At the Capital of the Fen Dynasty
Deep within a hidden chamber,
Prime Minister Wu can be see pacing back and forth in the room, his expression dark and restless.
Soon,
The door he had been waiting on finally creaked open.
A figure cloaked in heavy robes entered, their face hidden.
"What is going on?" Prime Minister Wu demanded at once. "Why hasnât Fen Ziyan returned?? And why hasnât His Majesty announced her exile yet?"
The barrage of questions hung in the air, but the robed person only sat down slowly before answering in an indifferent tone.
"I donât know."
Their voice carrying a strange neutrality that made it impossible to tell if it belonged to man or woman.
"You donât know?" Prime Minister Wuâs voice cracked with frustration. "You should know better than me...youâre closer to him!" He clutched his head, veins bulging on his forehead.
The robed figure remained silent, their calmness only fueling Prime Minister Wuâs impatience.
His dream of breaking through to the next realm had been within reachâyet now Fen Ziyan had not returned, and the Emperor still had not declared her exile.
Finally, the figure spoke again.
"It seems we will have to bring her back nowâwhether she is exiled or not."
Prime Minister Wu froze, then asked in a low voice, "What do you mean?"
A soft chuckle escaped from beneath the robe, followed by a smile laced with malice.
"Didnât you tell me your beloved niece informed you that Fen Ziyan left on a sect mission?"
Prime Minister Wu gave a reluctant nod as he understands the hidden meaning behind the robe person word, though hesitation flickered in his eyes.
As capturing a princess outright was far too risky.
Because too much attention would be drawnâespecially since neither of them could afford to reveal about their collusion with a demonic sect.
Noticing Prime Minister Wuâs hesitation, the robed figure sneered and explain
"This is actually the best time. You might not know it, but.... the 11th Emissary of Divine Blood has already arrived..."
Hearing this, Prime Minister Wuâs eyes widened in shock.
He murmured, "You mean... the
Blood Moon
? Could it be he intends to infiltrate the Hidden Phoenix Realm?"
The robed figure gave a slow nod.
"Most likely. Heâs probably back for revenge.. After all, he was once a genius of the Azure Moon Sect."
A faint smile touched their lips. "And this is also our best chance. The Azure Moon Sect will be soon thrown into chaos once the Eleventh Emissary stirs some trouble inside the secret realm. Then they wonât have the leisure to notice the disappearance of a mere outer sect disciple."
Hearing this, Prime Minister Wuâs expression grew grim as he knew it wouldnât be just a small disturbance like the robe person describe...Noâwhat awaited inside was likely to be a massacre.
But the robed figure wasnât finished.
"And thereâs another matter....Iâve been told that the 12th Emissary has also been lurking for a very long while near the very place Fen Ziyan is heading."
Prime Minister Wuâs eyes flew wide again.
He had never imagined there would be another Emissary hiding so close to the Azure Moon Sect.
"
The Mad Alchemist
? What in the heavens is he doing there...?"
"I donât know. Most likely experimenting with some taboo arts again." The robed figure rose casually to their feet, turning toward the door.
"Now then, arrange some men to... escort Fen Ziyan back. Iâll go and try to find out what His Majesty is planning."
Prime Minister Wu just gave a distracted nod, as his thoughts currently is heavy.
The situation was spiraling into something far more dangerous than he had anticipated.
So many Emissaries of Divine Blood actually gathered here.
"Is it because
he
is here..?"
After a long moment of silence, he let out a sigh and finally rose to his feet as well.
As he would need to make preparations to retrieved Fen Ziyan at once before anything happened to her.
_
_
Back at the Silk Caravan Building,
"Greetings," Li Feng said smoothly with a smile, his tone calm and friendly.
The middle-aged man who seem to be the chief hurriedly returned the bow, his round face breaking into a bright smile. "Young Master Li, you honor us by coming. Please, sit."
Li Feng took the offered seat next to Fen Ziyan, his posture composed, almost elegant, unlike how he usually act.
Fen Ziyan only lifted her gaze for a second at Li Feng, who seemed different than when he was alone with her, before setting down her teacup with elegant grace, benefiting her noble origin.
Her expression remain calm as she continue putting on her usual proud act.
Li Feng couldnât help but smile seeing the contrast demeanor Fen Ziyan too.
The young man beside the elegant woman shifted faintly, as though uneasy when he saw Li Feng sat down next to Fen Ziyan.
Li Feng caught the faintest trace of jealousy in the way his eyes lingered on Fen Ziyan.
âHeh... looks like this guy has a little crush on Senior Sister.â
Li Feng chuckled inwardly, but his outward demeanor remained entirely proper, betraying none of his thoughts.
He let his gaze settle casually on the chief and smile.
"Iâm sure my senior sister already informed you, we both will take on the quest of escorting you to the Whitesilk City," he said lightly.
The chief bobbed his head quickly. "Yes, yes. Fairy Fen has already explained much about your participation. We are most honored to have the support of such promising talents."
The Chief couldnât help but smile happily, as he didnât expect to hire two disciples of the Azure Moon Sect.
Plus, that haughty fairy seemed to be pretty strong in terms of cultivation too.
Even his Captain Guard, who was already at the 5th Realm of Qi Refinement, felt pressure when he sensed her presence.
He didnât mind the aloof attitude, as he knew most young sect disciples usually didnât care much about mortal affairs.
Li Feng gave a polite nod, but his eyes flickered briefly toward Fen Ziyan.
Her aloof expression didnât falter, and even proudly lift her chin slightly as if to say she have done a good job.
Li Feng smiled faintly, then turned back to the chief.
"Then, shall we speak about the details of this caravan journey? Iâm curious about what sort of arrangements you made for us."
The Chief nodded and cheerfully said,
"Everything has already been prepared. The caravan will depart soon, and we have arranged a carriage for you both as well. You just need to assist us if thereâs any trouble my guards canât handle."
Li Feng leaned back leisurely in his chair, one hand resting lightly on his thigh, the other rubbing his chin. "Mmm... fair enough."
Then the Chief suddenly smacked his forehead lightly, as if something had just slipped his mind.
"Oh my! How rude of me." He stood up straighter, clasping his hands before Li Feng.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhou Liangshan, Chief of the Silk Caravan Group. This is my wife, Madam Yan, and this is my son, Zhou Wenhai."
The elegant and mature woman, Madam Yan, bow her head gracefully, her eyes calm yet sharp, as if her a eye used to weighing other peopleâs worth.
Zhou Wenhai, meanwhile, straightened hurriedly, bowing politely toward Li Feng.
His features were handsome and refined, though the faint tension in his shoulders gave away his nerves.
Still, his gaze flickered once moreâalmost involuntarilyâtoward Fen Ziyan, before quickly lowering again.
Li Feng offered them a faint smile, his tone smooth and pleasant.
"Chief Zhou, Madam Yan, Young Master Zhou. A pleasure to meet you all."
He let his gaze sweep over the three of them in turn before instinctively glancing a bit at the mature womanâs deep cleavage after she bowed.
The family gave off the air of a experience merchants who had seen their share of storms yet still tried to maintain dignity.
But to Li Feng, there was something amusing in how the son kept sneaking looks toward Fen Ziyan, and how Madam Yanâs eyes lingered on himâmeasuring, calculating, as though trying to gauge his worth..
Fen Ziyan, for her part, only sipped her tea quietly, aloof like a snow lotus on a mountaintop.
But just now, she also noticed Li Fengâs wandering gaze at that womanâs chest and couldnât help but twitch her lip a bit.
Thinking that Li Feng truly was insatiable, she thought that if it werenât for the public setting, she would have already pulled his head and turned it to look at hers.
âHmph, whatâs so good about that old womanâs breasts? Mine are even betterâand bigger too.â
Unaware of Fen Ziyanâs thoughts, Li Fengâs grin crooked faintly.
âHeh. This little caravan journey might turn out to be quite entertaining.â
With the formalities settled, Chief Zhou clapped his hands and announced with a bright face, feeling quite secure about the journey:
"Then, if there is nothing else, we should depart now. The goods should already be loaded, and the guards are in position!"