Given how outrageous Zhang Yuge’s words were, everyone present was left utterly speechless.
The Zhang family members scrutinized Li Yuluo, who was dressed in palace maid attire, still half in disbelief.
Finally, Lin Yi broke the silence first.
Supported by Zhang Qingyao, she slowly approached Li Yuluo.
At this moment, Li Yuluo’s face flushed red from Zhang Yuge’s earlier statement.
She lowered her head shyly, unable to meet Lin Yi’s gaze.
“Miss,”
Lin Yi gently took Li Yuluo’s hands in hers, lifting them softly,
“could you tell me who you really are?”
“Well, I…”
Li Yuluo stammered, unsure how to answer, sneaking a glance at Zhang Yuge.
Lin Yi naturally noticed this small gesture and said,
“Did Yao’er bully you? Don’t be afraid, tell me, I’ll see justice done for you.”
“No, no, that’s not it…”
Right now, Li Yuluo wished she could just crawl into a hole and never come out.
Ah, help!
How could they just openly reveal her true identity like this?
Suddenly, Zhang Yuge appeared from nowhere and wrapped his arm around the girl’s slender waist, causing Li Yuluo to be momentarily stunned.
“Mother, I told you, Prince Kang is actually a girl—it’s just that few people know. Yuluo is not only a prince of Dazhou now, but also my wife. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Qingyao. During my time away from home, Qingyao has been by my side the whole time.”
Lin Yi turned her head toward Zhang Qingyao, who was supporting her.
Zhang Qingyao nodded helplessly:
“What the young master says is true. Prince Kang is indeed a girl.”
The Zhang family was shocked beyond words.
So it was true!
“I am Zhang Zhengzhi, the Prefect of Ningzhou, I pay my respects to the prince.”
“Greetings, Prince.”
“Greetings, Prince.”
“Uh… no need for formalities, everyone, please.”
Being held by Zhang Yuge like this, in front of so many people, Li Yuluo could hardly lose her temper.
She forced a smile in response.
Still, she wasn’t about to let him off lightly.
She reached behind and pinched the flesh on Zhang Yuge’s waist hard.
“We’re all family now; no need for formalities between parents and children,”
Li Yuluo said graciously.
“So, Prince means that you and our Yao’er have already held a wedding ceremony?”
Lin Yi asked.
“Eh?”
Li Yuluo froze.
Wedding, wedding ceremony?!
Her mind short-circuited as she involuntarily pictured herself wearing a phoenix crown, her face covered with a red veil, dressed in red robes, and marrying Zhang Yuge.
Ugh, it was too embarrassing.
Seeing the girl beside him remain silent, Zhang Yuge hurriedly said,
“Not married yet. If Yuluo and I marry, how could it be without parents?”
“Yes, you two have been betrothed privately since you were away. The wedding hasn’t been held because you weren’t here,”
Li Yuluo chimed in.
“So, Mother, do you approve of this marriage?”
“Yes, of course, how could I not approve?”
Lin Yi was overjoyed.
The other Zhang family members also congratulated their family head and his wife.
“Once, I thought Yao’er might never find a suitable wife in this lifetime. Now it seems I was worried for nothing. Yao’er is not only skilled and powerful but has also found such an excellent wife. This is truly wonderful,”
Lin Yi said excitedly.
“I don’t think I’m that bad, Mother. You’re underestimating me,”
Zhang Yuge said with a helpless smile.
Zhang Qingyao, who was supporting Lin Yi, lowered his head silently, lost in thought.
The gathering continued chatting for a while longer before Zhang Yuge took his leave.
Before leaving, he instructed his two wives to escort the entire Zhang family—all two hundred people—safely out of the capital, while he himself would return to Main Hall Square.
“Xiao Yao, Yuluo, the Zhang family members are all defenseless now. You two have to protect them.”
Zhang Yuge’s expression was unusually serious.
“Don’t worry, young master. Qingyao guarantees the task will be completed.”
“Husband, promise me you’ll bring back my imperial elder brother safely, okay?”
“I promise you.”
After bidding everyone farewell, Zhang Yuge donned his shaman mask and black robe once again—the national advisor returned at full strength!
“Disciple, there is something I must tell you.”
Suddenly, Yun Lan’s voice entered his mind again.
“Speak, Master.”
“The group of young men you killed were probably not disciples of the Wuling Sect.”
“Not Wuling Sect? Then which sect were they from?”
“That white-clothed man at the Foundation Establishment stage—before he died, he unleashed all his strength. The patterns of his sword moves resemble the Inner Sect Sword Technique of the Shenhuang Sect.”
“The Shenhuang Sect? The top-tier sect I got my guaranteed admission to?”
“Exactly.”
Zhang Yuge was puzzled and asked,
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would the Shenhuang Sect be targeting the Zhang family?”
Yun Lan gave no answer, and a brief silence followed.
After a while, Zhang Yuge cautiously asked,
“Master, is the Shenhuang Sect… after you?”
“…Why would you think that?”
“Last time I asked Xiao Yao about the Zhang family’s ancestors, I learned that their genealogy only goes back five hundred years, and that over these centuries, they relocated multiple times before finally settling in Ningzhou.”
“Hmm, I heard that too.”
“If I’m not mistaken, Master, your Hehuan Sect was also destroyed over five hundred years ago, right?”
Zhang Yuge asked.
“…Is that enough to conclude there is a connection between me and the Zhang family? That’s rather rash, disciple.”
“Of course not. The reason I’m thinking this is because of this Purple Ring containing your residual soul, which Xiao Yao found in the Zhang family’s treasury.”
“I have been in a dormant state for many years. The ring changed hands multiple times—it’s nothing unusual.”
Seeing Yun Lan trying to evade the topic, Zhang Yuge pressed on.
“Xiao Yao also mentioned an unspoken rule within the Zhang family: all members avoid contact with the capital. It seems the Zhang family is hiding from some force in the capital, not wanting to be discovered.”
“That makes sense. As far as I know, the head of the Shenhuang Sect hails from the Ji family in the capital.”
“Master, your surname is Yun. What relationship do you have with the Yun family in the capital?”
Yun Lan fell silent again.
This time, Zhang Yuge wisely refrained from pressing further.
When he returned to Main Hall Square, night was approaching, and the sun was about to disappear behind the mountains.
The scene was completely different from when Zhang Yuge had left—the square was littered with corpses everywhere, shriveled bodies strewn about.
He immediately recognized one: Yun Hai, the head of the Yun family, who had just lost his son.
Yun Hai and several Yun family elders lay dead, twisted and sprawled across the ground.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuge grew concerned for Yun Lan.
“Master? Master?”
Yun Lan did not respond.