Upon returning to the capital, Xu Long learned why the Red Queen had sought him out.
Just as he had guessed, on one hand, Iron Courage Divine Marquis was heading towards the Giant Whale Gang because the Red Queen was afraid he would suffer losses; on the other hand, she had found information related to the Strange Hero of Heavenly Lake.
During this time, the Red Queen turned the Eastern Depot upside down, but still failed to steal the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom.
The Red Queen speculated that Cao Zhengchun most likely carried the last Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom with him.
Either kill him or steal from him; both are extremely difficult.
However, finding information about the Strange Hero of Heavenly Lake would be quite good; the matter of Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom can be put on hold for now.
" Valley of Villains? Is the place where the Strange Hero of Heavenly Lake passed away in Valley of Villains?"
Xu Long pondered to himself, finding it damn interesting.
In the original storyline, Princess Yunluo, Duan Tianya, Haitang, and others conspired to test Cheng Shifei, who then left in anger after discovering he had been tricked.
When Princess Yunluo went out to search, she happened to enter the Valley of Villains, where she encountered Cao Zhengchun's Five Poisons, and a conflict broke out.
In her quest to find Wan Sanqian, the richest man in the Number One Under Heaven, Haitang travels to Wealth and Honor Village, then enters Valley of Villains, and finally meets Cheng Shifei and Princess Yunluo.
Such a coincidence can only be attributed to the screenwriter forcing the plot forward.
But when it comes to Xu Long, it's a different story.
"I found out that Gu Santong and Zhu Wushi, the Iron Courage Divine Marquis, both visited the Valley of Villains of Valley of Villains. However, the Dragon Guardian Villa Dragon Guardian Villa very strict control over intelligence, and many martial arts sects follow their lead, so the information I can find is very limited."
The Red Queen, now in the form of an emperor, spoke.
"Yes, I understand. Even though the information might not be accurate, it's still good news."
Xu Long nodded, then asked, "Has Princess Yunluo caused any trouble?"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Xu Long had barely finished speaking when Cao Zhengchun rushed in.
"What is it?"
The Red Queen looked at Cao Zhengchun and asked.
"Your Majesty, Princess Yunluo... she burned down the library..."
Cao Zhengchun looked terrified, as if his manhood had been burned.
"The library? Is that so? Go and summon Princess Yunluo immediately!"
"That's utter bullshit! I was just about to ask about this, and here it comes."
Xu Long thought to himself that this was Cao Zhengchun's scheme.
Princess Yunluo disliked Cao Zhengchun very much, and often called him "Cao the eunuch," which made Cao Zhengchun hold a deep grudge.
Princess Yunluo was mischievous and somewhat willful. When she got angry, she sent her men to burn down Cao Zhengchun's study.
However, to everyone's surprise, Cao Zhengchun's study was right next to the library, and the subordinate was someone Cao Zhengchun had planted next to Princess Yunluo, so trouble ensued.
Cao Zhengchun seized the opportunity to pressure the emperor to punish Princess Yunluo.
At the critical moment, the Iron Courage Divine Marquis stepped in and forcibly saved Princess Yunluo, imprisoning her in the Dragon Guardian Villa to repent.
"Your Majesty, the library contained well-preserved and precious books, which Princess Yunluo burned down. This is a grave offense. Even princes are subject to the law; if she is not severely punished, who knows what trouble she might cause!"
Cao Zhengchun wept bitterly, appearing to be acting for the emperor Great Ming dynasty, but in reality, he was simply settling a personal score.
"I understand. We'll discuss it further when Yunluo arrives."
The Red Queen nodded, watching Cao Zhengchun's performance with a blank expression.
Not long after, Cao Zhengchun, who had been prepared, ordered his men to bring Yunluo in.
" Cao Zhengchun, what do you mean by this?"
Seeing Princess Yunluo being brought in with her hands bound, the Red Queen was immediately enraged.
" Princess Yunluo is of noble birth and is my own sister. Even if she has made a mistake, before she is convicted, she is still a princess of my Great Ming Dynasty. Cao Zhengchun, do you want to die?"
"Your Majesty, this servant knows his mistake, this servant would not dare!"
Upon hearing the Red Queen's words, Cao Zhengchun was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground.
Seeing this, the Red Queen snorted coldly, then looked at Princess Yunluo, "The death penalty may be spared, but punishment is unavoidable. Yunluo, I hereby sentence you to reflect on your actions at the Empress Dowager's palace, and you are not allowed to leave her quarters for three months. Cao Zhengchun, what do you think of my sentence?"
"Your Majesty is wise and mighty. This servant thinks this is excellent. It punishes the princess's willfulness and also makes her repent."
Cao Zhengchun was so startled that he snorted coldly and quickly flattered him.
He understood that this was the Emperor's warning to him. If things went well, the matter of tying up Princess Yunluo would be forgotten; if things went badly, he would be severely injured even if he didn't die.
"Yes, is there anything else? If not, you may leave."
"This servant has nothing else to say, this servant takes his leave!"
Cao Zhengchun hurriedly left; he needed to go back and calm his nerves.
"That's good enough, at least it prevents that old eunuch from getting too arrogant."
Xu Long nodded, feeling it was acceptable.
Cao Zhengchun had many faults, but he would not rebel.
Iron Courage Divine Marquis has countless virtues, but he is capable of rebellion.
Based on this alone, Xu Long would lean towards Cao Zhengchun.
He was just giving the old eunuch a warning; at the very least, Cao Zhengchun couldn't die before he obtained the Energy Absorption Great Art.
"Continue investigating the whereabouts of the Strange Hero of Heavenly Lake. I'm heading to Valley of Villains. Oh, and don't forget the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom."
After Xu Long finished speaking, he turned and left.
The Energy Absorption Great Art Energy Absorption Great Art is of utmost importance; Xu Long would rather forgo any missions than fail to find it.
Valley of Villains is a basin surrounded by mountains, with only one road leading into it.
This road is very hidden; only a very few people know about it.
The Dragon Guardian Villa might have accurate information, but the Emperor himself doesn't.
Therefore, Xu Long needed to find out for himself.
It took them about eight days to reach Wealth and Honor Village, which is not far from Valley of Villains.
It was already dark, and there were very few pedestrians on the road.
Wealth and Honor Village sounds like it's very wealthy, but in reality, it's as poor as a ghost.
A recent plague caused the deaths of many villagers.
With businesses stagnating and fields lying fallow, many young people are choosing to leave their homes and escape this place.
All that's left in Wealth and Honor Village are the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, and a few who refuse to leave, waiting to die.
Both sides of the road were lined with ragged beggars, listless, pale, and emaciated.
Faced with this situation, a kind-hearted person would surely offer them financial assistance.
Xu Long could only say that these people were too young and had not experienced the harsh realities of society.
Appetite is the most basic desire of all living beings, and it transcends reason.
Regardless of their condition, as long as they can move and are alive, they will inevitably be dominated by their appetite.
Based on this premise, people lose their rationality when they are extremely hungry.
If anyone offers money or food, they will inevitably be violently robbed.
This has nothing to do with good or evil, nor with personality; it's simply the most primal instinct of a living being—the instinct to survive.