Outside the majestic Imperial City gates, a biting wind howled.
A figure huddled in a corner stood out from the hurried or indifferent pedestrians around him.
Jiang Luohan dressed in rags, her once exquisite face now filthy, but her eyes were frighteningly bright, burning with two clusters of Poison Flame called resentment and unwillingness.
Her Cultivation was destroyed, as if her backbone had been removed.
The pain of her broken meridians tormented her constantly, but what hurt even more was the despair and shame of falling from the clouds into the mud.
Her Lineage abandoned her without hesitation after she lost her value and became a useless person, fearing that they would be implicated.
Hunger and weakness forced her to abandon her last shred of pride and scramble with the real beggars at the city gate for scraps of rotten food.
Every time she was shoved to the ground, every time she was looked at with disgust, it was like salt being rubbed into the wound in her heart.
"Zhang Yu..."
She clutched the half-eaten, dusty, hard biscuit tightly in her hand, grinding the name between her teeth:
"If I don't kill you in this life, I, Jiang Luohan, swear I will never be a human being."
No matter the cost, no matter what form you take, I will make you pay for your debt in blood, so that you may neither live nor die!
Her cloudy gaze passed over the city gate, fixed on the direction of the Heavenly Prison, as if she could see through the bricks and stones to see the figure she hated to the core.
However, mixed within this extreme hatred was a twisted, self-comforting Curse:
Zhang Yu, don't get cocky.
The Zhang Family will not let you go, and East Green Mountain will not let you go either.
That old bastard Zhang Yuanfeng has already broken through to the Grandmaster, and Zhang Lingyu has even become a disciple of East Green Mountain... When the Zhang Family army arrives, it will be your death day."
Thinking of this, a deeper regret, like a venomous snake gnawing at her heart, made her tremble all over.
"Why... why didn't I persist a little longer...?"
She closed her eyes in anguish, her heart filled with remorse:
"If I hadn't wavered because of Zhang Yu's sudden 'rise' and had continued to hold onto Zhang Heng..."
Given our relationship, when the Zhang Family makes a comeback and their army is on the border, I should at least have a place by his side.
How did things come to this, reduced to competing with dogs for food?
Once this thought arose, regret began to grow wildly in her heart.
The hatred for Zhang Yu and the resentment towards her own fate quickly transformed into regret for the missed opportunity and a distorted longing for renewed hope.
She felt that she could have had a better path, and that Zhang Yu had ruined everything. She also blamed herself for being short-sighted back then!
"The Zhang Family... Zhang Heng..."
She murmured to herself, a near-obsessive light rekindling in her eyes:
Yes, I still have a chance.
Zhang Heng must still have me in his heart. As soon as the Zhang Family army arrives, the Imperial City will be in chaos.
When the time comes... all I need to do is find him and tell him about my grievances being forced by Zhang Yu and the Imperial Family. Given his past feelings for me, maybe... maybe I can return to the Zhang Family.
Even being a concubine would be better than what I am now.
"At that time, I will definitely watch Zhang Yu be torn to pieces."
This idea became the last straw she clung to in her despair.
So instead of fleeing to another place like the other exiles, she endured the humiliation and pain, hiding in the most chaotic and filthy corner near the Imperial City gate.
She was waiting, waiting for the Zhang Family's army to besiege the city, waiting for what she considered the only possible chance to turn the tide.
Just as Jiang Luohan was struggling to breathe in the mud, fueled by her hatred for Zhang Yu and her twisted expectations of Zhang Heng.
High in the heavens, a magnificent flying beast with wings shimmering with metallic luster was tearing through the clouds, speeding toward the capital of Wei at an astonishing pace.
On the back of the Exotic Beasts, a man in white stood against the wind, his clothes fluttering, his face handsome, yet shrouded in a layer of frost.
In his hand, he was gently stroking a pale pink Silk Ribbon.
This person was none other than Qiu Ruobai, who had once had a one-night stand with Jiang Luohan.
Behind him, a silent, shadowy figure appeared and respectfully handed him a booklet made of special leather.
"Young Master, this is all the information we've gathered about Hu Qingxuan of the Medical Immortal Valley, using all our resources. It includes her preferences, habits, travel patterns, and detailed confirmation that she possesses the 'Azure Wood Sacred Body.'"
The shadowy figure's voice was completely flat:
"The Sect Master has ordered that no effort be spared in order to win Hu Qingxuan's favor."
If conventional methods fail... force may be used as appropriate, and it is imperative to bring them back before they lose their Primordial Yin.
Qiu Ruobai took the booklet, gave a cold snort, and his tone carried a hint of barely perceptible annoyance and arrogance:
"The Azure Wood Sacred Body... Hmph, it's just a special physique."
Even without the aid of the Azure Wood Sacred Body, is it impossible for me, Qiu Ruobai, to ascend to Ascension to Heaven and reach that Supreme Realm?
He certainly has reason to be proud.
At such a young age, he has already Great Grandmaster in Cultivation, making him an unparalleled genius in the sect and regarded as the future pillar of the sect.
However, he understood even more clearly what the Azure Wood Sacred Body meant.
When a man breaks through to the Great Grandmaster and attempts to reach the higher realm of the Ethereal Ascension Realm, obtaining the virgin's Primordial Yin can greatly neutralize the violent energy impact during the breakthrough, increasing the success rate.
Furthermore, it can continuously receive the nourishment of life force in future cultivation, possessing boundless potential.
This is an irresistible temptation for any force or prodigy aspiring to reach the pinnacle of Martial Dao.
The reason why Hu Qingxuan became the target of crazy pursuit by young talents from various Sacred Land, Ancient Dynasty, and Top Sect was not only because of her identity as the successor of the Medical Immortal Valley.
The most fundamental reason is this Azure Wood Sacred Body.
Whoever obtains her will have secured a crucial guarantee on their future Path to Heaven.
Although Qiu Ruobai spoke with disdain, his grip on the Silk Ribbon tightened slightly, revealing his inner turmoil.
He came to the Wei Kingdom to handle some private matters.
However, the strict orders from his sect, coupled with the fact that Hu Qingxuan was currently in the capital of Wei, forced him to adjust his primary objective.
"Zhang Yu..."
Qiu Ruobai murmured the name, his eyes sharp as knives.
Intelligence suggests that Hu Qingxuan may have become this person's Maidservant?
The shadowy figure offered a suggestion:
"My suggestion is that after arriving in the Wei Kingdom, we should first capture that ant named Zhang Yu and interrogate him carefully."
It would not only be to avenge Miss Hu and demonstrate the Young Master's authority, but also to find out why Miss Hu was staying here and what her relationship with that ant was.
If necessary, we can directly deal with that ant Zhang Yu.
The shadowy figure spoke coldly and efficiently; he was only considering how to use Zhang Yu to achieve his ultimate goal of gaining Hu Qingxuan's favor and obtaining her Primordial Yin.
As for Zhang Yu's own life, death, and wishes, they are insignificant compared to the interests of the Wujian Gate and the Young Master's goals.
Just as Qiu Ruobai's Flying Exotic Beasts pierced the sky and headed straight for the Wei Kingdom.
Far beyond Yuhua Prefecture, in the vast and expansive Tiannan Prefecture, lies the ancient Eastern Sheng Kingdom, a kingdom with a long history and unfathomable strength.
An invisible storm was stirred up in the air above its core power by a sudden piece of news.
A series of secret orders were issued from various major powers in the Eastern Sheng Kingdom.
Soon, several enormous Sky Patrol Flying Ship, as large as mountains and gleaming with a cold metallic luster, slowly rose from several hidden military strongholds or Forbidden Ground of ancient noble Aristocratic Clan in the Eastern Sheng Kingdom.
These Flying Boat are among the most State-Guarding Treasure of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom and its top powers, possessing terrifying power and rarely used in normal times.
The reason for this grand display is that Zhang Yu may be the only remaining member of the Imperial Family.
All of this was caused by Hu Qingxuan, who loved gossiping with her Best Friend.