The imperial palace, Xu Tianran's bedchamber.
The back garden basked in bright sunshine. Dew from the previous night still clung to the grass, and the air was refreshingly damp.
It was a beautiful day. Xu Tianran sat in his wheelchair, enjoying a garden he had rarely had the chance to see, while a black-robed elder pushed him from behind.
But his good mood didn't last long. An unexpected visitor soon ruined it.
"Elder Long, didn't you say you were going out to take care of something? You're back already?" Xu Tianran turned to look at Long Xiaoyao, who had silently appeared three meters away.
Long Xiaoyao had left the imperial palace last night. When he departed, he had said it would be several days before he returned. Xu Tianran hadn't expected him back after just one night.
"Third Prince, I came to tell you that I'm returning to the cult for a while," Long Xiaoyao said flatly.
Deep down, however, he had been plagued by a sense of unease. He had felt it before, but lately it had grown stronger.
The feeling had no apparent cause, yet it left him constantly on edge, as if his feet couldn't find firm ground.
It was a premonition of danger. Something earth-shattering was about to happen, something closely connected to him, yet he had no idea what the future held.
After thinking it over, he had decided to return to the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters in the Demonic Forest.
Whatever happened, he only needed to stay by Ye Xishui's side. As long as she was safe, what did it matter to him if the world outside was drowning in chaos?
He intended to return alone this time, so last night he had gone to the Holy Spirit Cult's branch in Mingdu to arrange