Chu Yunfei fiddled with the storage ring and laughed, "If I accept it, wouldn't I be seen as a kept man?"
Ling Xueyao reached out and pressed down on his hand, preventing him from returning the storage ring.
Stop talking nonsense.
"When you cured Father Emperor's poison, you consumed your own cultivation resources. After the battle at the Jingyuan Hall, you also provoked so many enemies. These spirit stones are rightfully yours."
"If you dare to refuse, I will take it as you having no intention of returning."
As she finished speaking, a hint of unease resurfaced in her eyes.
Chu Yunfei realized that what she was really worried about wasn't the spirit stones, so he could only accept the storage ring.
"Okay, I'll take it."
Ling Xueyao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She took off the white jade token that could pass through the palace's array and intended to give it to Chu Yunfei as well.
Chu Yunfei, however, pressed down on her hand.
"This is a royal array token; it's inappropriate for me to take it, and besides, I won't need it after leaving the palace."
Ling Xueyao did not persist.
She looked up at Chu Yunfei, as if trying to memorize his appearance.
Which palace gate do you plan to leave through?
East Gate.
"Then I'll give it to you."
Chu Yunfei laughed and said, "If Your Highness were to personally escort me to the palace gate, the entire capital would know of my departure in less than half an hour. It's fine if you escort me to the side courtyard."
Ling Xueyao felt reluctant, but she knew he was right.
The two walked out of the palace side by side.
Maids and guards along the way bowed in greeting.
Ling Xueyao wanted to speak several times, but ultimately didn't say anything to persuade him to stay. She knew that once Chu Yunfei made a decision, very few people could change it.
When Chu Yunfei reached the outside of the side courtyard, he stopped.
"I'll leave it here."
Ling Xueyao also stopped.
She looked around.
The maid stood at a distance, and the guards dared not look up. After a brief hesitation, she suddenly tiptoed and gently kissed Chu Yunfei on the cheek.
The soft touch was fleeting.
Ling Xueyao had already taken two steps back, her cheeks flushed red beneath her veil.
"This is for you."
She raised her chin, feigning indifference.
"If you dare to die outside, I will never forgive you."
Chu Yunfei touched the spot where he had been kissed, a smile appearing in his eyes.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will return to ride horses. How could I bear to die?"
Ling Xueyao glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed.
This time, she did not draw her sword.
Go early and come back early.
"I'm waiting for you."
Chu Yunfei nodded and turned to walk towards the palace gate.
Ling Xueyao stood there, watching his back.
Chu Yunfei did not turn around.
He knew that if he turned around and glanced back, the woman would most likely chase after him again.
Ling Xueyao did not leave until the figure in black disappeared at the end of the palace road.
Chu Yunfei walked out of the east gate of the palace.
The guards dared not stop them, but secretly sent people to spread the message to various places.
Upon entering the main street of the imperial city, Chu Yunfei quickly sensed several subtle auras descending upon him.
Some of them are from the Cangyun Sect.
Someone carried the chilling aura characteristic of the Puppet Sect's techniques.
Further away, there was another extremely faint aura, which remained at a distance of several hundred feet.
Chu Yunfei didn't rush to shake them off.
He strolled slowly along East Street, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
In his mind's eye, Xiaoxiao Dragon finally couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you just take Ling Xueyao away?"
"That emperor crossed the river and then burned the bridge; by kidnapping his daughter, wouldn't you be able to vent your anger?"
Chu Yunfei shook his head.
Taking her away now will only harm her.
" The Heavenly Sword Sect, Cangyun Sect, Puppet Sect, and Blood Baleful Intent Tower are all keeping an eye on me. The royal family may not be safe either, but at least on the surface, no one dares to directly attack a princess."
"She's safer staying in the palace than with me."
Xiaoxiao Dragon remained silent for a moment.
"You've really thought things through for her."
"However, without the protection of the royal family, your situation in the capital will become more dangerous. There are too many people who covet you, and the Great Heaven-Burning Art alone may not be enough to handle all situations."
Chu Yunfei smiled faintly.
"With enough strength, even a chess piece can overturn the chessboard."
"First, I need to find a place to settle down and improve my cultivation. Once I reach the Divine Sea Realm, it won't be so easy for these people to control me."
Xiaoxiao Dragon nodded.
"Do not take out the Giant Que Sword lightly in the future. The inheritance of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor is too complicated. If the news is completely leaked, Dao Mysterious Realm experts will come looking for you."
"As for the Abyss-Devouring Sword, it's still usable for now. There are very few people in the entire Vast Waves Domain who have actually seen Luo Wuxu's sword."
"I see."
Chu Yunfei turned into a bustling long street.
Several lingering traces remained.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, but he did not make a move immediately.
The most important thing right now is to find a suitable place for cultivation, and at the same time wait for Qin Yangui the Heavenly Edict Sect to arrive in the imperial city.
Once Lu Shaoyuan's letter is delivered to the Heavenly Edict Sect, the transaction for the Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword will be complete. As for whether the letter mentions the relationship between the Blood Baleful Intent Tower and the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect, that's not his concern.
Inside the palace.
Ling Xueyao was still standing outside the side courtyard.
She only looked away when her personal maid cautiously stepped forward to remind her.
"Your Highness, Young Master Chu has already left the palace. It's windy outside, you should return to your chambers."
Ling Xueyao responded softly.
She turned and walked towards the main hall, but after taking more than ten steps, she suddenly stopped.
Just as his father awoke, Chu Yunfei received a secret mission.
Moreover, the mission was so urgent that there was no time to prepare; the crew had to leave the palace that very day.
Chu Yunfei just said that if she didn't believe him, she could go and ask her father directly.
This statement sounds frank, but upon closer examination, it seems as if he had already assumed that his father would cover for him.
What's even stranger is why the Emperor specifically chose Chu Yunfei?
The royal family has five Divine Sea Realm elders and a large number of secret guards. Whether it's gathering intelligence or carrying out clandestine missions, they are all more suitable than Chu Yunfei, who has only recently arrived in the capital.
Unless there is no such thing as a mission at all.
Ling Xueyao's unease surged again.
She turned around abruptly.
"Your Highness, where are you going?"
The personal maidservant quickly followed.
Ling Xueyao quickened her pace, and her eyes gradually turned cold.
"To the Imperial Palace."
Inside the main hall of the imperial palace.
Ling Zhantian sat cross-legged on the dragon throne with his eyes closed.
He had just woken up, and although the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison in his body had been removed, his soul and meridians had not yet fully recovered.
At this moment, his face was pale, his breathing was deep and even, and his spiritual energy circulated slowly around him with the cultivation technique.
Nine bronze lamps burned silently in the hall, their pale blue light falling on his brows, making his sickly face appear even more somber.
The palace doors were suddenly pushed open from the outside.
"Father!"
Ling Xueyao strode into the hall.
She walked very fast, her skirt billowing behind her, and the jade hairpin in her hair swaying gently with each step.
No one dared to stop them along the way.
Seeing her icy expression, the guards standing outside the palace all lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.
Ling Xueyao did not bow, but went straight to the center of the hall and stared at Ling Zhantian on the dragon throne.
Ling Zhantian's breath caught in his throat for a moment.
He had long known that he couldn't keep Chu Yunfei's departure from the palace from Ling Xueyao for long.
I just didn't expect her to find me so quickly.
Ling Zhantian slowly opened his eyes, a gentle smile returning to his face.
" Yao'er, why are you in such a hurry?"
He looked at his daughter, his tone as usual.
"Who made you angry? Tell your father, and he will settle things for you."
If it were in the past, Ling Xueyao might have already lowered her guard after hearing those words.
Her father has always doted on her.
When she was young, she was injured while practicing swordsmanship, and Ling Zhantian would personally stay by her bedside. Whatever she wanted, even the most precious elixirs from the royal treasury, Ling Zhantian rarely refused.
After she displayed her talent for cultivation, Ling Zhantian even said that he could hand over the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty to her in the future.
That was the person she trusted most in her memory.
But now, looking at Ling Zhantian's smile, she felt no warmth at all.
"Father, why did you do this?"