Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing checked into an inn within the capital city. Their plan was simple: buy the Sea Spirit Flower the next morning and return to the Wentian Sect immediately. The detour in the Immortal Abode had cost them precious time; less than half a month remained before the True Martial Ranking.
Once Su Miaoqing was asleep, Xiao Yifeng followed the tracking imprint he had left on Yuge. To his surprise, the siblings had remained in the Qingyuan Pavilion.
"Yuge wasn't sighing over anything specific," she explained softly. "Just feeling helpless about our current situation."
She proceeded to detail their struggles, holding nothing back. Then, she handed him a jade slip containing all the intelligence they had gathered recently.
Xiao Yifeng scanned it, impressed. He produced two new jade slips and handed them to her.
"To achieve this much in such a short time... you pass. These contain the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core chapters of your cultivation techniques."
Yuge accepted them, her expression calm. "Thank you, Young Master Wuying."
Xiao Yifeng ignored her cool demeanor. "Continue gathering intelligence here. Also, I need you to spread a rumor for me."
He placed another jade slip and a heavy Storage Bag on the table. "Follow the instructions inside. This bag contains your reward and operational supplies. Contact me via transmission talisman if anything urgent arises."
His figure began to fade into the shadows. "As for the Chanmian Pavilion personnel... I will handle them. In one hour, you can start reeling in the net. The rest is up to you."
With that, he vanished.
Yuge stared at the spot where he had stood, finding him increasingly unfathomable. Still, it seemed they were useful to him, which meant he wouldn't abandon them yet.
She checked the jade slip. The rumor he wanted spread was shocking: "The Chixiao Sect has pledged allegiance to the Starry Sky Sacred Hall!"
Following the rumor was a meticulously detailed plan. It was so foolproof that even a pig could execute it.
Yuge frowned, unable to see how this benefited "Wuying," but she wasted no time. She went to find Zhang Tianzhi. In one hour, the Yuanhai Kingdom was going to change forever.
After leaving the Qingyuan Pavilion, Xiao Yifeng headed straight for the Crown Prince's residence. A quick sweep of his Divine Sense revealed the place was empty.
Grabbing a random servant for interrogation, he learned that Crown Prince Dai Yun had been living in the Imperial Palace for months.
Xiao Yifeng sneered and flew toward the palace. With his Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivation and superior stealth techniques, infiltration was child's play.
His Divine Sense expanded, locating Dai Yun almost immediately.
Xiao Yifeng’s expression turned strange.
Why do I always catch him in the act? And why is it always Consort Lin? Though this time... there's an extra participant.
His scan alerted the palace's resident cultivators, but he ignored them, flying straight toward Dai Yun’s chambers.
En route, he noticed the old Emperor imprisoned deep within the palace, along with the Empress. It seemed Dai Yun hadn't dared to kill them yet, likely fearing a lack of legitimacy.
Inside the luxurious bedchamber, Dai Yun was enjoying a "One Dragon, Two Phoenixes" play. Beneath him were two delicate beauties.
One was the enchanting Consort Lin. The other was a stunning woman, another of the old Emperor’s favored concubines.
"Consort Wang," Dai Yun panted, working hard. "Who is more impressive? This Prince, or that old bag of bones?"
"Of course it is Your Highness," Consort Wang moaned, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "This slave cannot withstand your power... ah~"
Dai Yun laughed triumphantly, redoubling his efforts. Beside him, Consort Lin covered her mouth to hide a giggle, though her eyes held a trace of disdain.
Over the past two years, Dai Yun had bedded every concubine in the harem except the Empress. It was the ultimate power trip. He avoided the Empress only because she was the birth mother of Princess Lianyue, and he was terrified of Xiao Yifeng’s retribution. The "poison" he had ingested two years ago had left him impotent for a year; the trauma was still fresh.
"Consort Wang, your acting is superb. I almost believed it," a male voice drawled from the shadows. "Crown Prince Dai Yun truly embodies filial piety—sharing his father's burdens by day, and caring for his father's women by night. Heaven must be moved!"
Dai Yun froze. His blood ran cold. The voice appeared out of nowhere, just like that night.
"Who?! Who's there?!"
He scrambled off Consort Wang, pulling a sheet around himself as he stared in terror at the black-clad figure standing by the window.
Consort Wang screamed, diving under the covers. Consort Lin sat up, eyes narrowing as she stared at the intruder.
"Who are you?!" Dai Yun shouted, trying to muster his dignity. "Hiding your face like a rat! How dare you trespass in the Imperial Palace!"
Seeing it wasn't Xiao Yifeng, his panic subsided slightly.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Xiao Yifeng said coldly. "Just remember that I am the one here to kill you on behalf of the people."
Dai Yun discreetly crushed a jade slip by the bedside. Xiao Yifeng watched him do it and smiled.
"Make sure you call everyone," Xiao Yifeng advised helpfully. "Don't leave anyone out. It saves me the trouble of hunting them down."
Dai Yun was unnerved by the intruder's confidence. "Arrogant fool! Leave now, and I might spare you. If you wait for the Fairies of the Chanmian Pavilion to arrive, they will peel your skin and extract your soul!"
"Fellow Daoist," Consort Lin spoke up, covering her chest with one hand while arranging her legs demurely. "This is Chanmian Pavilion territory. I advise you to leave while you can."
She wasn't panicked; backup was already on the way. Instead, she studied the masked man with interest.
He gave her a very familiar feeling.