Chapter 306: The Transdimensional Pursuit

Xu Xiaodong finally caught up with Wang Haitao and tackled him to the ground, pinning him with a knee to his back. Wang Haitao flailed wildly like a drowning man. Xu Xiaodong instinctively reached for his handcuffs but then remembered that Wang Haitao wasn’t a suspect. He looked to Chen Shi for guidance. “Should I cuff him?”

“You might as well cuff his feet,” Chen Shi replied.

“Good idea…” Xu Xiaodong started to cuff Wang Haitao’s feet.

“Hey, I was joking,” Chen Shi quickly intervened, and Xu Xiaodong sheepishly scratched his head and laughed.

Chen Shi crouched down and spoke to Wang Haitao, “Don’t be afraid. We’re not here to hurt you.”

“I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be here. General Wang lives here!” Wang Haitao screamed hysterically.

Hearing this, Chen Shi was convinced that Wang Haitao had indeed been held captive here. He gently said, “It’s okay. General Wang isn’t here anymore.”

“You’re lying! He’s here, and his two henchmen, Iron Eagle and Silver Wolf, are here too. They’re top-notch assassins,” Wang Haitao insisted.

Lin Dongxue interjected, “Didn’t you say you had already traveled through time?”

“You don’t understand! Iron Eagle and Silver Wolf have traveled through time to kill me!” Wang Haitao exclaimed.

“How did they travel through time?” Lin Dongxue asked, barely able to suppress her laughter.

“A time machine,” Wang Haitao replied.

“Made that up on the spot, didn’t you?” Lin Dongxue almost burst out laughing.

“No, I didn’t… I…” Wang Haitao stopped mid-sentence, staring blankly at Lin Dongxue. In that moment, Chen Shi noticed his fabricated persona wavering.

Maybe just a bit more pressure, and his real personality might emerge.

But the doubt was fleeting, and Wang Haitao quickly recomposed himself. “The time machine is what you modern people call it. It’s actually an ancient artifact called the ‘Fan Tian Gui,’ powered by 108 horses. Once it reaches a certain speed, it can traverse time and space!”

Xu Xiaodong clapped his hands, “Amazing!” He earned a disdainful look from Lin Dongxue.

Realizing that Wang Haitao’s delusion was too strong, Chen Shi decided to play along. “Actually, we’re quite powerful too. Forgot to mention, in my past life, I was the top warrior of the Six Doors Agency. Iron Eagle and Silver Wolf are nothing to me. I can protect you.”

Wang Haitao stared at him, and Lin Dongxue added, “I’m the heroine of Long’an, unmatched in skill.”

Xu Xiaodong thought for a moment and said, “I’m the imperial guard with a cat.”

Wang Haitao seemed convinced, and Chen Shi signaled Xu Xiaodong to release him. Wang Haitao got up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Chen Shi said, “We’ll just take a quick look inside and then leave. If anything happens, we’ll protect you… Heroine of Long’an, didn’t you bring your divine weapon?”

Lin Dongxue was momentarily confused but then patted her gun. “Right, I have my Hundred Steps Soul-Cutting Gun. It can kill even iron men.”

Wang Haitao nodded appreciatively, warning, “If you fail to protect me, I’ll hold you accountable.”

“Your Highness, please lead the way.”

Stifling their laughter, the three followed Wang Haitao to the decrepit house. He hesitated before the entrance and reached for Lin Dongxue’s arm, but Chen Shi offered his own arm instead.

Wang Haitao stopped at the doorway and said, “This is far enough.”

Chen Shi asked, “Is General Wang and his men, Iron Eagle and Silver Wolf, staying here?”

“Yes… yes,” Wang Haitao confirmed.

“Why didn’t they kill you after kidnapping you?” Chen Shi asked.

“Traitorous rebels with ulterior motives. I don’t understand their schemes,” Wang Haitao replied.

“What did they do to you?” Chen Shi pressed.

“They… they… ah, my head hurts!” Wang Haitao clutched his head, seeming to fracture his memory once again.

Lin Dongxue gave Chen Shi a helpless look. Chen Shi was also frustrated; Wang Haitao always broke down at crucial moments.

Chen Shi pushed Wang Haitao further into the room where he had been confined. Suddenly, he shoved Wang Haitao inside and closed the door. Wang Haitao panicked and pounded on the door, screaming, “You traitors! When I find my father, I’ll have you all executed!”

Lin Dongxue was shocked by Chen Shi’s aggressive move and wanted to open the door, but Chen Shi signaled her to wait.

He mimicked a sinister voice, “Who is your father, Lu Qixing?”

“How dare you call the emperor by his name,” Wang Haitao shouted.

“Aren’t you called Nalan? Why is your father’s surname Lu?” Chen Shi questioned.

“I… I…” Inside, Wang Haitao seemed to freeze.

Lu Qixing being Wang Haitao’s father wasn’t the truth Chen Shi sought. He had already guessed that much.

What he wanted to know was what X aimed to achieve by kidnapping Wang Haitao—a goal so lucrative that X was willing to kill his accomplices for it.

Chen Shi continued in a threatening tone, “You’ll never see your father again because I’ll become you. From now on, I’m the crown prince, the future emperor!”

Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong looked at Chen Shi in shock.

Wang Haitao inside started to sob, “You… you will never meet a good end!”

Chen Shi laughed maniacally, “You’ll rot here. This kingdom now belongs to Wang!”

“I… I… I will go see my father now and punish you all… whoosh… bang!” Wang Haitao began making strange sound effects.

Chen Shi opened the door to find Wang Haitao hiding under the mattress, like an ostrich burying its head.

Chen Shi bowed and said, “Sorry for the delay in protection. General Wang’s men attacked, and we fought them off.”

Tears filled Wang Haitao’s eyes as he trembled, “A moment later, and I’d be dead.”

“Please forgive us, Your Majesty.”

With Chen Shi’s help, Wang Haitao emerged from under the mattress and sat down, panting heavily. Chen Shi asked, “I overheard General Wang discussing a grand scheme to usurp your position. Is this true?”

Wang Haitao, teary-eyed, nodded, “His ambition has long been evident. General Wang’s pursuit was to seize my crown and take over the kingdom!”

“Really?” Xu Xiaodong muttered in surprise.

Chen Shi continued, “How would General Wang convince your father?”

“He… he… took my blood and cut my hair, intending to use it for blood recognition to deceive my father!”

Blood recognition was scientifically baseless, and it didn’t require cutting hair. Lin Dongxue guessed, “A paternity test?”

Wang Haitao nodded, “Yes, precisely!”

“How much blood did he take?” Chen Shi asked.

Wang Haitao spread his fingers to indicate, then rolled up his sleeve to show a large, red needle mark in his elbow.

Chen Shi led him outside. Wang Haitao insisted on returning to the car for safety. Chen Shi remarked, “Acting is exhausting.”

“Didn’t realize you had such a talent for acting,” Lin Dongxue laughed. “Do you think the things he mentioned are true? It seems so far-fetched.”

Chen Shi confidently replied, “Compared to a kidnapping, posing as the son of a super-rich person yields far greater, lifelong profits. It’s worth X’s risk!”

“But… how would X use the blood for a paternity test?”