"The Earthly Immortal Realm was vast beyond measure. I have no clue whether the Seventh Princess is hiding in Dongsheng Shenzhou or one of the other three continents."
"I'm really only taking advantage of this assignment to travel through the mortal realm. If the deadline arrives and I still have no results, I'll probably have to face punishment."
"But for the sake of the Lunar Goddess, at most they'll dock some of my heavenly salary."
"Trading part of my heavenly salary for the freedom to descend to the mortal realm is worth it."
As soon as he finished speaking, a strange expression appeared on the City God's face. He stared at Jade Rabbit and asked:
"You mean you haven't seriously searched for the Seventh Princess at all during this time?"
"How could that be!"
Jade Rabbit rolled her eyes and immediately retorted, "I just haven't found her."
Although the City God looked suspicious, he still said to Jade Rabbit, "What will you do if I tell you where the Seventh Princess is?"
At this, Jade Rabbit's eyes widened. She stared at the City God and asked in return, "You saw the Seventh Princess in the Earthly Immortal Realm? Why didn't you send the news back to Heaven?
"If you delay too long, you'll be punished."
"You have no backer, either. If something goes wrong, I'm afraid it won't end well for you."
The City God let out a soft sigh and slowly said, "That is precisely why I haven't reported this to Heaven."
"But if you're willing to plead for me before Heaven, I can give this opportunity to you."
"As long as you take the news back to Heaven and put in a good word for me, I can avoid punishment. And not only will you escape punishment, you may even receive a commendation from the Jade Emperor."
"What do you think? Is this a good deal?"
After hearing this, Jade Rabbit's eyes flashed with thought. She looked at the City God and slowly said, "This deal sounds pretty good. If you truly know where the Seventh Princess is, tell me.
"After I return to Heaven, I'll definitely plead for you."
As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of delight appeared on the City God's face.
Unlike Jade Rabbit, he was merely a Minor Deity in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Although he was under the jurisdiction of the underworld, he was still ultimately a member of Heaven's system.
Because of his negligence, he had failed to notice that the Seventh Princess was hiding near Qingshan City.
If this matter reached Heaven, he feared that punishment would be the least of his worries. He might even have his divine office stripped away, his divine nature destroyed, and disappear from the Primordial World entirely.
Jade Rabbit, however, was different.
She came from the Lunar Star. Although the Lunar Star now belonged to Heaven's jurisdiction, one thing could not be forgotten.
Two great figures guarded the Lunar Star. Even the Jade Emperor had to show them considerable deference.
Those two were truly Supreme Beings who stood above the peak of the Primordial World!
They were incarnations of the Lunar Star itself!
The Lunar Goddess, Changxi!
With Changxi protecting her from behind, how could Jade Rabbit receive severe punishment?
The City God handed the secret to Jade Rabbit and had her take it back to Heaven. That way, not only would Jade Rabbit be blameless, she could even earn merit.
He himself would also remain safe and sound. This was clearly an extremely profitable deal.
Thinking of this, the City God immediately said, "I truly didn't know where the Seventh Princess was before."
"But just before you came to the inn to listen to the storyteller, Princess Ziwei, one of the Seventh Princesses, arrived ahead of you and blended into the crowd."
Upon hearing this, Jade Rabbit cried out, "What!?"
The surrounding drinkers all turned their heads and cast astonished looks toward the City God and Jade Rabbit.
Seeing this, the City God's heart tightened. He hurriedly scolded her in a low voice, "Could you keep your voice down?"
Jade Rabbit took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "You're saying the Seventh Princess was in this very inn listening to the storyteller just now?"
The City God nodded, then continued, "That's not all. Guess what else I discovered?"
Jade Rabbit furrowed her brows slightly, looking puzzled. "What else could there be?"
The City God glanced around and lowered his voice. "You'll have to keep calm when I tell you."
Jade Rabbit nodded. Only then did the City God slowly say, "I discovered that Her Highness the Seventh Princess actually married a mortal.
"There is a life growing inside her, and its bloodline comes from a mortal!"
At these words, Jade Rabbit froze on the spot, her eyes filled with shock.
She instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes wide as she stared at the City God in disbelief. In a soft voice, she asked, "You're not joking, are you?"
The City God nodded. "I didn't believe it at first, either, but I truly sensed the aura of a mortal's life on her. There's no mistake."
Jade Rabbit drew in a sharp breath and instantly understood how serious the situation was.
The Jade Emperor's youngest daughter had actually married a mortal in secret in the Earthly Immortal Realm—and was even carrying the mortal's child!
Once this matter came to light, the Earthly Immortal Realm would likely be thrown into earth-shaking turmoil by the Jade Emperor's fury.
In an instant, countless thoughts surged through her mind, and she understood what this matter meant.
The Jade Emperor's daughter represented Heaven's dignity, yet she had committed such an outrageous transgression!
She looked at the City God and asked in a deep voice, "You didn't tell anyone about this, did you?"
"Of course not. If the Jade Emperor found out, I'm afraid even I wouldn't escape death. How would I dare spread it recklessly?"
Jade Rabbit nodded and slowly exhaled. In a low voice, she said, "It seems I can't stay in the Earthly Immortal Realm any longer."
"The longer this drags on, the harder it will be to clean up. I must return to Heaven immediately and report the situation to the Great Heavenly Venerate."
As soon as she finished speaking, the City God immediately nodded. Clearly, he also understood how important the person involved was.
Jade Rabbit pondered for a moment, then looked at the City God and asked, "Do you know where Her Highness the Seventh Princess went after leaving the inn?"
"It's inconvenient to investigate in Qingshan City. Go ask the local Earth Deity later, and you'll find out," the City God reminded her.
Jade Rabbit nodded and immediately turned to leave. Seeing this, the City God hurriedly reminded her, "Don't forget what you promised me."
"Don't worry. I remember." Jade Rabbit's expression was solemn. She had already decided to uncover the truth herself.
After Jade Rabbit left, the City God also turned around and prepared to return to the City God Temple.
At that moment, south of Qingshan City, there was a remote little village.
The houses in the village were sparse. Few people usually came and went, and only some frail, elderly, helpless old people lived there.
Suddenly, a stunning woman hurried into the village. Her expression was flustered and her steps hurried, as if she were fleeing from something—or eager to get home.
She was none other than the Seventh Princess, who had just met the City God at the inn in Qingshan City. What she feared most now was that the City God had already leaked her whereabouts to Heaven.
Thus, she rushed home in a panic, intending only to pack their belongings and leave immediately with her husband.
As for where they would flee, the Seventh Princess had no plan yet. But she knew that they could no longer remain near Qingshan City for long.
Previously, she had gone to great lengths to stabilize everything around Qingshan City. The Mountain God and Earth Deity were both willing to conceal her whereabouts.
Yet she had never expected that merely entering Qingshan City to listen to a storytelling session might expose her.
At that moment, she was filled with regret, silently cursing herself for being too careless. If she had not momentarily given in to her desire to join the excitement, she would not have been forced into flight now.
When she returned home, however, she did not see Dong Yong, and she immediately panicked.
She guessed that Dong Yong might have gone to work in the fields. Without thinking further, she immediately began gathering the household belongings.