piece.
After the word was uttered, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Ling Zhantian kept his eyes fixed on Chu Yunfei, as if waiting for his reaction.
Anger, resentment, or fear.
However, Chu Yunfei's face remained expressionless.
In his past life, he had seen far too many people who wanted to use him as a pawn.
Those people often think they have seen through the situation, but they forget that even pawns can bite.
This time, however, Blood Baleful Intent Tower really wants to exploit is probably not just his conflict with the four sects.
What they really wanted to see was whether he would deliberately drag the Great Qian Imperial Family into this struggle because of Ling Xueyao.
Thinking of this, Chu Yunfei's expression returned to calm.
The game hasn't even started yet.
"It's too early to identify who the pawns are."
Ling Zhantian's eyes flickered slightly.
Instead of expressing his anger, Chu Yunfei directly steered the conversation back to the topic.
This reaction made him even more unable to understand this young man.
"I spared you today not merely to remind you of the Blood Baleful Intent Tower."
Ling Zhantian remained silent for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject.
"I already know about your affair with Yao'er."
Chu Yunfei remained expressionless.
Ling Zhantian continued:
"Back in the Cangwu Mountain Range, Yao'er protected you as the prince consort in order to stop the Heavenly Sword Sect from attacking you, and because she didn't want to break the century-old agreement between the royal family and the seven sects."
"After returning to the capital, she continued to use this identity to make things easier for you and to keep other forces in check."
"But in reality, this is just a stopgap measure."
Ling Zhantian looked at Chu Yunfei.
You should understand this.
"Nature."
Chu Yunfei's tone was calm.
"Your Majesty, please speak frankly; there's no need to beat around the bush."
Ling Zhantian's fingers slowly closed.
Even after things had come to this point, Chu Yunfei still showed no sign of panic.
The young man's composure even made him feel a little uneasy.
His talent is terrifying, and his methods are mysterious.
More importantly, he seemed to know exactly what he wanted.
Unfortunately, Chu Yunfei appeared at the worst possible time.
They shouldn't have gotten so deeply involved in the current situation.
Ling Zhantian sighed softly.
"Since you understand, I will speak frankly."
"If you are the son-in-law of the Great Qian Dynasty, then the grudges between you and the Seven Sects will no longer be just your personal grudges."
"Everything you do in the future could be seen by outsiders as the attitude of the royal family."
Chu Yunfei remained silent.
Ling Zhantian's tone turned somber.
"You are exceptionally talented and have unlimited potential."
"But the Great Qian of today is no longer what it once was."
"I do not wish to engage in direct conflict with the Seven Kingdoms at this time, nor can I allow the entire dynasty to be dragged into war because of one person."
"As the Emperor of the Great Qian, I need to consider the overall situation."
He looked at Chu Yunfei.
I hope my young friend understands.
The point has been made very clear.
He wanted to revoke Chu Yunfei's status as the imperial son-in-law.
They even wanted to force Chu Yunfei to leave the palace.
Chu Yunfei had anticipated this outcome, so he wasn't surprised.
However, the reasons given by Ling Zhantian were somewhat untenable.
The Great Qian Imperial Family is indeed no longer as prosperous as it was ten thousand years ago, but no matter how much it has declined, it still has Ling Changkong, a Dao Mysterious Realm expert, to hold the fort.
Moreover, the true strength of the royal family has never been fully revealed.
If the Great Qian only had its visible forces left, during the ten years that Ling Zhantian was poisoned and unconscious, the Seven Sects and the Blood Baleful Intent Tower would have torn the royal family apart long ago.
But even now, neither the Seven Sects nor the Blood Baleful Intent Tower have truly broken ties.
This in itself demonstrates that the royal family still possesses something that is enough to make all parties wary.
Within his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon let out a sneer.
"That emperor certainly has a thick skin."
"You rushed from Qingyang City to detoxify him, encountering ambushes along the way. And when the Blood Baleful Intent Tower stormed the palace, you were the one who covered up his tracks."
"Now that he's awake, he hasn't even offered a proper word of thanks, but is already eager to revoke his status as the imperial son-in-law."
In his parlance, "discarding the millstone after it has served its purpose" has been twisted into "putting the greater good first."
Her tone was full of sarcasm.
"That kind of person is disgusting."
Chu Yunfei responded in his heart:
"The matter of the detoxification was originally a deal between Ling Xueyao and me; it's not a case of discarding someone after they've served their purpose."
"As for his status as the imperial son-in-law, it was never officially recognized by him from the beginning."
Xiaoxiao Dragon snorted coldly.
"Still being stubborn."
"I don't believe you have no thoughts in your mind at all."
Chu Yunfei ignored her.
If it's just about detoxification, he really doesn't have much to say.
But on the night Blood Baleful Intent Tower stormed the palace, he could have left the palace after being detoxified and stayed out of it.
If he hadn't used the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison to create the illusion that Ling Zhantian was still poisoned, the Blood Baleful Intent Tower would have quickly realized that the emperor had recovered.
Once the truth is revealed, they will never stand idly by and watch Ling Zhantian regain control of the royal family.
He ultimately decided to stay.
It wasn't for the sake of the Great Qian, nor for the sake of the title of imperial son-in-law.
It was simply because Ling Xueyao did not want to see her father die.
He protected her father and shielded Great Qian from that test.
Now, Ling Zhantian thinks he can just brush it all aside with a simple "consider the bigger picture".
This attitude is indeed uncomfortable.
Chu Yunfei looked up at the person in the main seat.
"I understand Your Majesty's meaning."
Ling Zhantian nodded slowly.
"You saved me, and you have saved Yao'er several times. The royal family will never forget this kindness."
"Cultivation techniques, martial arts skills, spirit stones, elixirs—as long as you ask, I will do my best to satisfy you."
"I won't let you suffer a loss."
If these words were spoken to an ordinary martial artist, they would be enough to make the other party ecstatic.
However, Chu Yunfei simply smiled.
"No need."
Ling Zhantian frowned slightly.
In his view, Chu Yunfei's refusal of the reward was simply because he was unwilling to give up his status as the imperial son-in-law and wanted to use his relationship with Yao'er to force the royal family to compromise.
But Chu Yunfei's next words made his fingers stop on the armrest again.
"There is no reward or compensation between me and the princess."
"As for saving His Majesty, it was only because of the princess's filial piety; I couldn't bear to see her heartbroken."
"I only intervened because of her."
Chu Yunfei paused.
That's all.
The firelight in the main hall flickered slightly.
Ling Zhantian remained silent.
Chu Yunfei's tone remained calm, but his last sentence was like a needle, piercing a certain spot precisely.
"But now it seems that His Majesty has failed the princess's filial piety."
An invisible pressure emanated from the seat of honor.
The aura of the Divine Sea Realm Ninth Level was not fully released, but the power accumulated by the emperor over many years was enough to make ordinary Heavenly Origin Realm warriors lose their footing.
However, Chu Yunfei remained standing in the same spot.
The black robe remained still, and his breathing showed no change whatsoever.
After a moment, Ling Zhantian withdrew his gaze.
"Young friend Chu's feelings for Yao'er are truly genuine."
Chu Yunfei did not answer.
Ling Zhantian's tone softened somewhat.
"Since you are unwilling to accept royal compensation, I will not force you. However, I hope you will not tell Yao'er about today's conversation."
"She has suffered too many injustices for me over the years. If she knew that I personally revoked her status as the imperial son-in-law, she would inevitably harbor resentment towards me."
"This outcome is probably not what you wanted to see."
These words are both a request and a reminder.
If Ling Xueyao knew the truth, she would definitely argue with her father.
Given her personality, she might even insist on leaving the palace with Chu Yunfei.
But now, the capital city is filled with powerful figures from seven sects, and the Blood Baleful Intent Tower is lurking in the shadows, watching with predatory intent.
Once she loses the protection of the royal family and Dao Mysterious Realm experts, Ling Xueyao will only fall into greater danger if she follows him.
Chu Yunfei wasn't afraid of those people, but he didn't want Ling Xueyao to risk her life with him.
"If Your Majesty has nothing else to say, I shall take my leave."
He neither agreed nor refused.
After saying that, Chu Yunfei turned and walked towards the palace gate.
Ling Zhantian did not try to stop him.
He didn't speak again until Chu Yunfei arrived at the door.
"Young friend Chu, the waters of the imperial city run deeper than you can see."
"Now that you've lost the protection of the royal family, you'd better leave as soon as possible."
Chu Yunfei did not stop.
His voice came from outside the door, tinged with indifference.
There are many people in this world who want me dead, so a few more won't hurt.
The palace doors slowly closed behind him.
Ling Zhantian stared at the gradually disappearing figure, remaining silent for a long time.
His eyes were deep and unreadable.
Just as the main hall fell silent again, an aged figure slowly emerged from the shadows behind the dragon throne.
Ling Changkong had appeared there without anyone noticing.
He didn't look at Ling Zhantian; his gaze remained fixed on the closed palace doors, his expression complex.
" Zhantian, you shouldn't have done that."
Ling Zhantian did not turn around.
"Is the clan elder blaming me for abandoning you after I've served my purpose?"
Ling Changkong sighed softly.
He saved your life.
"It saved Yao'er, and even more so, it saved the Great Qian Imperial Family."
"If he hadn't removed the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison, you would still be lying on the dragon bed."
"If he hadn't created a false impression with poisonous fog the night he stormed the Blood Baleful Intent Tower, the Purple-Faced Deputy Tower Master wouldn't have retreated so easily."
Ling Changkong paused for a moment.
"From both a moral and logical standpoint, you shouldn't have driven him out of the palace so soon after he woke up."
Ling Zhantian's expression gradually darkened.
"He did save my life, that's for sure."
"But he also ruined my grand plan that had lasted for twenty years!"
Ling Zhantian's voice suddenly turned cold, and a hint of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
"If it weren't for him, how could Yao'er have broken through to the Divine Sea Realm!"