In the Golden Palace of Asgard, within the opulent hall once used by the princes for combat practice.
Thor and Loki sat cross-legged on the floor, dressed in simple garments, their postures restrained. Before them, Lin Huai paced back and forth, conducting the third lesson of his "mentor" career.
"'Seeing' is not just looking with your eyes, but feeling the operation of a World with your heart," Lin Huai's voice drifted through the empty grand hall. "These past few days, you've observed the changing of the guards, the artisans at work, the diligence of the maids... what are your thoughts?"
Thor was the first to raise his hand, eager to answer, his face showing a simple honesty that didn't match his burly physique: "I saw that maid named Ingrid. She was ill yesterday while cleaning the corridor, coughing incessantly. Her complexion was awful, yet she insisted on finishing the entire east wing corridor. It's really strange; I always thought we Asgardians couldn't get sick."
Half his words were reporting his observations, half were joking, his tone carrying a novelty about the idea that "Asgardians can get sick."
Loki sneered and spoke disdainfully: "Thoughts? I just find it boring. What value is there for a prince to pay attention to these trivial, repetitive chores? What does their life, aging, sickness, and death have to do with the glory of Asgard?"
Lin Huai ignored the arrogance flowing in Loki's blood and instead looked thoughtfully at Thor. Sick?
His thoughts drifted to that letter. Several days had passed. The promotion materials were obtained, Odin's demands were agreed to, yet the "thick gift already entering its countdown" mentioned in the letter still hadn't materialized. This sense of suspense made Lin Huai uneasy.
He suppressed this unease deep in his heart, deciding to first complete today's teaching task.
Another three days passed, and the teaching continued.
Lin Huai decided to give these two princes, still secretly vying for the throne, a public lesson on "sovereignty."
"Today, I will tell you a historical story from my homeland," Lin Huai said, standing with his hands behind his back, his expression turning very serious. "In the distant past, my homeland was divided into countless warring states. The flames of war raged for hundreds of years, bringing untold suffering to the people. Until the appearance of a certain monarch."
"He used only ten years, with an iron fist and determination, annexed all enemy states, ending centuries of warfare. He believed that only absolute unity could bring absolute peace."
Lin Huai's tone became forceful and resonant, filled with respect:
"Thus, he abolished all the old nobility and firmly grasped power in his own hands; he unified all writing, currency, and weights and measures, making every corner of the empire follow the same standard. To end the chaos of thought, he confiscated all doctrines promoting division and hatred from across the land, burying those who incited war along with their inflammatory rhetoric. This was not born of hatred for knowledge, but to ensure the vast empire, from then on, would possess only one voice—the voice of unity."
"To protect this peace, he built the Great Wall spanning thousands of miles, not to flaunt military might, but to use the flesh and blood of one generation to forge an eternal barrier for the people of countless future generations, shielding them from barbarian invasions."
Hearing this, Thor's eyes held yearning and reverence: "This... what a magnificent monarch he must have been! He must be a hero celebrated by the people!"
"A hero?" Lin Huai shook his head and smiled a complex smile. "No. He personally ended an era and buried everything from that era, including himself. He bore the infamy of ten thousand generations, yet he founded peace for ten thousand generations."
Lin Huai walked up to the two of them, his gaze sharp.
"Thor, this is the responsibility of a king—when sacrifice is needed, to use oneself, or even the flesh and blood of a generation, without hesitation as bricks to build an eternal foundation. Because what he sees is the empire's future, far beyond the immediate concerns of life and death. To wear the crown, you must bear its weight. This 'weight' is not just the power of conquest and unification, but also the duty of governance and protection! One of you sees only the glory of kingship, eager to win battles with a hammer; the other sees only the power of kingship, obsessed with manipulating hearts with trickery. Compared to that 'First Emperor of the Ages,' you are even worse."
Just then, a rapid, panicked sound of footsteps came from outside the hall.
The Valkyrie Sif rushed in. Her normally heroic and spirited face was now deathly pale, her expression flustered.
"Thor! Loki!" Her voice trembled. "Asgard... something's wrong! Many people... many people have fallen ill!"
Thor and Loki's expressions changed drastically upon hearing this, and they immediately rushed out. Lin Huai's heart sank, and he followed closely behind.
The moment they stepped out of the hall, the scene before them left them utterly stunned.
On the broad corridors and plazas, many guards, maids, and artisans lay on the ground, clutching their throats, coughing violently, their faces ashen, their life force being rapidly drained. Although no one had died yet, the wretched atmosphere had already cast a shadow of ill omen over this eternal golden realm.
"What on earth is happening..." Thor muttered to himself. He saw the maid Ingrid he had encountered earlier, now lying weakly on the ground, almost too weak to even cough.
"What's happening?" Loki whirled around, his venomous gaze fixed on Lin Huai. "We should ask you! Asgard has never experienced such a bizarre plague in thousands of years! You arrive, and this happens! You must be the culprit! You brought this disaster!!!"
Before his words even finished, a flash of green light appeared in his hand, and the gem-encrusted scepter materialized, its tip aimed at Lin Huai, ready to attack at any moment.
"Stop, Loki!"
Thor roared, taking a swift step to place himself between Lin Huai and Loki. He reached out and firmly grasped Loki's scepter.
"You're still like this," Thor stared into his brother's eyes, his voice full of disappointment and anger. "As soon as something happens, you're in a hurry to shift the blame onto others! Have you not considered how to solve the problem?!"
He looked back at Lin Huai, who, though startled, remained composed. Those once-confused blue eyes were now remarkably clear.
"The Wise One came here by Father's decree. Though his words are strange, everything he says guides me to reflect on past mistakes!" Thor's voice became resounding. "I believe what I witnessed with my own eyes on Midgard! I believe what that Captain Rogers showed me about what 'protection' truly means! And I'm starting to believe... that 'responsibility' of a king you speak of! At a time like this, what we need are solutions, not baseless accusations!"
"Loki!" He turned to his brother, his tone authoritative. "Go check on Mother immediately! Take her to the safest place!"
Then, he looked at Lin Huai again. For the first time, this usually proud prince spoke in a tone that was almost pleading:
"Wise One, please think of a way... what on earth is happening?"
Seeing the trust in Thor's eyes, Lin Huai was inwardly startled. He began rapidly recalling every moment since his arrival in Asgard, not missing a single detail. The Bifrost Bridge... Odin's throne... the Frost Giant invasion... that letter... that letter!
He suddenly understood!
Lin Huai abruptly pulled the wooden box carved with a Bauhinia Flower from his pocket and opened it swiftly!
Inside the box, the [The Trait of the Human Skin Shadow] still lay within, but the yellowed letter paper that read "another thick gift has already entered its countdown" had vanished without a trace.
Lin Huai's expression changed.