The Fourth Prince lifted his sleeve to wipe the water from the corner of his mouth. In all his years, this was the first time he’d ever eaten something this awful.

Born with a Golden Key in his mouth, the Fourth Prince had tasted every delicacy under heaven. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that one day he would fall so low as to be eating tree leaves.

Seeing this, Lin Kong smiled in satisfaction. "That’s more like it, my disciple. You need to know how to read the situation. You’re no longer the Fourth Prince; you’re about to become a fugitive wandering the world. Don’t be so picky. Staying alive is the only truth that matters."

"Hic!"

The Fourth Prince hiccuped. A surge of bitterness rushed up his nose, his stomach churned again, and he almost threw up. He forced it back down his throat with difficulty, only just managing not to vomit. His face turned greenish-white and extremely ugly.

Lin Kong said casually, "Disciple, it’s fine, just bear with it and it’ll pass! As the saying goes, ’Eat the bitterest of the bitter to become the best of the best.’ Once we get through this stretch, things will be better for us later."

It took quite a while before the Fourth Prince felt not quite so sick.

"Master, let’s not go to Wei Country, all right?" The Fourth Prince’s lips were still very pale as he quietly begged.

He was thinking that after some time, once his imperial father’s anger had cooled, he still wanted to return to the Capital and be the Fourth Prince again.

Wei Country was Moli Country’s mortal enemy. If he went there, it would be very hard to mend things with his imperial father.

Lin Kong glanced at him and asked, "Disciple, if we don’t go to Wei Country, where do you think we can go?"

The Fourth Prince thought for a moment. "We can hide somewhere nearby, lie low until the storm passes, then go back and plead guilty to my father. Father will definitely forgive us."

Lin Kong snorted and said, "Fourth Prince, you’re too naive. Even if The Emperor could forgive you, the common people won’t let you off. Don’t forget, your Practice Evil Technique got a lot of people killed. And you still want to go back to the Capital as the Fourth Prince? You’re dreaming."

The Fourth Prince’s legs gave out and he sat down on the ground, feeling utterly dejected. True enough—then what was he supposed to do? The position of Crown Prince was still waiting for him to go back and fight for it.

Lin Kong gave him another glance and went on, "The Emperor of Wei Country is currently recruiting talents far and wide, calling in capable people from all directions. We’ll be arriving just in time. Fourth Prince, since Moli Country can no longer tolerate us, why not go to Wei Country and develop there?"

The Fourth Prince certainly didn’t want to go to Wei Country, but right now he had no way out at all. He was truly caught between a rock and a hard place. He, the dignified Fourth Prince of Moli Country, taking refuge in an enemy country was already shameful enough—on top of that, he was supposed to respond to the enemy Emperor’s recruitment? His master had to be joking with him, right?

"Master, that doesn’t seem very proper. No matter what, I’m still Moli Country’s Fourth Prince." The Fourth Prince was torn.

Lin Kong thought for a moment, then said impatiently, "All right, all right, you don’t have to do anything. Just stick by your master’s side and freeload food and drink, how about that?"

"Eh! All right then!"

Only then did the Fourth Prince agree.

"Rest a while longer, then we’ll set out." After speaking, Lin Kong raised his head to look at the sky and muttered to himself, "Why is it taking so long? Still not here?"

The Fourth Prince looked at Lin Kong in surprise and asked, "Master, who are you waiting for?"

Lin Kong said carelessly, "An old friend."

The Fourth Prince was astonished. He asked, "Master, you have a friend in the Capital?"

Lin Kong: "What a strange question. Who doesn’t have friends?"

Fourth Prince: "I’ve never heard you mention it. I thought in the Capital you only knew Senior Brother!"

Lin Kong simply strode to the doorway, sat down on the threshold, and kept peering down that rugged mountain path leading to the foot of the mountain.

"Master, what are you waiting for someone at a time like this for, anyway?"

Master, don’t forget, we’re on the run right now."

"What do you know? Before your master left, I played a little trick on that Dog Emperor as payback for us."

"Master, what exactly did you do?"

"Nothing much. I just sent people to buy up all the medicinal herbs for treating madness Within a hundred miles. The Dog Emperor dared treat us like that, so of course we have to teach him a lesson, let him see what we’re capable of."