Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the empty hall.
Ling Zhantian's fingers, which were resting on the armrest, twitched slightly.
"Which matter is Yao'er referring to?"
His brow furrowed slightly, but the smile on his face hadn't faded.
"Father, why do you seem to misunderstand?"
Ling Xueyao stared intently into his eyes, without answering immediately.
Before rushing to the imperial palace, she still held onto a sliver of hope.
Perhaps Chu Yunfei really was just going to carry out some secret mission.
Perhaps her father sent her away because the matter involved royal secrets.
But the closer they got to the imperial palace, the stronger the unease became.
Chu Yunfei's unusual departure and her father's deliberate attempt to get her away all told her that things were not as simple as Chu Yunfei had made them out to be.
She had to come in person to confirm.
Ling Xueyao suppressed her surging emotions and deliberately let out a cold snort.
"Father, why pretend to be confused?"
" Chu Yunfei has told me everything!"
The firelight inside the hall flickered slightly.
The smile on Ling Zhantian's face finally faded.
Everything?
He stared at Ling Xueyao's reddened eyes, and the expression on Chu Yunfei's face when he left flashed through his mind.
That young man actually told Yao'er everything they had talked about?
Wasn't he afraid that Yao'er would turn against him?
Or was Chu Yunfei deliberately using Yao'er to pressure the royal family, forcing the Great Qian to make a statement in front of the Seven Sects?
A surge of anger rose in Ling Zhantian's heart, but he forcibly suppressed it.
But the next moment, he realized something was wrong.
Ling Xueyao's gaze was too intense.
After she finished speaking, she paused for a moment, as if waiting for his reaction.
Ling Zhantian watched her for a few moments and finally understood.
This is a test.
Chu Yunfei never told her the truth.
Ling Xueyao's previous statement was merely an attempt to extract an answer from him.
My daughter, who has always been aloof and taciturn, has actually learned to test me in this way.
Moreover, it was all for Chu Yunfei.
She even stormed into the imperial palace to confront her father, the emperor, because of that man.
And that's why the last trace of gentleness in Ling Zhantian's eyes slowly faded, and he finally chose to stop hiding it.
" Yao'er, you're still young, there are some things you don't understand."
He looked at Ling Xueyao, his voice low.
"Father is doing this for your own good, and also for the greater good."
" Chu Yunfei has now offended the four major sects and is also being targeted by the Blood Baleful Intent Tower. Keeping him in the palace will only cause all forces to direct their attacks at the royal family."
"You should understand your father's good intentions."
boom!
It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Ling Xueyao's mind.
She stood there, her face gradually turning pale.
She had only been testing the waters, hoping to glean answers from her father's reaction. But these words shattered her last shred of hope.
Chu Yunfei had no secret missions.
His father really forced him to leave.
Tears welled up in Ling Xueyao's eyes, and her voice trembled.
"For my own good?"
"Father, how could you do this?"
She raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but the more she wiped, the more tears flowed.
" Chu Yunfei saved your daughter, and he saved you too. On the night the Blood Baleful Intent Tower stormed the palace, if he hadn't covered for you, you wouldn't even have had the chance to wake up."
"Now that Father has just woken up, he's already being pushed out to face the pursuit of the Seven Sects and the Blood Baleful Intent Tower alone."
Why is that?
Ling Zhantian's face darkened.
"There's no reason why!"
" Chu Yunfei is currently a thorn in the side of various forces. The Heavenly Sword Sect, the Cangyun Sect, the Puppet Sect, and the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect all have a grudge against him. Keeping him in the palace will only bring disaster to the royal family!"
Ling Zhantian leaned forward slightly, his voice filling the entire hall.
" The Great Qian is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and the Blood Baleful Intent Tower is lurking in the shadows, watching us with predatory intent."
"I cannot afford this risk!"
The aura of the Divine Sea Realm Ninth Level dissipated with the last sentence.
The nine bronze lamps inside the hall began to sway simultaneously, their pale blue flames pressed almost against the wicks.
Ling Xueyao was forced to take half a step back by the oppressive aura.
But she didn't bow her head.
She simply stared at her father on the dragon throne, her disappointment deepening.
"My daughter doesn't understand."
Ling Xueyao's voice was still trembling, but she did not back down in the slightest.
"Our royal family has a history of ten thousand years, our elders are still alive, and you have already awakened. Why should we be afraid of them?"
"Moreover, Chu Yunfei is a benefactor of the royal family!"
Ling Xueyao looked at Ling Zhantian, her voice gradually becoming hoarse.
"Father is now so ungrateful..."
What's the difference between this and ingratitude?
"Presumptuous!"
Ling Zhantian slammed his palm on the armrest.
boom!
The air inside the hall churned, and the nine bronze lamps vibrated simultaneously.
Ling Xueyao's face turned even paler, but she still stood ramrod straight.
"My father once taught me that one should repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude."
"But now, Chu Yunfei saved Father's life, and instead of repaying him, Father drove him away when he was in the most danger."
"Does Father no longer stand by his own words after he wakes up?"
Click.
A thin crack appeared on the armrest of the dragon throne.
Ling Zhantian clenched his fists, his voice as cold as ice.
"It is none of your business to judge what I have done!"
"You only see that he saved me, but you don't see how much trouble he will bring to the Great Qian."
"He possesses the key to the legacy of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor, and even more so, the Abyss-Devouring Sword left behind by Luo Wuxu. Those who covet these things are far more than just the four sects you've seen!"
Ling Zhantian's gaze was sharp, and each word was deliberate and forceful.
"You think keeping him in the palace is repaying a debt of gratitude?"
"Wrong! That's using the entire Great Qian to shield him from all enemies!"
Ling Xueyao's eyes welled up with tears again.
So what?
She raised her head and met Ling Zhantian's gaze.
"My daughter has now broken through to the Divine Sea Realm and is capable of facing challenges alongside him. Moreover, without Chu Yunfei, my daughter might still be trapped in the Heavenly Origin Realm!"
Divine Sea Realm.
Upon hearing these three words, Ling Zhantian's expression completely changed.
Although he knew that Ling Xueyao's breakthrough to the Divine Sea Realm was related to Chu Yunfei, hearing his daughter admit it with his own ears still almost made him lose control of his anger.
The link he had laid out for twenty years was abruptly torn open because of Chu Yunfei's appearance.
Ling Zhantian's chest heaved heavily.
Unfortunately, Ling Xueyao was unaware of her father's change.
She just wanted to clarify their relationship and hope her father would change his mind.
Ling Xueyao continued, "Now, Yao'er belongs to Chu Yunfei. He is the husband my daughter has chosen."
"Does Father really intend to stand idly by and watch him be hunted down?"
The suppressed rage in Ling Zhantian's eyes finally erupted.
"Shut up!"
A furious shout shook the entire hall, making it vibrate.
Ling Xueyao trembled slightly, staring incredulously at her father on the dragon throne.
Ling Zhantian's face was ashen. " Chu Yunfei took advantage of my unconsciousness to make advances on you and tarnish your reputation."
"I haven't settled this score with him yet!"
"I have already shown you the utmost kindness by merely allowing him to leave the palace!"
He stared at Ling Xueyao, his voice devoid of any fatherly gentleness.
Who does he think he is?
"A disgraced disciple of the Azure Mystic Sect, relying solely on a few strokes of luck, dares to dream of marrying the princess of the Great Qian Dynasty?"
He doesn't deserve you!
Ling Zhantian raised his hand and pointed outside the hall, his tone resolute.
"From this day forward, you are forbidden to mention this person again!"
"As long as I live, Chu Yunfei will never be allowed to get any closer to you!"