Being suddenly talked back to by the Crown Princess, Chu Zhenshan’s thin lips trembled, and he was left speechless. But remembering that the Fox Venerable was watching from behind, he knew he had to be equally forceful.
Just as the Great Elder of Chu was about to erupt, Ji Xuanyuan calmed her emotions and spoke first:
“I understand your concern for the younger generation, Great Elder. However, Young Master Yuan has performed his duties as a guide these past days in a manner that has truly won my favor. Of course, any lapses in care will naturally be addressed with more caution from now on. I hope you can rest assured, Great Elder. It is indeed my fault that Young Master Yuan has become physically weak from his strenuous efforts.”
What? What guide duties have won your favor?
Chu Zhenshan rolled his eyes disdainfully. From what this old man understands, didn’t the Crown Princess stay inside the Gu Manor from morning till night today? Where exactly did our Holy Son guide her? What places did they tour? This girl better not play dumb!
With that thought, Chu Zhenshan continued his argument, “Your Highness, you can’t put it that way! Chu Yuan is, after all, a disciple of my Chu Clan. What right do you have to keep him by your side indefinitely?”
Seeing his firm attitude, Ji Xuanyuan frowned slightly, thinking to herself, ‘This Great Elder is being rather obstinate! What benefits did that Chu Yunlan promise him, to make this old thing dare to oppose me so openly?’
While Ji Xuanyuan was puzzled, her guard captain saw an opportunity to perform and immediately chimed in to support the Crown Princess. “Great Elder, your words are quite inappropriate! I’ve heard your A-Yuan is merely an idle disciple within the Chu Clan. To be favored by Her Highness the Crown Princess is an honor for you. Why the need to have him return immediately? Or is it that your clan has objections to the decisions of the current Crown Princess? Are you deliberately picking a fight?”
Facing this accusation, Chu Zhenshan was inwardly alarmed. Logically, he should back down at this point, as they still needed to do business in her territory in the future. However, pressured by the Fox Venerable behind him, he could only grit his teeth and persist, feeling bitter inside.
“How could this old man have any objections to Your Highness? It’s just that after the Divine Grade Auction, the Divine Hunt Grand Ceremony is imminent. All the young descendants of the clan need to participate in the selection. This is the ancestral edict of the Sacred Domain! Even I must abide by it and ensure all living descendants participate. I implore Your Highness to be accommodating.”
Seeing him invoke the name of the “Taixu Sacred Domain,” the guard captain was now the one left speechless. It must be known that the Sacred Domain is a superpower independent of the Immortal Dynasty. The relationship between the two major powers has always been good. If they were to sour the relationship, not only might trade be hindered, but the borders of the Immortal Dynasty would likely no longer be peaceful.
Ji Xuanyuan, however, became even more certain: ‘This is definitely that Young Master Yunlan’s idea! Otherwise, how would Chu Zhenshan, a mere branch family elder, dare to use this as leverage?’
Ji Xuanyuan knew she couldn’t persist any longer. But then again, since the other party had even brought up the “Sacred Domain’s ancestral edict,” she had to give him a way out.
“Regarding the Sacred Domain’s ancestral edict, I naturally would not put you in a difficult position, Great Elder. How about this: before the Divine Grade Auction, Young Master Yuan will continue to fulfill his guide duties by my side. After the Divine Grade Auction concludes, I will personally ensure he returns safely, with generous additional compensation. If you are still uneasy at that time, you may come to fetch him then. How does that sound?”
“Ah, this…” Chu Zhenshan was conflicted. Her Highness had already given her promise. For him to persist further would be an offense. But if he retreated now, he wouldn’t be able to answer to the Fox Venerable.
Weighing his options, he could only send a sound transmission back first: -Fox Venerable, you see the situation. Her Highness has promised to return the Holy Son after the Divine Grade Auction. If this old man insists further, I’m afraid it will make Her Highness suspicious of the Holy Son’s identity. Furthermore, our family’s business in Xuanji City will be difficult to manage! You see, the Holy Son is only a bit weak, not fundamentally injured. How about we…?
Under the moonlight, Su Xuanxuan within the Chu family courtyard observed everything with her divine sense. Seeing that her A-Yuan was still unharmed, she calmed down somewhat. Given the current situation, if she insisted on getting Chu Yuan back, it would inevitably expose his identity as the Holy Son, undoubtedly wasting over ten years of planning.
‘A moment of impatience may ruin a great plan.’ Things having come to this, she could only let her own child suffer a bit more: -Forget it! Making more fuss is useless. Let it be for now! However, after the Divine Grade Auction, A-Yuan must return. If this Crown Princess dares not release him, even if it means offending the entire Immortal Dynasty, I will absolutely not let it go.
Hearing this, Chu Zhenshan in the Gu Manor secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Ji Xuanyuan, seeing the other party remain silent for a long time, continued to persuade, “Great Elder, please rest assured! Young Master Yuan will be safe here with me.”
As she spoke, her phoenix eyes swept towards Chu Yuan, who was standing to the side. “I presume Young Master Yuan also wishes to earn good compensation for the Divine Hunt Grand Ceremony, correct?”
Chu Yuan reluctantly cupped his hands. “Thank you for your grace and promotion, Your Highness!”
Seeing this, Chu Zhenshan also stopped wasting words. “Very well! Since that’s the case, then I’ll trouble Your Highness to look after my Chu Yuan. The night is late, and I shall not disturb Your Highness’s rest any further! I take my leave!” With that, he stood up, bowed, and left the Gu Manor with his subordinates.
Watching the Great Elder depart, Chu Yuan was overjoyed: ‘Good, good, good! Thanks to the Great Elder’s mediation, I just need to endure these few more days to end this torture of being ‘drained every night’! Besides, this woman is, after all, the Crown Princess of the Immortal Dynasty. She can’t possibly stay in Xuanji City forever. The day she sets off back to the royal capital, I will regain my freedom!’
Chu Yuan raised his eyebrows, only to hear a teasing voice beside him. “Young Master Yuan, what are you looking at?”
Following the voice, he saw Ji Xuanyuan’s charming, smiling eyes. “Let’s go! Accompany me back to my room for a night-long chat to decide where we should go sightseeing tomorrow!”
The next moment, Chu Yuan was practically dragged back to the Western Courtyard bedchamber, his face filled with utter despair. As the door closed again, he was like a golden canary locked in a cage, being freely drained by the Crown Princess.
Observing this scene with her divine sense, Su Xuanxuan’s jade-like hands within her sleeves clenched so tightly her nails dug deep into her palms. Watching her A-Yuan being “harvested” like this, she gritted her silver teeth. The night breeze blew past, stirring the golden hair at her temples. She raised a hand to gently brush it aside, her gaze deep and profound as an abyss: ‘Ji Xuanyuan! Just you wait! There will be a long time ahead. I have plenty of ways to make you, this vile woman, pay!’
—
Time flies, days and months flow like a stream.
For the next several days, Chu Yuan spent almost all his time in the Crown Princess’s room. And Ji Xuanyuan’s mastery of the Imperial World-Ordering Script had already reached the fourth level, [Equilibrium]. Thanks to the assistance of the divine artifact beneath her, she felt that with a few more months of secluded cultivation, she could reach the peak of the [Tongming Realm].
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