He thought he'd probably been unconscious for a whole day.
"Grandfather, you're awake!" His grandson's familiar voice reached his ears. Hua Feng raised his eyelids, glanced at them, and then closed his eyes again.
"After all, I'm getting old... I need to make a decision. I can't let Thunder City fall into the hands of someone who doesn't bear the surname Hua." Recalling that dream, Hua Feng couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion again. According to divination, this dream was an ominous sign.
"Has the Grand Steward awakened?" a voice asked softly from outside. Hua Feng recognized Yu Sheng's voice; it seemed he had returned. He gestured for Changsun Huaxuan to help him sit up and lean against the pillows.
"Let Yu Sheng in, you all go out," Hua Feng ordered after he managed to sit up.
"My lord, you must take care of your health," Yu Sheng advised as he entered. In his experience, this was always when Hua Feng wanted to discuss important matters with him, and given Hua Feng's current physical condition, it was indeed not advisable for him to overwork himself.
"It's alright..." Coughing violently and panting, Hua Feng barely managed to push away Yu Sheng's helping hand. Once the coughing subsided, he said, "Mr. Yu, I'm afraid I won't make it this time. Among your grandsons, who do you think is capable of inheriting the legacy of Thunder City?"
"Why do you say that, Steward?" Yu Sheng was somewhat surprised. "With proper care, you will recover soon."
"I know my own body well. The matter of establishing an heir cannot be delayed any longer. If it is not settled while I am still alive, the eldest and second eldest sons will fight to the death... It's the same in every generation."
Yu Sheng remained silent. Since this concerned family matters, he couldn't interfere much. In fact, even if Hua Feng had chosen an heir, it was hard to guarantee that the other two grandsons wouldn't harbor resentment.
"Sir, please speak frankly. You have been with me for over twenty years. These three children are the ones you have watched grow up. Now that the world is in turmoil, which of your grandsons do you think is suitable to succeed you?" After catching his breath for a while, Hua Feng seemed to be in better spirits and spoke with more strength.
"With the assistance of capable people, the three young masters are all intelligent enough to shoulder great responsibilities," Yu Sheng said tactfully. In reality, he knew that these three young masters were either licentious, greedy, or cowardly, and none of them could handle the situation after Hua Feng.
Hua Feng understood his meaning and sighed softly, "These three children... Alas! Who is the capable person you speak of, sir?"
“Li Jun,” Yu Sheng said with certainty, “the mercenary leaders in Thunder City are all harboring their own ambitions, but they all fear Li Jun. If Li Jun is allowed to assist them, no matter which young master succeeds to the throne, they can rest easy.”
Hua Feng stared intently at Yu Sheng with lifeless eyes. Yu Sheng's words reminded him of his dream, in which the figure wearing a dragon-headed helmet was none other than Li Jun.
“Li Jun is indeed someone we can rely on, but he is extremely cunning and ambitious. He is not the kind of person who is content to be subordinate to others. Letting him assist us is no different from asking a tiger for its skin…” Hua Feng said slowly, but he was watching Yu Sheng’s expression.
"In my opinion, it is precisely because of his immense ambition that Li Jun is more reliable. His target is definitely not just Thunder City, therefore, even if he temporarily uses Thunder City's power, he will eventually return it..."
"I will never allow anyone to take away Leiming City from my Hua family!" Hua Feng's face flushed red, and he was somewhat agitated. After coughing violently for a while, he calmed down and said lightly, "You have a good impression of Li Jun."
Yu Sheng was startled and speechless; he understood Hua Feng's implication. Hua Feng waved his hand wearily and said, "You can go out now. Let Xuan'er and the others in."
After leaving the Washington D.C. office, Yu Sheng suddenly realized that his underwear was soaked with sweat. The intense internal conflict had caused him to be drenched in sweat without even realizing it.
"Remember this, all three of you: when three are of one mind, their strength can break metal." Hua Feng said weakly, looking at his three grandsons kneeling before him. A wave of sorrow welled up in his heart. He wondered how much of his words, which were almost like a deathbed testament, would be heeded by them.
"Yes!" The second grandson, Hua Kuan, and the third grandson, Hua Gong, exchanged glances, while the eldest grandson, Hua Xuan, looked at both of them simultaneously. According to the customs of Shenzhou, the eldest son and grandson would inherit the throne, meaning Hua Xuan would become the next governor of Leiming City. However, Hua Xuan was weak and timid, always looked down upon by everyone in the Hua family, and disliked by Hua Feng, who hesitated repeatedly on whether to make him his heir. Thus, his two cousins, Hua Kuan and Hua Gong, saw their own hope and began cultivating their own power bases, neither willing to concede defeat.
"I'm afraid I won't make it..." Hua Feng struggled to say again. He didn't feel any fear about his impending death, but he felt uneasy about the future of Leiming City. After catching his breath, he continued, "Now, I appoint my grandson Hua Kuan as my heir. After my death... he will succeed me as the governor of Leiming City..." His words trailed off towards the end.
Hua Xuan was mentally prepared for this outcome. His two cousins were indeed trying to overpower him in every way, and most of the forces in Thunder City were also dependent on them. Only Chu Qingfeng, the supervisor of the Magic Academy, was more inclined to support him. But what use were these mere two hundred teachers and students?
Hua Kuan was overjoyed, and a smug look appeared on his face. He no longer cared about his cowardly cousin; only his younger brother, Hua Gong, had been competing with him at every turn. Now, all of that could finally come to an end.
In stark contrast to his mood, Hua Gong's face turned pale and then red, his heart filled with conflicting emotions. He stared intently at Hua Feng and said, "Grandfather, let's discuss the matter of succession after you have recovered from your illness."
Hua Feng naturally understood what his three grandsons were thinking. He mustered his remaining strength to support himself and said, "No...no...you swear...that the three of you will be of one mind...work together..."
Hua Xuan felt a pang of pity and said, "Yes, Grandfather, I swear..."
Hua Feng didn't even glance at him; his gaze was completely fixed on Hua Gong's face, his lips trembling as he stammered, "Gong'er... I swear..."
Hua Gong's face grew increasingly grim. Suddenly, he stood up and shouted, "Grandfather, you're delirious from your illness. We'll talk about everything once you've recovered!" Ignoring his two elder brothers, he turned and rushed out of the bedroom.
"How could you do this!" Hua Kuan also stood up. Suddenly, he realized what Hua Gong was going there to do, and he rushed out in a hurry.
Watching his two grandsons disregard him so blatantly, Hua Feng felt a surge of anger and anxiety well up inside him. Everything before his eyes blurred, and his head was buzzing as if it were about to split open.
In his hazy state, he could still hear Changsun's urgent calls. He only managed to say "Go find Yu... Yu... Sheng..." before losing consciousness.
Hua Xuan continued to weep bitterly, stroking Hua Feng's body, and no one bothered him. A full half hour passed before Yu Sheng hurriedly arrived.
"Young Master, why are you still here?" Yu Sheng asked abruptly. Hua Xuan looked up with tearful eyes and saw that Yu Sheng's face was full of anxiety. Before Hua Xuan could answer, Yu Sheng reached out and pulled him up, forcefully dragging him out of the bedroom.
“Grandfather…” Hua Xuan struggled to break free from Yu Sheng and turned to go back into the bedroom, but Yu Sheng stopped him.
"Hurry, the second young master and the third young master are fighting! If you don't leave now, young master, you'll be in danger!"
Yu Sheng's words stopped Hua Xuan from crying. He listened intently and, sure enough, heard a great commotion outside. His heart was filled with grief and fear, and his body almost went limp. This time, he was so frightened that tears streamed down his face: "Ah... what should I do... what should I do..."
"Hurry! It's not too late to leave now!"
"Where to go?" Hua Xuan felt that the world was vast and there was nowhere safe or where he could find a place to settle down.
"Go to the Peace Army camp and ask Commander Li to escort the eldest son out of the city. We don't need Thunder City anymore!" Yu Sheng shouted, grabbing Hua Xuan and running. Hua Xuan broke free again, saying, "Grandfather...Grandfather..."
"We can't worry about that now! Do you want to die here too?" Yu Sheng grabbed Hua Xuan for the third time. Hua Xuan struggled, but his filial piety couldn't overcome his fear of death. He knew that his two cousins were just fighting each other and couldn't take care of him for the time being. Once they came over, he would be executed. So, he took off running. To Yu Sheng's surprise, Hua Xuan ran even faster than him.
A moment later, in Hua Feng's bedroom, Hua Feng's hand moved.
"Kuan'er... Gong'er... Xuan'er..." He called out the names of his three grandsons softly, but none of them answered him. Only his own voice echoed in the empty room.
He let out a long sigh and finally breathed his last. Even in death, he was still thinking about passing Thunder City down to the Hua family descendants, but none of the Hua family descendants were by his side.
Hua Gong rushed out of his grandfather's residence, immediately mounted his horse and galloped to the Flying Tigers' camp. The sentries there seemed to know him well, and did not announce his arrival, allowing him to ride in.
"Commander Qi, help me!" After dismounting, he stumbled into the main tent. Qi Guang was discussing matters with his subordinates, and his expression changed when he saw him enter.
"What's wrong with the Third Young Master?"
"Hua Kuan is using my grandfather's delirious talk after his illness to seize the position of chief steward. Commander Qi, please help me!"
Qi Guang was overjoyed, knowing that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived. He had long ago made a private agreement with Hua Gong to support him in succeeding as the governor of Leiming City. If he succeeded, the reward that Leiming City would give to the Flying Tiger Group would double. Not only him, but also the vast majority of mercenary groups, including the Cold Moon Group, supported this generous third young master.