The Mastermind Revealed

But from behind the screen, an aged voice rang out sternly: "At this critical moment, what are you still hesitating for!? If you can't bring yourself to kill them today and let the tiger return to the mountain, do you believe that by tomorrow, they'll have both our heads!?"

Emperor Leonard the Enlightened's eyes suddenly cleared, filled with resolve and ruthlessness.

Alexander Hayes looked into Emperor Leonard's eyes, which burned with a murderous intent as strong as his own. When Alexander met Su Li's gaze, both men were filled with sadness and regret.

Once, they had been the closest of friends—who could have imagined things would come to this?

Alexander Hayes lifted his head, his eyes cool and composed, and looked toward the screen. "Lord Huainan, things have come to this—there's no need to hide anymore. Come out! I have something to say to you. But before that, answer me this: why did you target me?"

"Hahaha, worthy of the title, Prince Alexander!" The aged voice behind the screen laughed, sharp and commanding. "We have never crossed paths before, nor do we have any personal grudges. Yet, in the game of power, no one is truly innocent."

A shadow flickered behind the screen, and an imposing elder dressed in a purple-gold robe and crown stepped out. He was none other than Leonard Li's biological father—the current Lord Huainan. Lord Huainan's eyes glinted with ambition. "You are a threat, Alexander Hayes. With your talent and reputation, if you were allowed to grow unchecked, you would overshadow even the throne. Removing you is but a step in securing my family's legacy."

"Father." Emperor Leonard addressed Lord Huainan with deep respect. Alexander Hayes's gaze sharpened as realization dawned. "So this is your so-called loyalty? For your own ambition, you would sacrifice anyone, even your own blood. How many more must suffer for your schemes?"

Leonard Li inherited the throne, officially adopted by the late Emperor Jin Xuan, making him the son of Jin Xuan in name. So, by title, Lord Huainan was now his subject, not his father. Lord Huainan's expression remained cold. "In this world, only the strong survive. Sentiment has no place in the struggle for power. If sacrificing a few can ensure the rise of my lineage, then so be it."

Lord Huainan sat down on the chair closest to the Dragon Throne, reaching out to caress the armrest of the throne, his touch greedy and satisfied. He sighed deeply, "I've schemed for this chair for decades, and now my son finally sits upon it! Hahaha, Prince Alexander, I owe it all to you. If not for you, how could Leonard have ascended so easily?"

Alexander Hayes looked at Lord Huainan. It wasn't their first meeting, but it was the first time Alexander saw the lord's true face.

The cautious, careful old man of the past was gone—replaced by a schemer brimming with ambition!

Standing with his hands behind his back, Alexander spoke bluntly: "Lord Huainan, you were the one who tricked Sophie White into drugging me, and later sent people to hunt me down, weren't you?"

Lord Huainan clapped his hands and chuckled, "Exactly, exactly! Prince Alexander, you truly are clever."

Xiao Zetian said, "Back when the incident happened, I had never met Lord Huainan, nor did we have any grudges. Why did Lord Huainan send someone to take my life?"

Lord Huainan smiled enigmatically. "That's right. In those years, I lived in my fief, while Prince Xiao resided in the capital and often went to the frontier to fight. We never even met, let alone had any animosity."

"But what I sought was the throne. At that time, the Jin Dynasty had a war god like you. As long as you were alive, my army could never defeat Emperor Jin Xuan's forces. So, you had to die. Only by stirring up chaos—throwing Jin and Chu into turmoil—could I fish in troubled waters."

"So, Lord Huainan tried to kill me back then to plunge the realm into chaos and seize the opportunity for himself." Xiao Zetian sneered and shook his head. "When the world descends into chaos, countless innocents suffer. You care nothing for the lives of the people, all for the sake of the throne!?"

Lord Huainan burst into laughter. "Exactly! In my eyes, all people are expendable! Those commoners are as lowly as ants—their lives are utterly worthless. Only my grand ambition matters! For the throne, what's a few dead peasants!?"