"Senior Sister, why are you here? Didn't I tell you to wait for me at the inn?" Xiao Yifeng asked, looking utterly stunned.
"Am I disturbing you, Young Master Xiao?" Su Miaoqing said expressionlessly.
Xiao Yifeng had never seen her with such an expression before and felt a sudden wave of panic.
"Senior Sister, let me explain," Xiao Yifeng hurriedly said.
"I thought you left me behind to do something dangerous, but you came here to indulge in pleasure instead! Hmph!" Su Miaoqing turned around, transformed into a streak of flame, and shot into the sky, drawing gasps of shock from the surrounding crowd.
"Brother Tianzhi, please look after Miss Yurou for me. I will come find you later!" Xiao Yifeng dared not linger for a second. He immediately mounted Falling Rainbow and soared into the sky, chasing after Su Miaoqing.
Only Zhang Tianzhi and Yurou were left behind, staring at each other in bewilderment.
"Young Master Zhang, is that lady... Young Master Xiao's...?" Yurou asked in disbelief.
"That is his Senior Sister. They are likely Dao companions," Zhang Tianzhi said with a bitter smile.
Yurou could hardly describe her feelings, feeling nearly driven to frenzy. She had originally thought that with her beauty, even if she followed Xiao Yifeng back, she could at least hold a place as a concubine.
Seeing Su Miaoqing's peerless beauty, she felt utterly defeated. How could she compete with an opponent like that? That lady was a true fairy!
In her heart, she wished she could give Xiao Yifeng a sound tongue-lashing. With such a companion, why in the world was he still visiting pleasure houses? What was he aiming for?
"Senior Sister, listen to me! It is not what you think-I had an actual reason for going there!" Xiao Yifeng shouted from behind her.
"Hmph! Do not think I have never left the sect or seen the world, or that I do not know what a brothel is! How else do you plan to deceive me?" Su Miaoqing snapped angrily.
"Miss Yurou is the daughter of a distant relative of mine. I only learned by chance that she had fallen to such a state, so I went to rescue her," Xiao Yifeng blurted out, offering the excuse he had prepared earlier.
"Bah! How shameless! Third Senior Sister told me long ago that men like you love persuading women of the brothels to reform! Do you really take me for a fool? How do you explain the lip print on your face? I saw her kiss you with my own eyes!" Su Miaoqing spat back in rage.
Xiao Yifeng never expected Third Senior Sister to have told Su Miaoqing such things. For a moment, he was left at a loss for words.
"Hmph, you have nothing to say, do you?" Seeing him fall silent, Su Miaoqing grew even more furious. Without another word, she accelerated, leaving Xiao Yifeng behind in an instant.
Xiao Yifeng gave chase all the way out of the city, but she was nowhere to be found. At first, he could still trail behind her, but once Su Miaoqing realized he was following, she accelerated rapidly to shake him off.
There was a vast difference in their cultivation strength, and Xiao Yifeng could not openly summon the Zhan Xian Sword to boost his speed. He could only watch helplessly as she disappeared from view.
No matter how he called out, Su Miaoqing ignored him completely. She was truly enraged this time. Xiao Yifeng was left entirely bewildered.
He landed some distance outside the city, at a total loss. He had managed to lose his Senior Sister. If Master and Mistress found out about this, he would be dead for sure.
He figured Su Miaoqing was angry with him, but her anger would not last too long. Furthermore, she was carrying the dragon-patterned jade pendant he had given her. As long as she kept it on her person, no one below the Nascent Soul realm could cause her significant harm.
His primary concern now was her lack of world experience. Her stunning beauty could easily invite trouble.
At the thought, he slapped himself hard. Because his current strength was insufficient and his Divine Sense could not extend far enough, he had been completely unaware that Su Miaoqing had followed him.
If anything happened to Su Miaoqing, how could he face his Master and Mistress?
Yet worrying now was useless. He already possessed most of the materials required for Foundation Establishment, so breaking through to Foundation Establishment as soon as possible was his top priority.
Without further hesitation, he mounted his sword and flew back toward the city. The urgent task at hand was to secure the Immortal Abode jade token from Yurou.
By the time he returned to the city, the chase had consumed the entire night, and the sky was growing light.
Xiao Yifeng landed in a quiet spot, asked a passerby for the location where foreign envoys stayed, and headed directly for the official post station.
When he arrived at the post station, he found a large crowd gathered around the perimeter, whispering among themselves. He pushed through the crowd and walked in.
He found that the post station had caught fire; the flames had only recently been doused, and thick black smoke was still rising.
"Brother, do you know what happened here? Why did it catch fire? What about the foreign envoys?" Xiao Yifeng hurriedly grabbed a passerby and asked.
"Ah, let me tell you! In the middle of the night, official troops suddenly rushed in to arrest those foreigners, claiming they were traitors. Those people fought back fiercely and set fire to the entire post station. Many were killed on the spot, though a few leaders escaped!" the old man replied excitedly, as if describing a grand scene.
"Indeed! I heard there is a city-wide search for them right now!" another passerby chimed in.
"There were even immortals fighting yesterday! Swords and blades flashing, and with just a wave of their hands, wild winds blew!" an older woman added.
"Weren't they foreign envoys? How did they suddenly become traitors?" Xiao Yifeng asked in confusion.
"Who knows?" The onlookers were completely uninformed, so Xiao Yifeng could only quietly depart.
If anyone understood this matter best right now, it was likely the high officials and nobles of the court.
After considering for a moment, Xiao Yifeng decided to seek out the foolish Crown Prince Dai Yun to ask him directly.
After asking a passerby for directions to the Prince's Mansion, Xiao Yifeng walked straight toward it.
The Prince's Mansion was situated very close to the imperial palace. Considering the events of last night, Xiao Yifeng assumed the other side would be on guard. Moving rashly so close to the palace could easily alert the enemy.
Xiao Yifeng did not know what they were thinking. Since they dared to ignore his and Su Miaoqing's warnings to move against Zhang Tianzhi and the others, would they be equally reckless toward his own people?
He performed the Breath Concealment Technique and flew quietly into the courtyard from behind. The Prince's Mansion was vast, so Xiao Yifeng navigated by listening carefully to the sounds.
He eventually held a mansion steward hostage and learned that the Crown Prince was currently inside, having just returned from morning court, in his sleeping quarters.
Obtaining the news, Xiao Yifeng knocked the steward unconscious, hid him behind a rockery in a secluded courtyard, and headed toward the reported sleeping quarters.
With Xiao Yifeng's speed, he quickly arrived at the prince's sleeping quarters. He saw that it was magnificent and exceptionally spacious, yet strangely void of servants, with only a few guarding the outer perimeter.
Such a strange situation immediately caught Xiao Yifeng's attention. Realizing a sudden possibility, his expression changed drastically, and he sprinted straight into the palace.