Even after leaving the auction house, Chu Yunfei did not let go of the object.
He led Ling Xueyao through several long streets.
Along the way, she tried to speak several times, but her gaze always fell on their clasped hands first.
Chu Yunfei's palm was warm and strong.
His fingers simply clasped together naturally, without any deliberate force, but every time she slowed her pace slightly, he would pull her forward half a step.
The Imperial City Night Market is in full swing.
The street was brightly lit by the lights of the shops, and there were many martial artists coming and going. Every now and then, someone would notice the golden slender sword at Ling Xueyao's waist, but would be forced to lower their head and avoid it by Shen Qianyue's cold gaze.
Ling Xueyao wore a veil.
No one recognized her.
Holding hands with a man and walking down the street was something she had never experienced before.
My palms are getting hotter and hotter.
Even my heart was beating much faster than usual.
Chu Yunfei, however, remained calm and composed, as if he had simply done something completely ordinary.
Within his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon laughed without any attempt to hide his laughter.
"You brat, how long are you planning to keep holding my hand?"
"We're almost at the palace."
"Of course I know we're almost at the palace." Xiaoxiao Dragon drawled, "I'm asking you, when do you plan to take full advantage of us?"
Chu Yunfei stared straight ahead.
"I was just trying to leave as quickly as possible."
"Now Qin Hao isn't behind us anymore."
"Then we'll prevent him from catching up."
Xiaoxiao Dragon chuckled.
"That excuse wouldn't even fool a three-year-old."
Chu Yunfei ignored him.
Ling Xueyao also failed to break free.
Shen Qianyue was walking behind, watched the two of them the whole way.
Only when the high walls outside the palace came into view did he finally raise his hand to his lips and cough lightly.
"Cough."
The sound wasn't loud.
Ling Xueyao seemed to suddenly wake up.
She looked up and realized that the three of them had arrived outside the palace. Ahead was the palace gate, and several guards on duty were bowing their heads in salute.
And her hand was still being held by Chu Yunfei.
Chu Yunfei.
"Um?"
"Hand."
Chu Yunfei glanced down, as if just realizing it, and then simply let go.
The warmth in my palm vanished abruptly.
Ling Xueyao pulled her hand back into her sleeve, her fingers unconsciously curling slightly.
She glared at Chu Yunfei.
The veil covered most of her face, but the blush behind her ears couldn't be hidden.
Don't do that again.
Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow slightly.
Which way?
Ling Xueyao was taken aback by his question.
Shen Qianyue was still standing to the side.
For her to utter the words "hold hands" in front of Shen Qianyue and several imperial guards was truly beneath her dignity as a princess.
But Chu Yunfei remained completely calm, as if he truly didn't understand.
Ling Xueyao's fingers tightened inside her sleeve.
"Hold... hold hands."
The last two words were spoken softly and quickly.
After she finished speaking, she immediately looked away, her ears turning red.
Chu Yunfei remained unfazed.
"In that situation, if we didn't go this way, Qin Hao would just keep pestering us."
"Doesn't Your Highness think it's very efficient?"
He analyzed carefully, "With just one sentence and one action, Qin Hao's face turned ashen with anger, and he even forgot to chase after him."
Ling Xueyao turned her face away.
"So you grabbed my hand just to spite him?"
"Otherwise what?"
Chu Yunfei retorted with a confident and assertive tone.
Ling Xueyao's chest rose and fell slightly.
She found herself unable to respond to that sentence.
If he had said no, he would have indeed used that as an excuse to end the entanglement.
If you press her further to ask if she has any other thoughts, it would seem as if she's expecting something in return.
What angered her even more was that when she heard Chu Yunfei say it was just to spite Qin Hao, she felt inexplicably choked up.
"This is sophistry."
Ling Xueyao coldly uttered four words.
Chu Yunfei chuckled softly, not noticing that her fingers, hidden in her sleeve, were still gently curling.
Shen Qianyue turned his gaze away.
The princess could have easily shaken off the man immediately, yet she let Chu Yunfei lead her this far.
Arguing about whether or not it should have been done now is largely pointless.
Ling Xueyao took two deep breaths, suppressing the lingering warmth in her palms, and proactively changed the subject.
"My consideration regarding Qin Hao was inadequate."
Chu Yunfei looked at her.
The embarrassment and annoyance on Ling Xueyao's face gradually faded.
"I originally intended to use my status as the imperial consort to make Qin Hao more cautious, but I didn't expect it to instead provoke his murderous intent."
"Although the Cangyun Sect was not directly involved in the royal family's affairs, Qin Hao was arrogant and had Divine Sea Realm elder protecting him."
"He suffered such a great loss today, he will definitely not let this go."
She paused for a moment.
"This matter originated from me."
"If Qin Hao attacks you again, I will take responsibility."
Chu Yunfei smiled upon hearing this.
"Your Highness, you don't need to take everything upon yourself."
Even if Qin Hao doesn't know today, he will soon find out my identity once the news from Qingyang City reaches the capital.
In the Cangwu Mountain Range, Ling Xueyao publicly announced that Chu Yunfei was the prince consort.
There were quite a few people present at the time.
It's only a matter of time before the news reaches the capital.
"In the end, it was you who saved me, which led to this situation."
Chu Yunfei looked at her.
If Qin Hao is just threatening us verbally, let him be.
"If he really dares to make a move..."
The smile on his lips faded slightly.
"Let's see who's the last one to die."
Ling Xueyao sensed the coldness in his tone and immediately reminded him, " Qin Hao is no ordinary Heavenly Origin Realm. He reached the Late Stage of the Heavenly Origin Realm three years ago, and the Cangyun Spirit Transformation Art he cultivates is one of the Cangyun Sect Sect's most treasured techniques."
"The seven holy sons usually possess life-saving techniques bestowed upon them by their sects."
Chu Yunfei nodded.
"I know."
"You knew that, yet you still dared to provoke him to his face?"
"If I don't provoke him, he won't want to kill me?"
Chu Yunfei countered with a question.
Ling Xueyao was speechless for a moment.
"Your Highness, please rest assured."
Chu Yunfei raised his hand and patted the Abyss-Devouring Sword.
I've always valued my life.
Ling Xueyao looked at him, clearly not quite believing what he was saying.
The Cangwu Mountain Range dared to kill someone right in front of the Divine Sea Realm elder.
On the Cloud-Chasing Boat, he dared to use his cultivation level, which was below the Heavenly Origin Realm, to block a palm strike from the Divine Sea Realm expert for her.
None of the things this guy has done have anything to do with the idea of valuing one's life.
"In short, no further conflict with Qin Hao is permitted until Father Emperor awakens."
What if he comes to us on his own initiative?
"Inform me."
Ling Xueyao answered decisively.
Chu Yunfei laughed and said, "Your Highness is indeed showing some protectiveness towards her husband now."
Chu Yunfei!
Ling Xueyao's hand was already on the hilt of the sword.
Never mind what I said.
The three of them passed through the palace gates and, without further delay, headed straight for the inner palace.
The Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill has been obtained.
The most important thing right now is to wake Ling Zhantian up as soon as possible.
At the same time.
Deep within an inconspicuous mansion in the southwest of the imperial city.
The heavy stone door separated the inside from the outside. There were no lighting crystals on the walls, only a bronze oil lamp burning with a tiny flame on the table.
The interior furnishings were simple.
A stone table.
Two chairs.
In the corner, there was a black incense burner about half a person's height, with wisps of smoke rising from it, blocking any divine sense that might probe from the outside.
A boy sat behind a table.
He wore an ordinary blue robe, his hair was tied up with a single wooden hairpin, and he had a handsome face, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen years old.
He was also holding a yellowed ancient book in his hands.
The sound of pages turning was particularly clear in the quiet stone chamber.
The black-robed figure who appeared at the auction during the day stood before the table.
The large hood had been removed, but a layer of grayish-black mist still obscured his face, making it impossible to see his features clearly.
The boy did not look up.
My fingertips turned a page.
"Speak."
The man in black robes did not step forward, but stood where the light did not reach, his voice still hoarse.
" Ling Xueyao left the palace today, and I followed her all the way to the Pill Pavilion."
"Among the auction items is a Grade 6 Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill, which can repair the soul."
The boy's fingers, which were turning the pages of the book, paused for a moment.
"Is she after the elixir?"
"Good."
The man in black robes said, "After the pills appeared, her first offer was 700,000 mid-grade spirit stones."
"She faced competition from elders of the Puppet Sect and the Holy Son of the Cangyun Sect along the way, but she never withdrew."
"Later I raised the price to 2.5 million, but she continued to raise it, and finally won the bid with 3 million mid-grade spirit stones."
The boy finally raised his eyes.
Those eyes were very dark.
The light from the oil lamp shone into it, but it seemed to be swallowed up, leaving little light behind.
What are you trying to say?
The man in black robes paused for a moment.
"Her determination is too great."
"If it's just about healing ordinary members of the royal family, it's not worth personally appearing, much less spending three million mid-grade spirit stones."
" Ling Xueyao's soul is unharmed, while Shen Qianyue's injury is to his foundation, so he doesn't need the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill."
His hoarse voice lowered a few decibels.
"I suspect that the emperor was poisoned..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
The only sound in the stone chamber was the faint crackling of the burning lamp wick.
The boy closed the ancient book, his fingertips slowly pressing against the cover.
" The Soul-Devouring Nether Poison is an ancient and rare poison."
"This poison was obtained by the host from some ruins. Even the current alchemists in the Eastern Continent might not be able to recognize its origin, let alone find a way to cure it."
The man in black robes asked, "Could it be that Ling Zhantian's poison wasn't severe enough, so..."
"No."
The boy interrupted him directly.
He placed the ancient book flat on the table, his tone flat.
"I personally administered this poison."
The stone chamber remained quiet for a long time.
The man in black robes did not speak further.
He was fully aware that he had been poisoned.
However, only the young man in front of them and the owner of the building know the specific details of the process.
Since the young master personally took action, it's impossible for him to have misjudged the toxicity of the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison. The fact that Ling Zhantian has not made a public appearance for many years after being poisoned is enough to prove that the plan from back then was correct.
But Ling Xueyao's reaction today was equally genuine.
"Since no one can solve this problem, why is she in such a hurry to buy the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill?"
The voice of the man in black robes came from behind the mist.
"Could it be that he's just trying to temporarily stabilize Ling Zhantian's soul?"
The boy gently tapped the cover of the ancient book with his finger.
one time.
Two times.
As the third blow landed, he looked up at the top of the stone chamber. He couldn't see the palace from there, but the direction he was sitting was directly opposite the location of the inner palace.
" The Soul-Devouring Nether Poison will erode the five internal organs, meridians, and soul."
"If the toxins are still present, rashly consuming elixirs that nourish the soul will only result in the poison consuming the medicinal properties along with the elixir."
Ling Xueyao is not stupid.
"Since she's willing to pay three million mid-grade spirit stones, it means that the pill can now work."
The black-robed man's fingers, hidden in his sleeve, slowly tightened.
"Has the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison been eradicated?"
"It's only a possibility."
The boy reopened the ancient book, his gaze returning to the pages.
" Ling Xueyao has been searching everywhere for an antidote for years without success. This time, however, she brought Chu Yunfei back with her when she left the capital."
"She had barely returned to the palace when she went to buy elixirs to repair her soul the very next day."
He strung together several seemingly disparate events, one sentence at a time.
The answer is becoming increasingly clear.
The man in black robes asked, "You suspect that Chu Yunfei can cure the poison?"
It's not certain yet.
The boy said, "But he must have seen Ling Zhantian."
"If it really was him who removed the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison..."
The boy's fingertips remained on the page, not turning it for a long time.
The Soul-Devouring Nether Poison is no ordinary poison.
The number of items obtained from the ruins by the original poster was extremely small. After years of research, they only managed to understand some of the properties. Ordinary antidotes are not only useless, but they can also stimulate the Netherworld Poison to prematurely devour the soul.
If Chu Yunfei can truly remove it, the secret he carries is probably not simple.
The man in black robes asked, "Young Master, shall I enter the palace now to investigate?"
"No need."
The boy shook his head.
"Although Ling Changkong is very old, he has not lost his senses. You just showed up at the Pill Pavilion, and now you are entering the palace, which could easily leave a trace."
He raised his hand and tapped his fingertips three times on the table.
"Are the three Golden Masks currently in the capital?"
"They're all there."
"Make the arrangements."
The boy's tone remained calm.
"Send them to the inner palace late tonight."
"No need to kill, nor to linger in battle."
"Just check on Ling Zhantian's condition and whether there are any other unusual occurrences within the royal family tonight, then evacuate immediately."
Three masked assassins.
Each of them has already entered the Late Divine Sea Realm.
Infiltrating the palace at the same time, just for a test, is a move that is not common even in the Blood Baleful Intent Tower.
The man in black robes did not raise any objections.
"Yes."
"In addition."
The young man continued, "Send a message to Qingyang City, and have someone thoroughly investigate Chu Yunfei's background again."
"The intelligence sent previously was too superficial."
The man in black robes nodded.
"I'll arrange it."
He put his hood back on, and his figure gradually faded in the dim red light.
A few breaths later.
Only the boy remained in the stone chamber.
He stopped reading and instead stared at the flickering lamplight on the table, tapping his fingertips on the cover of the ancient book.
Chu Yunfei.
The boy murmured the name.
"The key to the legacy of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor..."
"This is getting more and more interesting."
He picked up the ancient book and walked out of the stone chamber.
Moonlight was not visible outside the courtyard.
A layer of isolation array enveloped the entire courtyard, completely separating it from the imperial city.
The boy stood at the end of the long corridor, gazing into the distance in the direction of the palace.
A voice suddenly sounded behind me.
" Ling Zhantian is crucial to the host's next major plan."
"A battle is inevitable upon entering the palace this time."
I'll go too.
The boy did not turn back.
He seemed to have known all along that the other person was standing there, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
That would be even better.
"While the three golden-masked figures are enough to probe the palace, they ultimately lack the certainty to escape unscathed."
"Although Ling Zhantian is only at the Divine Sea Realm Ninth Level, if he were to awaken and use the methods left behind by Grand Founder Ling, even the Lord of the Tower would have to be somewhat wary."
The boy turned halfway around.
In the shadows of the long corridor, only a blurry outline could be seen.
There was no breath.
There were no footsteps.
Even when it was within several feet, the perception was still one of emptiness.
"Since a Dao Mysterious Realm expert is personally going, there's no need to worry too much."
The figure seemed to pause for a moment when he heard him call Ling Zhantian by his full name.
But he didn't ask any further questions.
The boy looked back at the palace.
The figure in the shadows gradually faded away.
Before the last trace of his outline disappeared, he left behind only a sentence that revealed neither joy nor anger.
"Tonight, I'll see how much of the royal family's foundation remains!"