A streak of cold light!

Chen Zhaohan clapped a hand over his throat and staggered backward, and dark red blood came welling out between his fingers.

He looked at Ning Chen in disbelief — had it never entered his head that Ning Chen would dare kill him in the hall of court?

Thud!

Chen Zhaohan fell on his back, twitched a few times, and then did not move again.

The color went out of the faces of the whole court, civil and military.

The Xuan Emperor went livid, and the skin of his face twitched.

Ning Chen shook the blood off the blade, and his voice came low. "You clown. You had to force this prince to kill you... Contemptible."

"Protect the Emperor! Somebody come quickly — protect the Emperor..."

The Xuan Emperor shouted it until his voice tore.

Nie Liang came charging into the great hall with his men.

When he saw Chen Zhaohan's body his face changed... and when he saw the blade in Ning Chen's hand, the whole man stopped dead where he stood!

The Xuan Emperor pointed at Ning Chen and shouted, "Nie Liang, take this insolent madman for this emperor... and if he dares resist, cut him down where he stands!"

Nie Liang looked at Ning Chen with the difficulty of it all over his face.

Ning Chen had done him a kindness.

His Majesty had always shown Ning Chen nothing but favor. How had it come to this?

The Xuan Emperor said in anger, "Nie Liang, what are you standing there for? Do you mean to defy an edict?"

Nie Liang looked at Ning Chen. The knuckles of the hand gripping his hilt went white, but from first to last he did not draw.

Ning Chen gave a faint smile and turned to look at the Xuan Emperor on the dragon throne. "Is the dragon throne still comfortable to sit in? Plenty of men have waited for that dragon throne, but of the ones who actually sat down in it, you are the first. To tell the truth... I have come to admire you…