A Cunning Pervert in the Cultivation World Chapter 599: The Emperor’s Final Gamble

Fen Ling continued.

"So I think... there is a high chance the Fen Dynasty will not survive this."

"At least, not as it is now."

She sighed softly.

"The name Fen Dynasty might remain for a few more years. It might still appear on maps. But if we cannot protect our land, control our people, or stop their fear from spreading... then the dynasty is already halfway gone."

She paused before adding quietly,

"Unless..."

The Fen Emperor looked at her.

"Unless there is still a capable ruler left. Not someone who simply sits on the dragon throne and signs documents. I mean someone who can survive an apocalypse."

"Someone who can gather what remains, cut away what cannot be saved, and force this country back onto its feet before other powers tear it apart."

Fen Ling’s crimson eyes remained calm and steady.

"That person would not merely inherit the Fen Dynasty; they would be required to reconstruct it from its remnants, reestablish its structure, rebuild its military, and reclaim its reputation."

She paused.

"Only then... perhaps... they could bring the Fen Dynasty back to its former glory."

She looked at the old man on the bed.

"Without that, Your Majesty, this empire will not collapse overnight."

With seriousness, she added, "It will merely decay until there is nothing remaining that is worthy of being called Fen."

"..."

The Fen Emperor was silent for a long time.

Then he laughed.

It was a dry, low sound, more breath than voice, yet there was something strangely satisfied in it.

"As expected..."

He murmured it again, almost to himself.

"Yes. That is right... I have to do it this way. For the Fen name to continue on..."

At those words, Fen Ling frowned.

She watched the old emperor murmuring to himself, the tea forgotten at his side, his wrinkled fingers slowly tightening in the blanket as if he were already grasping some decision.

Then she paused, her crimson eyes widening as a terrifying idea struck her.

Judging by the way he asked and how she answered, she thought,

"...You cannot be thinking of—"

The Fen Emperor smiled.

"Yes."

His cloudy gaze lifted to her. It was no longer lustful, no longer merely tired, but had regained an imperial sharpness.

"I am thinking of that."

Fen Ling’s expression became more serious.

The Fen Emperor, maintaining a slight smile, went on.

"Instead of making the Crown Prince the next Emperor, what if I allow the most capable and powerful to take the throne?"

Fen Ling’s frown intensified.

"You... Are you aware of the amount of bloodshed that would result from that?"

Her voice was no longer casual.

"If you leave the throne empty for anyone strong enough to seize it, the court will be destroyed from within. Princes will turn against one another, generals will mobilize their troops, and various factions will take advantage of the opportunity to seize power."

Her crimson eyes became cold.

"Millions could die. The dynasty is already weakening, and this would only push it closer to destruction."

Fen Ling understood the devastating cost of such a decision.

She knew better than anyone how a struggle between siblings for the throne could drag an entire dynasty into civil war.

Normally, a dying Emperor would appoint his successor before his death, ensuring that the transition of power was settled and preventing the dynasty from descending into chaos.

But the Fen Emperor only smiled.

"Yes."

He leaned back against the pillows, as if the decision had already been made.

"That is exactly why it must be done this way."

Fen Ling stared at him.

The Emperor’s cloudy eyes remained calm.

"Just as you said... at this rate, my Fen Dynasty will soon be erased from the world."

"Which is exactly why, after a calamity like this, the Fen Dynasty does not need a legitimate heir..."

"...It needs a capable ruler."

He tapped one wrinkled finger against the blanket.

"If the throne is thrown open, those who are weak will die. Those who only know how to hide behind their ancestry will be washed away."

His smile slowly widened and even seem to filled with a hint of madness.

"And from that bloodshed... a capable ruler will emerge."

At those words, Fen Ling’s eyes widened.

The Fen Emperor continued, his voice growing more intense with every word.

"Not born from my decree..."

"But born from necessity!"

Slowly, his cloudy eyes burned with an almost frightening light.

"Born from fire! Born from the kind of trial this dynasty is already walking into, whether I allow it or not!"

His voice had risen.

And... for the first time, Fen Ling could hear something almost insane in his words.

This was no longer simply an Emperor making a political decision.

It was a desperate old man making a final gamble with the fate of his entire dynasty.

Either the Fen Dynasty would survive the coming storm... or it would be destroyed by it.

Fen Ling stared at him.

For a moment, she almost felt as though she were looking at a stranger.

She understood his logic.

Perhaps from his perspective, no perfect option remained.

However, this course of action was still excessively reckless, dangerous, and cruel.

The Fen Emperor suddenly looked toward her.

"Go..."

His voice was quiet again, but his eyes burned with a passionate light that seemed almost out of place on the face of a dying old man.

"My Empress, issue my decree."

The Fen Emperor slowly pushed himself upright.

His frail body trembled from the effort, yet the light in his eyes only grew stronger.

Then he spoke.

"...Let there be bloodshed."

"...Let there be flames."

"And from it..."

A wild smile appeared on his face.

"...let a new beast be born!"

His voice suddenly thundered through the chamber.

"Let the strongest rise!"

"Let the capable seize their destiny!"

"And let the one who survives..."

He stared straight at Fen Ling.

"...take the throne!"

Then, with all the remaining strength in his aging body, the Fen Emperor declared—

"LET THERE BE AN IMPERIAL SUCCESSION WAR!!!"