Chapter One Hundred and Five: I Am Fine, Your Highness

Zhang Ning’s sudden outburst caught Su Ye by surprise. Once he regained his composure, however, Su Ye spoke in the tone one might use to soothe a temperamental child or a difficult girlfriend: "I am fine, Your Highness..."

"I won't allow you to say you're fine! I forbid it!" Zhang Ning knew Su Ye was trying to take everything upon himself again. How could such a considerate and sensible subordinate let his Prince be "troubled"? But how could Zhang Ning stand for this?

Anger churned within him.

They were supposed to just be going through the motions! How could these people act like sharks smelling blood in the water? Su Ye was, in a sense, one of their peers; how could they do such a thing for zero gain, and without any regard for Zhang Ning, a Prince of the sect?

This behavior was forcing his hand! Zhang Ning felt the blood rushing to his head; an unspeakable fury and heartache threatened to overwhelm him. The emotional turbulence from his recently concluded world tour had yet to fully settle, and this incident made him yearn to draw his blade and see blood just to feel some relief. He knew he wasn't in a right state of mind and must not let himself spiral, yet his eyes remained locked on Su Ye, waiting for an answer before he unleashed his "ultimate move."

Zhang Ning’s ultimate move was to go straight to his master, Chu Hanyu. He knew that the Great Freedom Demon Sect was effectively ruled by Chu Hanyu’s word alone. Before these titular heirs truly held power, they were still subject to the machinations of their subordinates—much like how, in the feudal empires of Aqua Blue Star, many ministers dared to talk back to princes.

Zhang Ning understood that to transition through this period smoothly, it was best not to do anything outrageous until he possessed overwhelming strength. While princes like himself certainly didn't have to start from the bottom, it was best to keep up appearances. Constantly running to Chu Hanyu for orders was clearly a shortcut, but Zhang Ning no longer cared. Let others think what they wanted! Anyone who dared to go this far was challenging his bottom line.

Tell the teacher! Go tell the teacher!

A flash of emotion crossed Su Ye’s eyes. He said respectfully, "It is not like that, Your Highness. It is not as you see it."

Seeing Su Ye so stubborn and unwilling to tell the truth, Zhang Ning was momentarily exasperated. But seeing Su Ye in such a state, he couldn't bear to lose his temper. With a sharp look, he turned to storm out of the room.

Seeing this, Su Ye stood up immediately, blocked Zhang Ning’s path, and said earnestly, "Your Highness, please, listen to me."

"Don't try to persuade me! I tell you—" Zhang Ning stopped mid-sentence, suddenly waking up to the reality of the situation as he stared at Su Ye’s straight, steady legs.

What was happening? Was he dreaming? Zhang Ning was bewildered.

"Your Highness, you are not dreaming," Su Ye said. He closed the door and paced the room a few times. His gait was steady, no different from any normal person. He slowly stopped and looked at Zhang Ning with a faint smile.

"What is going on with you?!" Zhang Ning jumped, pointing at Su Ye.

He swore that if Su Ye were just playing games with him, he would give him a sound thrashing!

Su Ye smiled helplessly and sat back down in his wheelchair. "I simply have to keep up appearances in front of outsiders, Your Highness."

Noticing Zhang Ning’s agitated state, Su Ye began to explain in a gentle, soft voice. Only then did Zhang Ning realize that this guy was quite a big deal—a hidden boss! Before this, he hadn't shown his hand, maintaining a pathetic facade.

In truth, Zhang Ning was partly to blame for not paying attention. When he had taken Su Ye in as a subordinate on the Great Belly Ship, he had been focused on Su Ye’s talent with numbers, wanting help with the backend of his livestreams. He hadn't bothered to research Su Ye’s background.

As they grew closer and more trusting, Zhang Ning only remembered that Su Ye came from the Su family. Considering the powerful clan behind him who poured resources into him, he had forgotten that Su Ye had originally entered the Great Freedom Demon Sect through the connections of the Grand Elder. And this "connection" wasn't some distant relative; Su Ye actually knew the Grand Elder personally!

The Grand Elder was a unique figure in the Great Freedom Demon Sect. Setting aside his cultivation, he was ancient; he had already been an elder when the Myriad Phenomenon Demon Lord, Chu Hanyu, was still a child. He had practically watched Chu Hanyu grow up and had survived every disaster the sect had faced.

Thus, his status was extraordinary. Even Chu Hanyu treated him with respect. The Grand Elder had a pleasant personality and liked to travel; by chance, he had befriended Su Ye’s father and, out of affection for the father, treated Su Ye very well. The interesting charms—like the "Bad Luck Talisman" that Chu Hanyu had crafted on a whim—had been kept by the Elder and gifted to Su Ye. This was the origin of all the misunderstandings Su Ye had faced in his family and why his energy signature could not be identified by Zhuge Yi’s Earth Compass.

Of course, Zhang Ning knew none of this.

From Su Ye’s explanation, Zhang Ning gathered one thing: the guy had been living comfortably in the Great Freedom Demon Sect, suffering no abuse at all, merely staying with the Grand Elder, chatting, and occasionally being annoyed by his rambling.

*He’s had it easier than me?!* Zhang Ning was so angry he could have snorted smoke.

Still, it was good that Su Ye was safe. Furthermore, with this hidden connection, there was now an extra avenue to resolve any trouble he or his subordinates might face in the future.

Zhang Ning felt half his burden lift. He began to discuss his experiences since arriving at the sect and Su Ye’s plans for his future development. As he listened, Zhang Ning felt his brain struggling to keep up, but those matters could be set aside for now.

Zhang Ning had been contemplating the issue of Source Crystals. Even if only for the sake of his master and senior brothers, he could not watch the Azure Realm be destroyed!

This youth from Aqua Blue Star, despite having a ruthless streak when dealing with personal vendettas, possessed a solid moral compass when faced with such "major events." However, he was a transmigrator, and he carried a system.

People grew up and had secrets even from their parents, let alone a trump card like a system. But how could he help them? Could he assist without revealing the system? If he were to reveal a part of it, how much should he disclose? And how could he make them believe him?

Hesitating, Zhang Ning was about to discuss it with Su Ye in vague terms when he heard a knock at the door.

Zhang Ning sighed to himself; he really had become a busy man! Back on Aqua Blue Star, people rarely concerned themselves with him once he was grown. He could lie in his room for days without a single call or text. He never expected that in this other world, the moment he stepped into his room, he would be bombarded with tasks. Being a Prince wasn't as easy as it looked; he had to be in a constant state of operation.