This Palace Wants to See Her

Snap!

A crisp sound.

The old man had somehow returned to the boy in the animal skin and slapped him hard on the back of the head. His aged voice was low and tense as he scolded:

"Idiot, stop looking!"

The boy in animal skin covered the back of his head, looking at his master with a puzzled expression.

"Master, wh... what's wrong?"

As he spoke, the boy glanced at the woman's back again out of the corner of his eye.

A graceful figure in palace attire treads through the snow without leaving a trace, her long hair cascading down, exuding indescribable beauty and elegance, seemingly out of place with everything around her.

Like a lotus blooming pure and clean in the mud.

She seemed to be heading into the city.

With her face turned to the side, the Inscription Lamp on the ancient city wall reflected off the snow, making her skin appear even more radiant and delicate, her golden eyes carrying a hint of divinity.

Almost instantly, the girl walked straight past them and into the city walls.

Snap!

The sergeant, who had some knowledge of such matters, slapped the white-armored soldier, who was stunned by the woman's beauty, on the head and muttered a curse:

"Stop looking! This token belongs to someone from the Prime Minister's Mansion. That young girl's cultivation level is unfathomable!"

Why are those arrogant and impatient white-armored soldiers, who are so haughty and impatient in front of their master, like docile lambs in front of a young girl?

Snap!

Just then, another slap landed on the boy's head; the heavy bearskin hat offered no protection against the force of his master's hand.

"Still looking? Still looking! Do you want us, master and disciple, to die here together?"

Compared to the tension of the sergeant from Beifeng, the old man in the animal skin spoke with a hint of fear, as if he were angry at the old man's lack of ambition.

The boy in animal skin immediately composed himself.

He had never seen his master like this before; in his mind, his master was always unfazed even when Mount Tai collapsed.

Although puzzled, the boy in animal skin obediently withdrew his gaze and did not ask any further questions.

An old man and a young girl stood there in the snow-covered gap in front of the Beifeng City, anxiously waiting on the snow that had once buried countless corpses of Great Yan soldiers and Barbarian Tribe, as the girl's figure gradually disappeared into the huge and majestic gate of Beifeng City.

After a while,

The boy in animal skins spoke cautiously, as if afraid of being slapped again. "Master, that beautiful woman was really gorgeous."

That's enough.

With lingering fear, the old man in animal skin tied the snakeskin bag containing a hundred taels of silver to the horse. He turned his eyes and said seriously, "Little boy, we are just people in the world. We are practicing martial arts. Just now, he was a true immortal."

The boy in animal skin seemed to understand but not quite:

"Master, why are you so nervous?"

"The temperament of immortals is unpredictable, just like that of officials in big cities; their tempers are unfathomable."

The old man shook his head, saying with lingering fear, "My junior brother was killed just for glancing at a few immortals descending the mountain."

The boy in animal skin frowned for the first time:

Why not take revenge?

In his eyes, it is only natural that murderers should pay with their lives and debtors should pay their debts.

The old man opened his mouth, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and he suddenly began to hesitate about whether or not to send the boy to the Imperial Capital.

Although the Imperial Capital is vast, prosperous, and full of opportunities, it doesn't seem to be a good choice for the innocent and carefree young man before him.

In silence, the old man mounted his horse, pulled the boy up with him, and rode south.

"It's your fault for being incompetent, but once we get to the Imperial Capital, you absolutely must rein in your naive nature, and do more and see less, listen less, and talk less."

"Oh?" The boy was still puzzled. "So we're not going to take revenge?"

"."

The old man suddenly seemed somewhat helpless, but as he walked away, his voice carried a hint of hearty laughter. "If you could become an immortal, it wouldn't be impossible, if your strength is sufficient."

"Tong Xi, remember this: although we may be powerful figures in the eyes of ordinary people, we are nothing but ants in the face of true high-ranking officials and nobles."

As he spoke, the old man glanced back at the snakeskin bag tied to the horse:

"We agreed on 160 taels. Even if these bandits only give us less than half, Master will still have to smile and wait for their mood. If Master can reach the Innate Realm, the situation will be completely different."

"Little Tong, you must become strong in the future, strong enough that no one will dare to bully you!"

The boy seemed to understand but not quite:

"Oh"

"Alright, let's kill a few more barbarians, then I'll take you to the Imperial Capital."

The voices of the master and apprentice gradually faded into the distance on the boundless Snow Plain, eventually disappearing as two black dots. Meanwhile, on the other side of the giant Beifeng, new guests, or rather, new hosts, were welcomed.

A gigantic Lion-Eagle Beast bypassed the city gate inspection and flew directly over the hundred-foot-high wall, landing in the dilapidated Beast Bureau inside the city with a loud cry.

Amidst the greeting of a group of people dressed as members of the Beast Bureau, a man and two women silently jumped down from the enormous Lion-Eagle Beast.

Although the city was dilapidated, some simple wooden shacks had been built.

Li Qingyan didn't seem to have any intention of revealing his whereabouts. Before getting off the Lion-Eagle Beast, he gave Xu Yuan and Bai Muxi each a black Veil Hat, and changed into a black outfit himself. He didn't show the Beastmaster's token to the Beast Bureau, but rather a token representing his identity as a captain.

However, the rank of captain was almost the highest in the Beifeng Army, allowing them to move freely and without pressure within the Beifeng City of Beifeng.

Led by the people from the Beast Bureau, the three rode on Demon Beast and headed into the city.

This was Bai Muxi's first time seeing a giant city on the ground. Her bright eyes held a hint of curiosity and confusion, but Li Qingyan's "special training" over the past month had kept her from saying much. She simply followed obediently on horseback.

Looking at the dilapidated streets on both sides, Xu Yuan, holding the reins, suddenly whispered to Li Qingyan:

"Qingyan, why do we insist on staying in Beifeng City?"

Li Qingyan, dressed in a black strapless dress, turned around, her voice laced with a teasing tone:

"What, is our Third Young Master so eager to return to the capital to marry me?"

Xu Yuan chuckled and replied without hesitation:

"Stop making promises here. Unfulfilled promises become shackles. Your Highness, you haven't kept a single promise you've made in the past month."

Speaking of this,

He whispered:

"Tsk tsk, Li Qingyan keeps his word."

"."

A hint of unease flashed across Li Qingyan's beautiful and refined face. She took a deep breath, pretending not to hear, and replied irrelevantly:

"Although the Barbarian King has been eliminated, I am still worried about the decisive battle with the Barbarian Tribe army within our borders."

Xu Yuan didn't say much about the matter from earlier, but continued the conversation with interest:

Are you worried that the imperial army will be defeated?

"That's not quite it. After losing their Barbarian King, the Barbarian Tribe are like wolves with their teeth and claws pulled out; their defeat is practically inevitable."

Li Qingyan's voice carried a hint of amusement, but then turned serious as he transmitted his message: "However, there are many things I need to confirm first. At the very least, we need to confirm whether the defeated Barbarian Tribe army still retains its organization. If it does, we'll ride the Lion-Eagle Beast south and run them over. Given my current injuries, it will be difficult for me to protect you."

Xu Yuan understood Li Qingyan's meaning and narrowed his eyes:

"At the very least, you're worried that our father and his men have already made their move against the sects in the Three Northern Prefectures?"

Li Qingyan turned her gaze away without replying, but a chilling coldness, as white as snow, lingered in her beautiful crimson eyes.

She had not forgotten that the fall of Beifeng City was due to the inaction of these sects, nor would she forget the blood feuds that these sects had inflicted on the border soldiers over the past decade.

Now that the time for reckoning has finally come, how could she possibly head straight south to the Imperial Capital?

Because of the Veil Hat separating them, Xu Yuan couldn't clearly see the expression on Li Qingyan's face, but he could roughly guess her emotions. He stroked the Barbarian King's Sumeru Ring on his fingertip and suddenly asked telepathically:

"Qingyan, what are you going to do with our second brother?"

"How do you want to handle this?"

"We've been out of contact for so long, I reckon he probably thinks we're dead."

". Won't."

"Um?"

"."

Li Qingyan took a deep breath, her voice cold and clear:

"I say that second brother wouldn't be so naive."

Xu Yuan frowned slightly:

"How so?"

Li Qingyan glanced southwards, and through the city wall, he seemed to see the face of the Second Prince. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Just put yourself in their shoes and you'll understand."

Xu Yuan raised his hand and touched his chin, seemingly lost in thought:

"The plan is to teleport us into the Barbarian Tribe camp. If the plan goes smoothly, the Barbarian King Chi Feng shouldn't disappear with us. Is that what you mean?"

"More or less." Li Qingyan nodded slightly. "I am not familiar with this second brother, but I have heard some things about him. What I can think of, he can probably think of as well."

Xu Yuan shook his head and said slowly:

"And we have no evidence."

Li Qingyan glanced at Xu Yuan and smiled:

"No, I don't. But don't you have that fox spirit's corpse?"

"."

Xu Yuan suddenly fell silent.

Nan Jinxi

He didn't actually have much ill will towards this vixen; on the contrary, he even felt sorry for her.

As one of the three kings of the fox clan, he died so lightly for a heartless person, and after being skinned and dismembered, he lay silently in the deathly Sumeru Ring.

In the silence, Xu Yuan whispered:

"Even if the Second Prince truly has feelings for her, given his shrewdness, he won't admit it, and he certainly won't show any unusual behavior."

Li Qingyan's beautiful and spirited brows arched slightly, and her eyes curved into two bright crescent moons:

"But at least it will disgust him. When I see him again, I'll give him a bowl of fox meat porridge, how about that?"

Xu Yuan's eye twitched, then he smiled and said:

Do you think he'll drink it?

Li Qingyan looked up at the gloomy sky and snorted softly:

"He has no choice but to drink it for me."

During the conversation, the three of them were led by the people from the Beast Bureau to the current captain's camp in Beifeng City.

Currently, the Black Tortoise Battalion of the Beifeng White Armor Division, is guarding Beifeng City. According to Li Qingyan, this is the direct subordinate given to her by Uncle Mu.

Of the six Beifeng garrisons, the fourth and sixth garrisons were assigned by Marquis of Martial Achievement to Li Qingyan, a member of the imperial family.

Li Qingyan did not hide this from Xu Yuan.

But after learning all this, Xu Yuan suddenly became confused about the relationship between Marquis of Martial Achievement and the royal family.

The Beifeng Army was essentially the private army of Marquis of Martial Achievement, much like the Western Pacification Army was to Li Junwu's father, Xu Yuan's close confidant.

Marquis of Martial Achievement was Royalist Faction, but according to Xu Yuan's understanding, the reason why Royalist Faction supported the emperor was because supporting the emperor could bring them greater benefits.

It's essentially a form of betting.

However, Marquis of Martial Achievement did not hold onto his military power; instead, he directly handed over his private army to the royal family, sacrificing his own interests to protect the emperor.

Upon entering the tent, a burly man in white armor was sitting in the main seat, reviewing military documents. Seeing the three enter, he merely raised his eyelids, his voice low and impatient:

"May I ask what brings you three here?"

"."

Xu Yuan found it slightly odd.

This is what they call a loyal follower? Just by wearing Veil Hat and changing clothes, they think they won't recognize their boss?

Li Qingyan remained silent, glancing around at the other officers and soldiers working inside the tent.

The captain frowned slightly, sighed, and waved impatiently at his men, signaling them to leave.

A few breaths later, only Xu Yuan and his two companions, along with the white-armored captain, remained in the entire tent.

After dismissing everyone, the burly man in white armor stepped down from the main seat, knelt down, and his voice trembled:

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Ah, so they recognized me.

This is to match the princess's performance in the film.

However, the people sitting in these positions are all shrewd individuals; they can deduce their superiors' intentions with just a glance.

Xu Yuan inwardly grumbled, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Qingyan walk past the captain, walk to the main seat, sit down, look at the burly white-armored man below, and say:

"What's the situation now?"

As a member of the direct line, the burly man in white armor knew exactly what the prince was asking. He glanced instinctively at the two unidentified men beside him, and seeing that Li Qingyan remained silent, he whispered:

"It has already begun. The mountain gates of the Heavenly Vault Palace and Seven Azure Sect were breached by Mr. Zong and Commander Shi respectively ten days ago."

Commander Shi, commander of the Sixth Garrison of Beifeng.

Silence fell.

Li Qingyan removed the Veil Hat and placed it on the table, his expression suggesting he had expected this. He gently tapped the table, pondering for a moment:

"What about the other sects? Have they made any moves?"

The burly man in white armor pondered for a moment:

"I apologize, Your Highness, but I am on duty in Beifeng City and do not know much about the details."

Li Qingyan glanced at him:

"Has the Communication Crystal within the city been repaired?"

The burly man in white armor knew that His Highness wanted to contact the Imperial Capital, and immediately nodded.

"It has been repaired. Would Your Highness like to use it?"

Li Qingyan hesitated for a moment, but did not go immediately. Instead, he said:

"No rush, tell me what you know first."

The burly man in white armor knelt on one knee and immediately recounted the major events that had occurred within the territory of the Great Yan after Li Qingyan and Xu Yuan disappeared.

The decisive battle between the imperial court and the Barbarian Tribe.

The defeat of the Barbarian Tribe army.

The emperor used the Barbarian-Slaying Edict to mobilize the army.

Using the "Sun Veil" technique, they sealed off the sect's mountain gate.

as well as

"A woman just arrived in the Imperial Capital, carrying the token of the Prime Minister's Mansion's Sword Saint."

"."

At the end, Li Qingyan glanced at Xu Yuan indifferently:

"Changtian, is he looking for you?"

Xu Yuan hesitated slightly, then subconsciously asked:

"General, could you please provide more details about that woman's characteristics?"

The burly man in white armor hesitated slightly.

"Golden Eyes"

"Clatter"

Before the burly man in white armor finished speaking, Xu Yuan's fingers trembled, and he subconsciously took a step back.

broken.

Li Qingyan frowned upon seeing this:

"What's wrong with you?"

Xu Yuan was silent for a moment, then forced a smile and said cautiously:

"The one I told you about before in the Imperial Capital, cough, is the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden."

"."

A flash of memory crossed Li Qingyan's eyes, and he immediately realized who this woman was, his eyes curving into two glistening crescent moons:

"Captain Zhang."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Bring this holy maiden up here and tell her I wish to see her."

"." Xu Yuan.