at the same time.
It is thousands of miles away from the imperial city.
A sky-blue spirit boat broke through the sea of clouds, its hull pattern flashing continuously, leaving a long, slender trail of blue light in the sky.
Wen Jiao stood by the railing at the front of the deck.
The spirit boat formation blocked the fierce winds from the high altitude, and her white dress remained motionless, but her gaze remained fixed on the direction of the imperial city.
The affairs of Qingyang City have been arranged.
According to the Pill Pavilion's original plan, she was to inspect several branch pavilions along the way before returning to the main pavilion in the imperial city.
However, during this period, more and more news came from the capital.
Most of them are related to Chu Yunfei.
Wen Jiao had urged the spirit boat to speed up more than once.
Uncle Yao stepped out of the cabin, looked up at the clouds above, stroked his gray beard, and smiled, "Miss, at the current speed, we'll arrive at the capital in half a day. The Grand Master has also received the news and is rushing back from the Jade Firmament Sect. Judging by the time, he should arrive around the same time as us."
Wen Jiao then withdrew her gaze and nodded slightly to Uncle Yao.
"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Yao, during this time."
" The Qingyang City branch has just changed its garrison, and now you're accompanying me on a nightly journey. Once we return to the main branch, Uncle Yao, please rest for a few days. The rest can be left to others."
"What are you saying, Miss?"
Uncle Yao waved his hand, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
"During this trip to Qingyang City, Miss not only resolved the hidden dangers of the Heavenly Yin Baleful Intent Physique, but also stepped into the Divine Sea Realm in one fell swoop. Such a joyous occasion, let alone traveling for a few days, even if I had to work for several months, I would still be happy."
When the Heavenly Yin Baleful Intent Physique was mentioned, Wen Jiao's expression softened.
Every time the Yin Baleful Intent flared up, she had to endure the pain of her meridians freezing. The Pill Pavilion secretly invited many alchemists and famous doctors, and used countless rare spiritual medicines, but they could only barely suppress it.
She once thought that she would one day die from the backlash of the Yin Baleful Intent.
Until Chu Yunfei appeared.
The first time the man saw her fall ill, he immediately identified her as having Heavenly Yin Baleful Intent Physique and used an unprecedented method to gradually extract the Yin Baleful Intent that had been entrenched in her body for many years.
Wen Jiao said softly, "I should thank Young Master Chu for this. If it weren't for his help, even if I could have survived that attack, I might not have been able to continue."
The words had barely left his mouth.
The images of those three treatments flashed through her mind again.
Especially the last time.
Their clothes were completely removed, leaving them with nothing to cover themselves.
Even...
Wen Jiao's breath hitched for a moment, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
She quickly remembered that Uncle Yao was still standing beside her, immediately suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, and resumed her usual dignified and aloof demeanor.
Uncle Yao noticed her changes but didn't point them out.
He still remembered the first time he met Chu Yunfei; he was extremely wary of the young man and almost chased him away.
Who could have imagined that the boy who was only at the Body Tempering Realm Refinement Realm at the beginning would grow to a point in just a few months that even the Seven Sects' Holy Sons could not ignore?
What concerned Uncle Yao even more was his young mistress's attitude towards Chu Yunfei.
Wen Jiao has been aloof and cold since childhood.
Even when faced with those distinguished young talents, he never showed much interest.
But along the way, she had already urged the spirit boat to speed up three times.
Uncle Yao glanced at her, but swallowed back the words he was about to say.
Chu Yunfei now holds the title of Imperial Son-in-Law of the Great Qian Dynasty.
There are some things that even he finds difficult to point out.
Uncle Yao coughed lightly and changed the subject. "That young master Chu is indeed unfathomable. I previously thought that he could cure Miss, but he just happened to possess a strange technique. Now it seems that I was mistaken."
"News has come from the capital that he single-handedly fought three sects' holy sons in the Jingyuan Hall, killed a true disciple, severed Qin Hao's arm, and suppressed the Puppet Sect's holy son to the point of being unable to raise his head. Now his prestige has surpassed that of most of the seven sects' holy sons."
A faint smile appeared on Wen Jiao's lips.
She was stunned for a long time when she first received the news.
When Chu Yunfei left Qingyang City, although he had already shown an astonishing rate of growth, he was still unable to directly confront the Seven Sects' Holy Sons.
But how long has it been?
He was already able to suppress the three prodigies of the imperial city.
The secrets about that guy seem endless.
But when she thought of the other message that had come from the capital, the smile on Wen Jiao's lips slowly faded.
After returning to the capital, Ling Xueyao did not revoke Chu Yunfei's status as the imperial son-in-law.
Not only that, she also let Chu Yunfei stay in the princess's palace.
The two were inseparable every day.
The incident at the Cangwu Mountain Range, where Ling Xueyao publicly addressed Chu Yunfei as her consort, could still be explained as a temporary measure.
By using his status as a prince consort, he could circumvent the century-old agreement that the royal family could not interfere in sectarian conflicts.
Even after the crisis was over, Ling Xueyao still tacitly accepted the relationship.
That cannot be explained simply as a stopgap measure.
"Could it be... that Xueyao has really fallen for him?"
The thought had barely crossed her mind when Wen Jiao felt as if something was blocking her chest.
Ling Xueyao was her close friend of many years.
It was she who sent a message to Ling Xueyao, asking her to rush to Qingyang City, which enabled Chu Yunfei to escape from the clutches of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
But Chu Yunfei had also saved her life.
The memories left by those three treatments had already silently taken root in her heart.
By the time she realized it, that face with its slightly frivolous smile was already hard to erase from her mind.
He introduced Chu Yunfei to Ling Xueyao himself.
As a result, his best friend became his fiancée?
Wen Jiao felt increasingly choked up, and her hand unconsciously tightened around the railing.
Seeing this, Uncle Yao sighed inwardly.
really.
My young lady is in a hurry to return to the capital, so the affairs of the Pill Pavilion are probably just something she does on the side.
He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is Miss worried about Young Master Chu's situation in the capital? While his suppression of the three sects' holy sons has brought him fame, it has also deeply offended the Cangyun Sect and the Puppet Sect. Add to that the Heavenly Sword Sect, with whom he already has a grudge, and I'm afraid the capital will not be peaceful in the near future."
Wen Jiao released the railing, her expression quickly returning to normal.
"His personality is too flamboyant, and he refuses to back down when things go wrong. Now he has many enemies, so I naturally have to consider whether he might be in danger."
She paused, as if feeling this reason wasn't enough, and added, "Furthermore, Young Master Chu has a pill formula contract with the Pill Pavilion. From any perspective, the Pill Pavilion cannot stand idly by and watch him be besieged by various sects."
Uncle Yao sensed the evasiveness in her words, but wisely refrained from exposing her.
"Miss, there's no need to worry too much. With the strength Young Master Chu has shown so far, ordinary Divine Sea Realm might not be able to defeat him. Besides, the Great Qian Imperial Family has already recognized his status. As long as the title of Imperial Son-in-Law remains, those sects will have to consider the royal family's reputation to some extent."
Prince Consort.
Wen Jiao's eyes flickered slightly.
It was just two words, but they sounded particularly jarring.
She turned around, her tone indifferent.
"Now that he is the imperial consort, he not only has Xueyao protecting him, but also the royal family backing him up, so I naturally have no reason to worry too much."
Uncle Yao's lips twitched slightly.
He wanted to remind his young mistress that the person who had been looking towards the capital city didn't seem genuinely unconcerned.
However, if he were to say that out loud, he would probably have to stand at the stern of the ship in the cold wind for the next half day.
Uncle Yao wisely shut his mouth.
Just then, a rapid tremor suddenly came from Wen Jiao's arms.
Buzz!
The vibration sounded seven times in a row.
Every interval was precise, down to the last detail.
Wen Jiao's expression changed, and she immediately took out a dark blue jade slip from her bosom.
On the front of the jade slip is engraved a simple word "wen", surrounded by three red lines as thin as hair.
Ordinary communication jade slips can be viewed simply by injecting spiritual energy.
But this jade slip is different.
It is a blood-patterned secret message used exclusively within the Wen Family.
The simultaneous lighting of three crimson lines signifies that the news must not be leaked and that the situation is urgent.
Uncle Yao clearly recognized the item as well, and his expression immediately became serious.
" The Wen Family's secret message based on bloodlines?"
Wen Jiao did not answer.
There aren't many people qualified to contact her through this jade slip.
She was all too familiar with the aura lingering on the jade slip.
The messenger was none other than her master in the Heavenly Sword Sect, and also an elder of the Wen Family, Wen Buqi.
Wen Jiao pointed her finger at the center of the jade slip, forcing out a drop of her fingertip's essence blood.
As the blood fell, the three crimson lines quickly dispersed, transforming into a miniature restriction that completely enveloped her divine sense.
The next moment, the contents of the secret message flooded into his mind.
Wen Jiao's breathing stopped.
She gripped the jade slip tightly, not even hearing Uncle Yao call her name.
Uncle Yao's heart sank.
Even when the Heavenly Yin Baleful Intent Physique flared up, the young lady never showed this expression.
He took half a step forward.
"Miss, what exactly did the secret message say?"
Wen Jiao still did not answer.
Her entire focus was on the last few sentences of the secret message.
After the Seven Sects Grand Competition.
The Heavenly Sword Sect will take action against Chu Yunfei.
Previously, she had asked Wen Buqi to keep an eye on the movements of the Heavenly Sword Sect towards Chu Yunfei.
For so long, Wen Buqi has not sent back any clear news.
But now, he not only sent a warning message, but also used the Wen Family's highest-level blood-patterned secret message.
If it were merely Mo Yuan or Nangong Wuhen revenge in private, Master would never have taken it so seriously.
The fact that he took it so seriously can only mean one thing.
This time, it wasn't some elder who wanted to kill Chu Yunfei.
Instead, they were high-ranking members of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The power they were preparing to use was far beyond what a Divine Sea Realm elder like Mo Yuan could match.
What worried Wen Jiao even more was that the Heavenly Sword Sect knew that Chu Yunfei was a prince consort, yet they still made the decision.
The fact that they dared to take action shows that they had already planned how to deal with the royal family.
The words Uncle Yao had just said about "considering the face of the royal family" now sounded like a joke that could fall apart at any moment.
Wen Jiao suddenly raised her head.
"No."
I must get back to the capital as soon as possible.
Judging from her reaction, Uncle Yao had already guessed what was going on.
"Is the secret message related to Young Master Chu?"
Wen Jiao did not hide anything.
"My master has sent word that the Heavenly Sword Sect is preparing to take action against Chu Yunfei after the Seven Sects Grand Competition."
"The secret message didn't provide details, but Master used the Bloodline Transmission method, which couldn't possibly be just a personal decision by some elder."
The smile on Uncle Yao's face vanished completely.
He originally thought that Chu Yunfei had only offended Nangong Wuhen and Mo Yuan, and even if the two held a grudge, they would not dare to openly kill a Great Qian Dynasty.
However, if this is a decision made by the higher-ups of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the significance is entirely different.
Once such a behemoth is truly in operation, the power it can mobilize is far beyond what a young prodigy can withstand.
Wen Jiao gazed in the direction of the imperial city, her speech becoming increasingly rapid.
"As long as Chu Yunfei remains in the palace, the Heavenly Sword Sect will have some reservations."
"But he can't stay out of the palace forever."
"Moreover, with the Seven Sects Grand Competition just around the corner and the situation in the Imperial City complex, no one can guarantee that the Heavenly Sword Sect won't make a move ahead of time."
Uncle Yao said in a deep voice, "Miss, if this is a decision made by the higher-ups of the Heavenly Sword Sect, we may not be able to stop it."
"It would be best to wait until the Grand Master returns to the Imperial City and negotiates with the Heavenly Sword Sect on his behalf. Only in this way will the negotiations have the necessary weight."
"I can't wait."
Wen Jiao interrupted him directly.
"Father is still on his way back from the Jade Firmament Sect, and no one can be sure when he will arrive in the capital."
"If the Heavenly Sword Sect really makes a move ahead of schedule, and Chu Yunfei is caught completely off guard, the consequences will be unimaginable."
She put away the blood-patterned jade slip, her voice already carrying a command.
" Uncle Yao, activate all the formations on the spirit boat."
"The loss of spirit stones is irrelevant; I need to reach the imperial city as quickly as possible!"
Uncle Yao glanced back at the cabin.
"Miss, the spirit boat has been flying at full speed for two consecutive days."
"If we force an acceleration any further, the array's core may overheat, and in severe cases, the entire spirit ship could go out of control."
Wen Jiao did not hesitate.
"If the array's core is damaged, replace it with a spare spiritual artifact. If you don't have enough spirit stones, take everything out of your storage ring."
She looked at Uncle Yao and said firmly, "I need to reach the capital before nightfall."
Uncle Yao looked at her for a moment, and finally stopped trying to dissuade her.
"I understand."
He rushed into the cabin, his hands forming mudras one after another.
Around the core of the formation, a large number of mid-grade spirit stones lit up simultaneously.
A surge of Spiritual Qi flowed into the ship, and the array patterns, which were already operating at full speed, burst forth with a dazzling blue light once again.
Buzz!
The entire spirit ship shook violently.
The cyan light curtain on the outer layer of the ship quickly contracted, and a sharp, air-piercing array pattern condensed in front of it.
The next moment.
boom!
The spirit boat's speed increased dramatically, transforming into a streak of azure light that tore through the sea of clouds ahead, hurtling towards the imperial city.
Wen Jiao remained standing at the very front of the deck.
Outside the formation, the violent air currents emitted a deafening roar.
She seemed not to hear anything, but simply gripped the communication jade slip in her sleeve tightly.
Chu Yunfei.
You must wait for me.