How did she find out they were setting out to sea?
She must have eavesdropped at the County Magistrateâs office.
Although Princess Ata heard Mr. Wuâs name while eavesdropping, she did not intend to hide it. Because she had already decided to cooperate with Divine Hunter Ji and return to Nanjiang to uncover the Great Wizardâs plot, she told the complete truth.
"After I found out you had come to Yunhang, I followed you immediately. I assumed you would go to the Yunhang County Yamen after arriving in Yunhang, but surprisingly, you didnât. Then, I overheard a secret at the Yunhang County Yamen, so I hurriedly chased after you."
"A secret?"
Xiaosuisuiâs eyes widened as she stared at Princess Ata.
"Yes! I heard the County Magistrate of Yunhang and the dock manager conspiring. County Magistrate Wu Li instructed the dock manager to notify Mr. Wu. He wants Mr. Wu to intercept and kill you at sea. I had no other choice but to rush over and inform you."
Upon hearing Princess Ataâs words, the expressions of the Emperor, the National Master, and Ji Youzhi all changed.
"You so casually told us such vital information?"
This was unbelievable. The matter involved Mr. Wu, and everyone present knew that this Mr. Wu had connections with the Great Wizard of Nanjiang. Most importantly, this Mr. Wu had been stirring up trouble in the Great Han Empire for over a decade. Now, Princess Ata knew he intended to kill the Emperor and Princess of the Great Han Empire, along with the National Master. Yet, she wasnât hiding it and had spoken of it so openly. This was indeed suspicious.
"Donât look at me like that! Itâs true I am the Princess of Nanjiang, but I desire peace. His Majesty the Emperor previously promised me that. As long as the investigation clearly shows that the current King of Nanjiang is not the true king but is, in fact, the Great Wizard, then you will deal with the Great Wizard and not send troops to Nanjiang. Isnât that right?"
Ji Youzhi turned to look at the Emperor, who touched his nose.
"I did indeed promise that if this matter was solely the work of the Great Wizard of Nanjiang, I would not send troops against Nanjiang. But if our investigation reveals that this isnât just the Great Wizard of Nanjiangâs scheme, and that the Nanjiang Royal Court is also involved, then I will not only send troops, but I will also ensure Nanjiang is crushed so thoroughly it wonât be able to get back up! Do you understand?"
Princess Ata gritted her teeth and quickly assured him, "Please, investigate thoroughly. I guarantee that the man on the Nanjiang throne is definitely not my father king."
That would be best.
The Emperor snapped his fan shut and called out to the boatman, "Set sail!"
"Princess Ata, you havenât eaten yet, have you?" Xie PanâEr asked. "We just finished. Iâll go to the kitchen and see if thereâs anything suitable for you to eat."
"Thank you. I heard Mr. Wu is coming to Haishan to intercept everyone. I was in such a rush that I just found a boat and set out to sea. Now Iâm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Xie PanâEr hurried to the kitchen.
Xiaosuisui hugged Princess Ataâs leg, blinked her big eyes at her, and giggled, saying, "Princess Ata, Sister, I just knew the person following us had to be you!"
Princess Ata picked her up in her arms and playfully tapped her little nose. "Youâre so clever! I wasnât even sure I could catch up with you all. How did you know it was me?"
Xiaosuisui tilted her head and said with a touch of distaste, "Hmm... your hands are so cold!"
Hearing that Princess Ataâs hands were cold, Ji Youzhi quickly took Xiaosuisui from her arms.
"Princess Ata, you mentioned that Mr. Wu plans to intercept and kill us at sea. Do you know when he will arrive, or where he plans to ambush us?" the National Master asked, his brows tightly furrowed.
Princess Ata shook her head. "I donât know that, but Iâve heard that this Mr. Wuâs cultivation is at the Half-Step Grandmaster realm. His targets are the National Master and the Little Lucky Star!"
Speaking of the Little Lucky Star, Princess Ataâs gaze finally fell upon Li Yanyan.
Hearing this, Li Yanyan anxiously moved closer to the National Master. "Master! Are they trying to kill me? I... I donât want to die!"
The National Master took her small hand. "Yanyan, donât be afraid. Master will protect you. They canât kill you."
Seeing Li Yanyanâs reaction, Ji Youzhi couldnât help but shake his head and chuckle.
So this is the Little Lucky Star the National Master spoke of! Look at her courage; compared to our Xiaosuisui, sheâs simply no match!
"If they want to kill us at sea, the most dangerous place is the Black Water Ridge up ahead," Ji Youzhi said. "Navigating through there is very difficult. Itâs said to have a strong magnetic field, and cultivators canât use their Spiritual Power there. So, I guess if Mr. Wu truly intends to ambush us at sea, it will definitely be at Black Water Ridge."
Ji Youzhiâs speculation received unanimous agreement from everyone present.
"Then weâll just have to be careful when we pass through Black Water Ridge," the Emperor declared. The National Master nodded.
Xiaosuisui watched a large fish leaping and splashing in the sea outside, her eyes blinking.
"Whatâs wrong?" Ji Youzhi noticed his precious niece staring at the sea. He turned his head to look and also saw the large fish leaping on the waterâs surface. His face suddenly lit up with joy. "Want to go fishing?" he asked.
Xiaosuisui blinked and asked, "Can I?"
Ji Youzhi nodded. "Of course!"
Xie PanâEr and Aunt Fatty came over carrying food. Hearing the conversation between the uncle and niece, Xie PanâEr said with a light laugh, "Perfect timing! I saw some fishing gear in the kitchen. Iâll get it for you in a bit!"
"Thank you, pretty sister!" Xiaosuisui chirped.
As Xiaosuisui joyfully prepared to fish, Li Yanyan stepped forward. "I want to fish too!"
Xiaosuisui focused on preparing bait with Ji Youzhi, ignoring her.
The Emperor fanned himself and said nothing.
Xie PanâEr, however, smiled and said, "Miss Li, if youâd like to fish, thereâs another fishing rod here. You can use this one!"
However, Li Yanyan stared at the small fishing rod Xiaosuisui was holding and pointed. "I want hers!"
At Li Yanyanâs words, everyone was stunned. This was especially true for the National Master; his brow furrowed deeply.
Xie PanâEr felt very awkward. Looking at Xiaosuisui, she thought to herself that while she didnât know about others, she knew that if the Eldest Princess didnât want to give something up, no one could take it from her.
"Alright, Seventh Uncle, we can fish now," Xiaosuisui said.
Ji Youzhi hummed in agreement, then held her and showed her how to cast the line.
Seeing Xiaosuisui ignore her, Li Yanyan dashed forward a few steps and snatched at Xiaosuisuiâs fishing rod. "I said I want this fishing rod! Give it to me!"
Xiaosuisui gripped the fishing rod tightly, refusing to let go, her eyes fixed on Li Yanyan. "This is mine. Iâm not giving it to you."
"What do you mean, âyoursâ? Itâs what I want, so you have to give it to me!"
"Why should I give you my things?"
Xiaosuisui and Li Yanyan struggled back and forth over the rod, completely bewildering the adults watching nearby.
Xie PanâEr quickly tried to mediate. "Miss Li, the Eldest Princess had this fishing rod first, so itâs hers. You can use this other one."
Li Yanyan, however, forcefully pushed Xie PanâEr aside. "What makes you think you can interfere? Get out of my way!"