My Will Rules Another World

Chapter 13: I Am Long Tian

The Imperial Study inside the Tianxiang Palace was filled with important figures. Any single one among them wielded enough power to shake the entire empire. It was a gathering of Tianxiang’s most influential people.

They had assembled because of the astonishing events at the arena. The execution had been set; the princess and the young lady of the Bai Clan were supposed to lose their heads over Long Tian’s supposed death. Yet the very man everyone believed dead had stood alive upon the execution block at the critical moment. No one could have foreseen such a turn‑about. Now they needed to hear the full account straight from Long Tian himself.

Ling Feng, who had traveled from the arena to the palace, had already prepared his answers along the way.

“When the princess and the others fled the battlefield, I thought my end had come. But facing certain death, I resolved to fight the Dark Tiger. I unleashed the Severing Dragon Art from the Azure Dragon Technique. At the last moment, I slit the beast’s throat. Knowing the paths of the Magic Beast Forest well, I wandered within its depths for more than a year and only emerged twenty‑odd days ago.”

Long Jue was alarmed upon hearing that he had used the Severing Dragon Art. He knew the technique carried terrible after‑effects.

“You used Severing Dragon Art — did it leave any harm behind? Do you feel anything wrong with your body?”

“Right after casting it, I was completely drained of strength. Fortunately, that was the Dark Tiger’s territory, and no other magical beasts drew near. My body is perfectly fine now.”

The Emperor sensed there was more to the story; Ling Feng had not told them everything. He probed cautiously.

“With your former strength, surviving one year inside the Magic Beast Forest should have been impossible. And where did you learn that flying martial skill?”

Ling Feng had anticipated this question and had his reply ready.

“It truly would have been impossible for the old me. Yet human survival instinct can awaken unimaginable potential when life and death hang in the balance. I brushed against death time and again.” He glanced down at the little cat perched on his shoulder and gently stroked its head. “With each narrow escape, I learned many things, including that flying skill you speak of. In truth, it is little more than gliding down from high ground through clever use of battle qi.”

The Emperor remained unsatisfied.

“Merely gliding down from heights? How do you explain your leaps across the imperial city rooftops? Outside the arena you soared straight over its outer wall — more than thirty meters high. And what was that martial skill behind those four streaks of golden light?”

Ling Feng had not expected the Emperor to know every detail of what he had done. Clearly the Emperor maintained countless spies across the capital. He had drawn far too much attention by recklessly flying over the arena gates. A ruler ignorant of such incidents would be a poor one, yet Ling Feng had not expected word to spread so quickly.

“I call this skill Light‑Foot Skill. The principle is simple: channel battle qi to strengthen your legs. While airborne, sustain battle qi to glide, and release controlled energy upon landing so you do not destroy the surface beneath your feet. I comprehended all of this while trapped in the Magic Beast Forest.”

Every warrior familiar with battle qi fell into deep thought, including the questioning Emperor. None of them had ever conceived such a theory. Battle qi was almost always wielded for raw destructive power to amplify attacks. No one had considered using it with such subtle finesse.

While the others pondered, Ling Feng idly petted his cat. He knew these concepts would take time to sink in. Perhaps some among them might even break past their existing boundaries.

Princess Xuerou was also deep in thought, though not over Ling Feng’s explanation — but over the man himself. Too many things about him defied expectation. Setting aside his changed appearance, his whole personality seemed transformed. The old Long Tian would have taken every chance to harass her. This man treated her with complete indifference, as if she were any ordinary stranger. Deep inside, Xuerou still doubted whether this was truly Long Tian.

When the group emerged from their contemplation, their gazes toward Ling Feng had shifted, mixed with relief, confusion and shock. Ling Feng paid little mind to their reactions, privately thinking none of them would achieve a breakthrough today.

The Emperor turned toward Long Jue.

“Are you certain this is Long Tian?”

“There is no doubt,” Long Jue answered firmly. “Back at the arena I tested his battle qi. It is undeniably our Azure Dragon Art. You know only members of the Long Family may cultivate it. Outsiders who attempt it risk paralysis at best, and their bodies exploding at worst.”

While gripping Ling Feng’s arms back then, Long Jue had secretly sensed his internal battle qi and confirmed it belonged to the Azure Dragon Art. Given the art’s unique nature, the young man had to be of Long blood. The Long Family had always had very few heirs. There was no motive for an imposter to pretend to be one of them. Added to the instinctive bond between father and son, Long Jue was thoroughly convinced Ling Feng was indeed Long Tian.

The Emperor sought one final confirmation, for Long Tian’s transformation was far too baffling.

“Long Tian, what incident happened within the imperial palace when you were seven years old?”

Drawing upon Long Tian’s memories, Ling Feng recalled the event. At seven, Long Tian had set fire to Princess Xuefei, the Seventh Princess’s hair. Her hair had been extremely long, and the flames blazed fiercely. Severe burns scarred her head, neck and back. Though clerics had healed her wounds, her hair never regained its former luster, and large patches of her skin remained disfigured. Her beauty was ruined, and her whole life had been tainted ever since.

Princess Xuefei still dwelt within the palace, too ashamed to show herself to others. Aside from the Long Family and the Emperor, no one knew the truth behind her tragedy. Ling Feng sighed to himself. Long Tian’s reckless personality had been bred by endless indulgence. For that terrible misdeed, Long Tian had only been punished with one month of confinement to his quarters.

Ling Feng spoke slowly.

“It was the incident where I burned the Seventh Princess’s hair and left her disfigured.”

Hearing those words, the Emperor was fully convinced this was indeed Long Tian. The others present were greatly shocked. Bai Yun had known of the princess, yet had not seen her since she turned nine. Now he understood Long Tian was to blame.

Princess Xuerou was even more astonished. She had always believed her younger sister had accidentally burned her own hair. She never imagined Long Tian was responsible. Nor had she realized how lenient her father had been toward him. The whole affair had been kept hidden. It was plain Long Tian occupied a far‑higher place in the Emperor’s heart than his own children.

Ling Feng went on.

“I will find a way to make amends to the Seventh Princess. Give me time, and I believe I can restore her looks.”

The Emperor’s voice rose with excitement.

“You can restore Xuefei’s appearance? What method will you use?”

Ling Feng had not yet laid eyes on the princess and knew nothing of her present condition. He answered honestly.

“I have not seen her injuries yet, so I cannot promise absolute success. Still, I hold a seventy‑percent chance of healing those burn scars.”

“Seventy percent only? If you fail to cure her, you shall marry Xuefei as compensation.” The Emperor thought to himself that this would settle the princess’s fate. He had long favored Long Tian in hopes he would bring more heirs to the Long Family. This would be the perfect chance to wed off the disfigured princess. Since Long Tian had caused the harm, he ought to bear responsibility.

Ling Feng was startled. Trouble awaited him if the treatment failed. If the healing did not work, marrying her would be the natural resolution for the original Long Tian — but he was not Long Tian. He would never marry someone he did not love. Even so, the poor princess stirred his sympathy. At the very least he could find her a good husband in the future.

“Your Majesty… should the healing fail, I shall take responsibility for the Seventh Princess’s lifelong happiness.” He would take responsibility for her future, not necessarily by marrying her himself. He would leave the wording vague for now. He regretted bringing up the subject in the first place.

“It is settled!” the Emperor said delightedly.

“Ahem‑ahem! Your Majesty, this is no time to be arranging a royal marriage. We ought to hear more of Long Tian’s experiences over this past year.” Long Jianxin cut in, steering the conversation back on track.

Ling Feng silently wished his grandfather had spoken sooner; the terms had already been agreed upon. In truth, the Long Family also wished to atone toward the princess, and they too had considered a marriage between Long Tian and Xuefei.

The Emperor laughed awkwardly.

“Right. Long Tian, you still have not explained those four streaks of golden light.”

“It is actually this.” Ling Feng pulled out one of the golden throwing daggers. Everyone stared intently at the blade, yet nothing about it seemed extraordinary. Long Yang was the first to speak.

“Little brother, this is merely a small golden dagger. How could this produce those four beams of golden light?”

Ling Feng glanced around, then pointed toward a stone lantern outside.

“Your Majesty, would it matter if that lantern gets damaged?”

The Emperor had no idea what he intended, yet a stone lantern was of little consequence.

“It is fine.”

Ling Feng gripped the dagger and fixed his gaze upon the distant stone lantern.