd have the right to speak to me as an equal.
But now? You're nothing but a fallen prince.
Without my Holy Spirit Church, you'd already be dead—torn apart by your brothers.
What right do you have to demand equality?"
Xu Tiannan's lips curved into a smile—but inside, his rage boiled over.
"Good… very good. At least you're honest about what you think."
"Fine then, Zhong Liwu. You and your wretched cult… one day, when power is back in my hands, I'll make you all pay in blood!"
He wanted nothing more than to tear Zhong Liwu limb from limb and feed him to the dogs.
But outwardly, he remained calm, his expression softening.
He knew when to push—and when to yield.
A true man must be able to bend and stretch.
One must be hard when needed, and soft when required.
He smiled faintly.
"Zhong Liwu, your Holy Spirit Church is indeed powerful.
But my father, Emperor Xu Jing, and the imperial council all fear your expansion. They will never allow your Church to grow unchecked.
That's the reality of your position in the Sun and Moon Empire.
Now, if we work together—you provide strength, and I provide strategy—we can install a weak prince upon the throne.
That will benefit both of us."
He leaned forward slightly, voice steady and persuasive.
"Back when I defeated the Second and Third Princes and became Crown Prince, my strategic skill was proven beyond doubt.
The only reason I fell was that I lacked sufficient protection.
Now, with your Church's power behind me, that weakness no longer exists.
Raising a prince to the throne will be easy.
You lack insight into imperial politics—but that's my specialty.
We complement each other perfectly.
Together, we win. Apart, neither of us gains anything."
The two continued to negotiate intensely for over two hours.
At last, they reached a mutually beneficial agreement.
Xu Tiannan slumped back in his wheelchair, throat dry, lips nearly chapped.
It had taken tremendous effort to persuade Zhong Liwu—but he had succeeded.
Relief flooded him.
"Finally… the greatest obstacle is overcome. With the Holy Spirit Church's support, I'll raise Xu Tianxuan to the throne—and rise again myself!"
He smiled sincerely at Zhong Liwu.
"Zhong Liwu, to a fruitful partnership."
Zhong Liwu snorted.
"You talk well, Xu Tiannan. Let's see if your actions match your words."
With their alliance sealed, they moved on to the next step—planning how to make the useless Ninth Prince emperor.
Xu Tiannan handed over Xu Tianxuan's dossier for Zhong Liwu's review.
The Holy Spirit leader was curious about their chosen candidate—after all, this prince would become their puppet.
He had to be sure.
After reading for a while, Zhong Liwu had a general impression—but he wanted proof.
So, under disguise, he and Xu Tiannan personally visited the Ninth Prince's mansion.
There, they witnessed the young prince's debauchery firsthand—the endless parties, the drunken laughter, the women.
After observing for a while, Zhong Liwu nodded repeatedly, quite satisfied.
He chuckled.
"So Emperor Xu Jing actually sired a son like this."
Then he looked at Xu Tiannan—his sharp mind, his calm, calculating demeanor, even from his wheelchair.
It was hard to believe these two men were half-brothers.
Xu Tiannan smiled faintly.
"Zhong Liwu, isn't this kind of emperor the best kind?"
Zhong Liwu burst out laughing.
"Indeed! Hahaha—yes, this kind of emperor is perfect!"
After their shared laughter, Zhong Liwu added,
"I'll send some of my Holy Spirit Church experts to stay close to Xu Tianxuan—both to protect him and to monitor his actions. What do you think?"
Xu Tiannan instantly understood—Zhong Liwu didn't trust him alone to handle things.
But he merely smiled.
"Zhong Liwu, your caution does you credit. Everything shall be done your way.
However, our most urgent task now is to weaken the other princes.
If one of them secures the position of Crown Prince, everything will fall apart."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
Among all the princes, the one with the greatest power and highest public support is the Second Prince, Xu Tianyu.
Our first move should be to clip his wings.