Free Web NovelChapter 171: Chapter 171: The Throne of Crystals
Hu Lieyuan stepped into the palace that had once been his home, but after turning into an adult he had to leave.
The towering gates opened soundlessly, revealing a world of brilliance. The palace was high tech yet ancient, its glowing walls embedded with rare stones that shimmered in his eyes.
Streams of energy flowed beneath transparent floors like rivers of stars. Everything was grand and expensive.
And everything would one day be his.
He walked forward calmly, though his heart pounded with ambition. Servants bowed as he passed. None dared to meet his eyes.
He was led into the main hall.
At the end of the vast chamber stood the throne, a seat carved from pure crystal and embedded with countless gems. It shimmered under the light, majestic and untouchable.
Hu Lieyuan’s eyes swept across the hall. His greedy gaze lingered on the throne.
For a moment, his pupils almost trembled with desire. The gems, the power, the authority, it was all within reach.
But at the last second, he suppressed it.
He lifted his head and looked at the man sitting on that throne.
His father.
The king’s expression was cold, so much different from the gentle gaze he always showed toward the elder prince.
Hu Lieyuan clenched his fists behind his back.
Father... even if you despise me, what can you do?
In the end, I will be the one who inherits this throne.
And I will marry the precious female, the treasure of all four empires.
The image of Yue Yue’s face flashed in his mind. His lips almost curved, but he forced them still.
After calming himself, he bowed slightly.
"Father," he said respectfully, "I have received news about the precious female."
The king’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"She has been captured by the twin pirates."
Silence filled the hall. The king slowly turned his head to look at his second son. His gaze was clearly suspicious. He did not believe him at all.
Hu Lieyuan lowered his head slightly, hiding the faint sneer that almost appeared on his lips.
The king’s thoughts were heavy.
Of all his sons, this was the one he expected the least from, greedy and ambitious just like his mother.
The king’s eyes darkened. He remembered the woman whom he had never loved.
Long ago, he had already been mated. He had a female he loved deeply, and with her he had his elder son. At that time, he was only the second prince of the empire. The throne was meant for his elder brother.
And the woman who later became his queen was originally his elder brother’s fiancée.
Before the wedding could take place, his elder brother died in a polluted zone during an expedition.
The empire was left without a direct heir.
There was no choice, so he was pushed toward the throne, but he already had a female and a son.
Yet that woman, who was greedy and ruthless, was determined to become queen. She forced him to revoke his bond with his beloved mate. She pressured the court. She used her influence and power as the strongest female in the empire.
In the end, he was forced to divorce the female he loved and mate with this scheming woman, and from that union a son was born.
That son was standing before him now, Hu Lieyuan. The king’s gaze held nothing but coldness.
Hu Lieyuan felt that gaze clearly, but he did not lower his head further.
Inside, his hatred deepened.
You look down on me because of my mother.
But blood is blood.
I am still your son.
And he would prove that he was more capable than the elder prince.
The king finally spoke. "How did you get this information?"
His voice was steady but probing.
Hu Lieyuan replied calmly, "My sources confirmed it. The twin pirates are currently hiding."
The king studied him carefully.
Something about his son’s expression was too strange. But the information about the precious female was too important to ignore.
If she was truly captured by the twin pirates, the balance of all four empires would shift.
And whoever rescued her would gain unimaginable power.
The king hid the disdain in his eyes. No matter what, Hu Lieyuan was still his son.
Once, long ago, he had hoped this child would grow up properly. That he would respect his elder brother. That he would learn dignity instead of greed.
But he was not blind.
He knew very well what the mother and son were plotting behind his back.
He knew how the queen moved in court, how she gathered powerful orcs behind her, how she openly supported her own son without shame. Her power within the empire was not small. Many nobles stood behind her.
And that was why, even as the king, he could not act recklessly.
It was not that he believed the throne must go to the eldest son. He had never held such prejudice. If his second son had talent, wisdom, and restraint, he would have had no regret passing the empire to him.
But Hu Lieyuan was greedy and impatient.
His emotions showed too clearly. His ambition leaked from his eyes. freewebnovel.cσ๓
If such a man sat on this crystal throne...
The Land Empire would not last.
The other three empires would crush them without hesitation.
That was something he could never allow.
Yet now, his second son had brought news about the Precious Female. That alone shocked him. For no one had known where she had disappeared.
Not when she vanished just before marrying the High Priest.
Only the temple and perhaps the High Priest himself knew the truth. The temple had sealed every piece of information. Not even a whisper had leaked.
All four empires had searched in secret.
All of them were desperate because whoever found the Precious Female first would gain the right to present their strongest warrior. Their top orc would have the chance to mate with her.
And with her blessing, the empire would prosper.
Even the Land Empire, where she was born, was searching just as fiercely.
The king himself wanted to find her for the future of the Land Empire.
And now, his useless second son stood before him claiming he knew.
Not only where she was, but who had taken her.
