"The plants throughout the entire courtyard have withered, and the soil is utterly lifeless. When Master returns, he'll definitely fly into a rage," a servant said anxiously.
"Don't panic. Hurry and bring in some new plants. Also, haul over some fertile soil to fill it in!"
"Alright!"
Several servants promptly set off, and outside the side chamber, only the dense sound of footsteps gradually fading into the distance remained.
Chen Fan paid it little mind. He knew the stone was the culprit, but it was no great matter—only a patch of soil and several plants had been ruined.
After pondering for a moment, he ultimately stored the golden stone back in his Storage Ring. Powerful figures stood everywhere within the imperial city, and he was in no hurry to use the stone here. Otherwise, if it attracted anyone's attention, trouble would surely follow without end.
The day slipped away just like that. After nightfall, Li Baimin returned to the residence from the city gates, dressed in official robes.
By then, everything had returned to normal. The servants had replanted the vegetation outside the side chamber, and Li Baimin did not ask about it. Chen Fan had also withdrawn the Concealment Array around the chamber.
Yet to Chen Fan's slight disappointment, Li Baimin had gained nothing from his trip and had not uncovered any useful information.
"Perhaps it wasn't entirely fruitless. Today, the Human Emperor and several Spirit Refining Stage cultivators left the palace and departed the imperial city. But they weren't fleeing, since the princes and the Empress are still in the palace. I heard the Human Emperor took his people to the outer regions," Li Baimin said in a low voice.
"They went to the outer regions?" Chen Fan frowned slightly. He had originally planned to infiltrate