Prince Jing's Analysis

Leaving the Heavenly Prison, Xiao Fenghua's emotions were in turmoil.

She had no intention of delaying, not even changing out of the clothes tainted by the prison's ill fortune, and headed straight for Prince Jing's study.

Prince Jing, Xiao Jingfeng, was in his prime, with a steady demeanor. His face bore a slight resemblance to Xiao Sheng's, but his eyes held a deeper, more authoritative look, honed by years of political maneuvering.

He was in his study, reviewing official documents, when he saw his usually composed and capable eldest daughter, a trace of lingering shock on her face.

Surprised, he put down his vermillion brush and chuckled, "Fenghua, what's the rush? Did that rascal Sheng upset you again? Heh, I told you long ago he needed to suffer a bit in the Heavenly Prison to learn some discipline. I didn't expect him to become so reckless, fabricating a story about Director Du visiting him. He really needs a good lesson."

His tone was affectionate yet exasperated. He had clearly heard about Xiao Sheng's "fabricated" tale and, like his daughter, believed his son was simply being mischievous.

However, Xiao Fenghua's next words made the smile on his face freeze.

"Father," Xiao Fenghua took a deep breath, "I didn't go to the Heavenly Prison today because Xiao Sheng angered me. Quite the opposite, Father. I am convinced... that what he wrote is not a lie."

Xiao Jingfeng raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You actually believe those absurd claims in Sheng'er's letter? Fenghua, this is unlike you."

"At first, I thought the same as you, Father. I believed he made it all up to get out of trouble," Xiao Fenghua said with a wry smile, her expression then turning extremely serious. "But I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. I have no choice but to believe."

She then recounted everything she had seen and heard at the Heavenly Prison. Her description was meticulous, especially Chen Dongpeng's "invasion" of the Heavenly Prison's Formation and his description of the "illusion array," as well as the shocking scene of Zhang Yu's instantaneous breakthrough, his aura as vast as the sea.

This left even Prince Jing, a man who had weathered many storms, dumbfounded, his face etched with disbelief.

"This... Fenghua, are you sure you weren't affected by some advanced illusion technique? Or... perhaps the special environment of the Heavenly Prison affected your judgment?" Xiao Jingfeng's first reaction was still doubt. The story sounded too fantastical, too bizarre, like a legend spun by a storyteller at a tea house. A Ninth Rank at twenty-three? A Formation Master who could silently infiltrate the Heavenly Prison's Formation? And all this revolving around a discarded son of a Marquis with an ordinary background? How was that possible?

"Father!" Xiao Fenghua's tone was firm, her eyes clear. "I was wearing the 'Eye of Delusion,' and I myself practice formations. My resistance to illusions is not weak. While the Heavenly Prison's environment is special, it's impossible for it to create such clear hallucinations for me. Moreover, the aura of that Ninth Rank martial artist was undeniable. I experienced it myself; there was no mistake. And the secret transmission of sound was definitely not something an illusion could replicate."

She paused, then added, "At first, I thought Xiao Sheng was just messing around, just like you, Father. But after experiencing it myself, I realized how wrong I was. That Zhang Yu... is unfathomable."

Seeing his daughter's unprecedented solemnity and certainty, Xiao Jingfeng's doubt gradually faded, replaced by shock and deep thought. He knew his daughter was meticulous, sharp-eyed, and rarely made mistakes, let alone spoke carelessly on such a matter.

"This... is truly what happened..." Xiao Jingfeng murmured, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table as he processed the shocking information. After a moment, he looked up abruptly. "Immediately send someone to investigate every single piece of information about this Zhang Yu, no detail spared. From birth to now, all his experiences, the people he's interacted with, the things he's done, especially these past three years since returning to the Marquis Estate, not an iota should be missed!"

"Father, there's no need," Xiao Fenghua shook her head and took out a neatly folded stack of papers from her sleeve. "After receiving Sheng'er's message yesterday, I already mobilized the Prince's Estate's hidden network and compiled all of Zhang Yu's publicly known information and anything else we could find."

She handed the papers to Xiao Jingfeng as she spoke, "Zhang Yu, the legitimate eldest son of Marquis Yong'an. Thirteen years ago, he was framed by his younger brother, Zhang Heng. His parents were biased and unhesitatingly sent him to a farm to fend for himself. He was brought back to the Marquis Estate from the farm outside the city three years ago. Upon his return, his martial arts aptitude was assessed as the lowest grade. After three years of cultivation, despite countless resources, he barely reached the First Rank. He is known as a 'martial arts cripple'."

Personality... cowardly and forbearing, he doted on his mother Qin Xuehua, his younger brother, and his younger sister, and was utterly obedient to his fiancée, the daughter of the Minister of Rites, Jiang Luohan, earning him the reputation of a 'simp'.

His status in the Marquis Estate was low, and he was often looked down upon and bullied."

Xiao Jingfeng listened while quickly scanning the records on the paper, his brow furrowing deeper.

These records were worlds apart from the image Zhang Yu currently displayed.

A cowardly, useless, trash simp, and a mysterious prodigy who could earn Du Jun's respect, command a Formation Grandmaster, and reach Ninth Rank at the age of twenty-three?

They were completely different people!

"What about his experiences at the manor before he returned to the estate?

Was there anything unusual?

His master?

Any fortuitous encounters?"

Xiao Jingfeng pressed further.