Xiao Ming blamed himself for all of this.
Knowing Chu Ruoyan was no longer at the residence, he vaulted over the wall and chased after her, charging toward the gates of the Imperial Palace like a warrior charging into battle for love.
Perhaps Chu Ruoyan had left too early, or perhaps she had urged the carriage to go faster.
Xiao Ming never caught up with the carriage. All that greeted him were the cold gates of the Imperial Palace.
At this sight, the Saint Remnant Soul finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been afraid Xiao Ming would catch up. Then he would have to face the palace's powerful cultivators, who would not let him off so easily.
"Master, I want to sneak into the Imperial Palace!"
Xiao Ming felt terribly uneasy now, though he did not know why.
The Saint Remnant Soul immediately began trying to dissuade him.
"Maybe the Chu girl just went to chat with the emperor, like last time. She'll probably come back on her own when it's time. This has happened more than once or twice.
"The palace is full of experts. With your current cultivation, even with my help, you'd have a hard time sneaking in. Besides, if you got caught, you'd drag the Chu girl into trouble too. I think you should just go back and wait for news."
The Saint Remnant Soul was stalling for time. He absolutely could not let Xiao Ming lose his head now.
That last line, about dragging the Chu girl into trouble, was what could truly calm Xiao Ming down.
Xiao Ming's slavish devotion was off the charts. He did not fear his own death, only something happening to his goddess.
If doing this would hurt Chu Ruoyan, he would definitely choose not to do it.