Ling Xueyao quickened her pace and almost really shook him off.
Chu Yunfei lost his leverage and his body swayed slightly.
She paused, then steadied the person again.
Ling Xueyao's chest heaved as she gritted her teeth and said, "If you continue to talk nonsense, I will leave you here."
"Your Highness, you must think this through."
Chu Yunfei laughed and said, "If I really fall on the palace path, the entire palace will know tomorrow that you abandoned your savior."
"You dare threaten me?"
"I wouldn't dare, I'm just telling the truth."
Ling Xueyao ignored him.
The two continued forward along the corridor.
One by one, palace lanterns were lit, and the deep palace was so quiet that only the sound of footsteps could be heard.
Occasionally, when imperial guards passed by, they would immediately lower their heads and step aside upon seeing Ling Xueyao.
They dared not look directly at him, but their eyes couldn't help but dart towards Chu Yunfei out of the corner of their eyes.
The princess was always aloof.
Countless talented individuals in the capital city pursued her, and even the holy sons of the seven major sects had come to propose marriage, yet none of them had ever been able to get within three steps of her.
Now, she was personally helping a young man back to the palace.
Could the rumors about him being the future prince consort be true?
The guards kept their eyes down, seemingly oblivious to their own thoughts, but inwardly they were in turmoil.
Ling Xueyao noticed the subtle gazes around her, and her cheeks flushed even more.
But she didn't let go of Chu Yunfei.
Those clear, cold phoenix eyes swept across both sides of the palace path, and several divine senses that had secretly probed from the shadows immediately withdrew.
In his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon finally couldn't help but speak.
"You brat, you were weak when you stepped out of the formation, but you weren't so weak that you couldn't stand."
"Now look what's happened, he's practically glued to her."
Chu Yunfei replied in his mind, "My soul is too depleted, what's wrong with borrowing some power?"
"Does leveraging someone require getting this close?"
She helped me up herself.
Xiaoxiao Dragon exposed him without any mercy.
"I think you wish this road were ten times longer."
Chu Yunfei ignored her.
The palace path fell silent once more.
Ling Xueyao turned her head several times, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately she didn't speak.
She whispered as the two passed through an archway:
Chu Yunfei.
"Um?"
Ling Xueyao looked straight ahead, her voice much gentler than usual.
"Over the years, I have consulted seven or eight alchemists."
"Two of them are fifth-grade alchemists, and the rest also have some knowledge of rare poisons."
"Every time someone claims they can save Father Emperor, I personally go to fetch them."
"But after they arrived here, some saw the poisonous fog outside the palace and left on the spot, while others barely managed to enter the formation, but didn't even get to see the Emperor's face."
Chu Yunfei did not interrupt.
Ling Xueyao continued, "The closest we came was with a Divine Sea Realm expert who cultivated poison techniques."
"He went into the inner palace and suppressed the emperor's anger for half an hour."
"As a result, the poison in my father's body was not cured, and he himself was poisoned instead. If it weren't for the intervention of the clan elders, he wouldn't have been able to leave the palace."
She gently tightened her grip on Chu Yunfei's hand.
"From then on, the poison in my father's body became increasingly severe."
"On the surface, I can pretend everything is normal, but in my heart, I have already prepared for the worst."
Her voice remained steady.
With each word spoken, his pace slowed a little.
His mother died young.
Her father was the person she was closest to in this palace.
However, after their father fell into a coma, the three elder brothers each had their own agendas, and the five royal attendants gradually split into different factions.
She had to maintain the illusion that her father was in seclusion, while also searching far and wide for someone who could cure the poison.
She never told anyone about these things.
Only after seeing the poisonous fog dissipate with my own eyes today did the tension that had been taut for so many years finally ease a little.
Chu Yunfei turned his head to look at her.
"It's not time to completely relax yet."
"Although the poison in your father's body has been cleared, sixth-grade pills for repairing his soul are still hard to find."
Ling Xueyao nodded gently.
"I understand."
She paused for a moment, then turned to meet Chu Yunfei's gaze.
"But at least, we can see hope."
" Chu Yunfei, you saved my father, and you saved me too."
"If Father Emperor continues to sleep, the royal family will inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later. At that time, the seven major sects will not miss the opportunity to test the royal family's bottom line."
"You saved more than just Father Emperor."
Ling Xueyao looked at him and said seriously, "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you saved the entire Great Qian Dynasty from collapse."
"The royal family must remember this favor."
A slight smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's lips.
"How does Your Highness plan to thank me?"
You can make a request.
Ling Xueyao looked ahead again.
The soft light from the crystal fell on her face, giving it a faint blush.
"Spirit stones, elixirs, cultivation techniques, martial arts skills—as long as the royal family possesses them, I will find a way to obtain them for you."
"Your father will not mistreat you after he wakes up."
Chu Yunfei's gaze lingered on her face for a moment.
"Really, any request is acceptable?"
Ling Xueyao's steps slowed by half a beat.
She could naturally hear the teasing in Chu Yunfei's words.
In the past, the golden rapier would probably already be at this man's neck.
However, Chu Yunfei had just spent several hours removing the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison that had tormented his father for many years.
Meeting his ambiguous gaze, Ling Xueyao did not immediately reprimand him.
"As long as I can do it."
Her voice was very soft.
After she finished speaking, Ling Xueyao seemed worried that he hadn't heard her clearly, so she lowered her gaze and added another sentence.
"Um."
Chu Yunfei's eyes flickered slightly.
This answer was indeed unexpected.
He originally only intended to tease her a bit, hoping to see Ling Xueyao draw her sword in embarrassment and anger.
To everyone's surprise, this usually arrogant princess actually agreed.
Within his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon suddenly became alert.
"Hey kid, what are you standing there for?"
"They've already said they'll do anything you ask. If you just ask her to cultivate with you now, you can get the second core function done tonight."
Chu Yunfei thought to himself, "Do you think the sword in her hand is just for show?"
What are you afraid of?
Xiaoxiao Dragon laughed, "If she really wanted to kill you, she would have done it when she woke up at the bottom of the abyss."
"Besides, you're not even afraid of assassins at the Divine Sea Realm, why would you be afraid of a little girl at the Heavenly Origin Realm Ninth Layer?"
This isn't a question of whether you're afraid or not.
What's the problem?
"At least we should wait until she's willing."
Xiaoxiao Dragon was silent for a moment.
Then, she said with certainty, "I understand, you really do crave her."
Chu Yunfei's face darkened.
"Shut up."
"Did I guess right?"
I told you to shut up.
Xiaoxiao Dragon laughed even harder.
"In my opinion, this girl's feelings for you go beyond mere gratitude. If you take a little more initiative, winning her over won't be difficult."
"What are you, a female dragon, thinking about all day long?"
"I'm doing this for your sake."
Xiaoxiao Dragon spoke with righteous indignation, "The second core requires a new Heavenly Mandate Origin. Although Ling Xueyao may not be the Daughter of Heavenly Mandate, Flawless Spirit Physique are rare. There's no harm in giving it a try."
Chu Yunfei was speechless.
If Ling Xueyao is truly Daughter of Heavenly Mandate, Xiaoxiao Dragon would probably have already started urging her on the Cloud-Chasing Boat.
He couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention.
Chu Yunfei was indeed interested in Ling Xueyao.
But he wouldn't go so far as to use the debt of saving his life to coerce the other party.
When gratitude is used to exchange for affection, its meaning changes.
After walking more than ten steps, Chu Yunfei still did not speak.
Ling Xueyao finally couldn't resist and turned her face to look at him.
"You haven't made up your mind yet?"
No at the moment.
Chu Yunfei snapped out of his daze.
"Make a note of it for now, and I'll ask Her Highness for payment when I need it later."
Ling Xueyao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But for some reason, a vague sense of loss crept into my heart.
She quickly suppressed her emotions.
"Can."
"As long as it doesn't harm the interests of the royal family, I will agree to anything you ask."
The two continued walking towards the princess's palace.
As we passed a high wall, a low, animalistic roar suddenly came from behind it.
Several powerful auras swept across the sky, stirring up a strong wind.
Chu Yunfei looked up.
"The palace even keeps flying monsters?"
"This is the Royal Animal Garden."
Ling Xueyao explained, "There are several Azure-Feathered Cloud Crane tamed inside, and their bloodlines have already reached the Heavenly level."
"They are not good at fighting, but they are very fast, able to fly thousands of miles in a day."
"When you leave the capital, I can give you a head."
Chu Yunfei looked away.
"A Celestial-level flying spirit beast, Your Highness is really willing to part with it."
"You saved Father Emperor, a mere spirit beast is nothing."
Ling Xueyao continued, " The Azure-Feathered Cloud Crane has a broad back and uses spiritual power to shield itself from strong winds during flight, so you can hardly feel any bumps when riding it."
"It feels very comfortable."
"If you're interested, I can take you for a ride at the Japanese palace."
Within his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon laughed again.
What's so great about riding flying spirit beasts?
"The princess just agreed to whatever you asked for. Why don't you just say you want to ride her?"
Chu Yunfei could no longer tolerate it.
Can you please be quiet for a moment?
"I will not."
"I'll say it one more time: I've sealed off your senses."
"If you haven't thought about it, what am I afraid of what you might say?"
At this moment, Ling Xueyao looked over in confusion when she saw that Chu Yunfei had not responded for a long time.
"What's wrong?"
Chu Yunfei was still arguing with Xiaoxiao Dragon.
Distracted for a moment, I blurted out a reply.
"Nothing."
"I'm thinking about how to ride the princess."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Ling Xueyao's steps suddenly faltered.
Chu Yunfei also froze.
He then realized what he had said.
It's over.
Sure enough, Ling Xueyao's face first turned red, then she gritted her teeth and raised her voice.
"Chu Yunfei! You shameless scoundrel!"
Within his mind, Xiaoxiao Dragon was already laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
"I knew it! You really were after her body!"
P. S.: Please give me a tip, I also want to ride a princess.