Imperial Cultivation-Chapter 921 - 917: Return

Chu Zhiyuan said, "The grand wedding is over, yet the Fifth Prince refuses to leave the Imperial City. Is he waiting for you, Third Brother, to mediate?"

Li Chunhou frowned and shook his head.

He had come on a whim and had never mentioned it to anyone else.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head and said, "Even if you manage to persuade the madam, seeing him lingering all the time would probably make her intolerant."

"I’ll find a way to get them to leave quickly," Li Chunhou nodded.

The Fifth Prince staying in the Imperial City without leaving was indeed bothersome.

Even if the younger sister were persuaded to let go of past grievances, seeing the Fifth Prince lingering would provoke her to act.

Thinking of this, he coughed lightly and said, "The Fifth Prince does have a trump card."

Upon realizing this, he glanced embarrassedly at Cheng Ruoxi.

Cheng Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him.

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow, showing a curious expression.

Li Chunhou awkwardly smiled and lowered his voice, "If my sister truly fights him to the end, they would both be seriously injured."

Chu Zhiyuan seemed pensive.

Li Chunhou shook his head, "That’s why I say let it go, it’s really unnecessary."

"The madam does have the Phoenix Bloodline," Chu Zhiyuan remarked.

"Even with the Phoenix Bloodline, if her face were truly ruined, it would be inappropriate. There’s no need," Li Chunhou replied.

"Husband!" Cheng Ruoxi scolded.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "It seems the Third Princess Consort sides with the Third Brother."

Did Cheng Ruoxi reveal Cheng Yunzheng’s hidden card?

What kind of trump card could make Li Chunhou so apprehensive?

Could it be that I misunderstood Li Chunhou, that he isn’t just trying to please Cheng Ruoxi but also fears mutual destruction and harm to Li Miaotan?

Cheng Ruoxi snorted, "To my knowledge, Fifth Brother has a hidden weapon, the most poisonous artifact in the world, originating from ancient times. It curses with one’s own blood, impossible to dissolve with True Yuan."

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

"It’s the poisonous weapon recorded in ancient books," Li Chunhou said in a low voice.

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Isn’t it just a bluff?"

Li Chunhou slowly said, "It should be real... even if it’s not, there’s no need to take this risk. What is my sister’s identity?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, "In my view, the madam wouldn’t agree."

"This malicious item is indeed troublesome. If it truly ruins one’s appearance or harms the body, even with the bloodline, it takes a long time to recover," Li Chunhou grimaced.

The Phoenix Bloodline isn’t omnipotent.

It can resurrect a person, making them undying, and each death strengthens them.

But it doesn’t make them immune to all poisons.

Especially certain strange poisons which won’t take lives but will torment a person.

In such cases, the Phoenix Bloodline is powerless, and recovery relies solely on slow restoration through cultivation.

The long recovery time is hardly worth it.

Chu Zhiyuan slowly said, "I can only mention this to the madam... but this Fifth Prince refuses to leave, as if waiting for the madam to emerge."

"Then we must ensure my sister isn’t deceived!" Li Chunhou quickly said.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Just drive them away directly."

"I’ll mention it to Father," Li Chunhou shook his head, "This matter can’t be too direct. We still need to show a bit of decorum and magnanimity."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, nodding, "I won’t mention this to the Empress."

He initially intended to stoke the flames, but now he changed his mind.

Li Chunhou, although deeply in love and somewhat befuddled, had good intentions at heart.

Li Chunhou immediately sighed in relief and quickly said, "That would be the best."

Upon reflection, he realized he had been impulsive; a more stable solution was clearly available.

Barging in directly with this matter was indeed inappropriate.

The Empress would certainly be angered upon hearing and naturally blame Cheng Ruoxi.

——

Fu Zheng was quite displeased upon hearing the order to cancel the evening action.

Chu Zhiyuan tasked her with investigating whether Cheng Yunzheng possessed a treasure capable of cursing.

Upon hearing what Chu Zhiyuan said, Fu Zheng was immensely curious, wanting to uncover what this treasure truly was.

Chu Zhiyuan had faith in the existence of such a treasure.

Super Sense had already seen that Cheng Yunzheng’s substitute carried a small wooden carving at their waist.

The little wooden carving was only the size of a pinky, easily overlooked.

Super Sense detected its extraordinariness because it was shrouded in a layer of black mist, obscured from view.

From appearance alone, it seemed just a carving, but penetrating its interior was impossible.

This little wooden carving gave him a faint sense of danger, not a strong one.

In Cheng Ruoxi’s eyes, it appeared extremely dangerous.

Sending Fu Zheng to investigate was also a form of training for her.

On the morning of the next day, the Eldest Prince Li Cunren arrived at the Prince Consort Mansion.

The two of them went to his courtyard, sitting at the stone table in the small pavilion.

Li Cunren asked about his experiences at the Tongtian Pavilion, then brought up the recent grand wedding.

Li Cunren shook his head repeatedly and sighed, "I think our Third Brother is besotted."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Third Brother and his wife are deeply in love; this is a good thing, right?"

"Sigh... hopefully," Li Cunren said, "I just hope our sister-in-law doesn’t act rashly. She is not an ordinary woman."

He, of course, also knew of Cheng Ruoxi’s reputation and her cleverness.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Big Brother, I want to return to the Yujing Imperial City."

"Hmm—?" Li Cunren was surprised, "Going back for what?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "To visit the Great Bright Peak again, see if I can achieve any enlightenment, advance to the First Transition."

"It seems you gained much at the Tongtian Pavilion," Li Cunren remarked, "It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll talk to Father."

He thought if the Emperor agreed to send Chu Zhiyuan to the Outer Realm Battlefield, a return trip to the Yujing Imperial City wouldn’t be an issue.

Chu Zhiyuan as a hostage was essentially canceled, turned instead into an ally.

...

The sunset hung low at the horizon.

The evening glow painted the entire Yujing Imperial City red.

Weary birds returned to the forest, the dusk deepened.

Chu Zhiyuan stood at the East City Gate, surveying the majestic imperial city.

Standing outside the bustling crowd, observing the city walls, he found himself devoid of surging emotions, instead feeling a sense of calm.

It was as if he were looking at an ordinary large city, not the place he had lived in for over twenty years.

The actions of Emperor Yujing had chilled the original host to the core, leaving no attachment to this place.

He thought of Consort Hui, and Chu Zhen and Chu Qiao, the only remaining warmth.

He walked inside slowly.

The City Guards on both sides had already recognized him.

Their most adept skill was their pair of eyes, remembering all the noble figures.

Without hesitation, they allowed passage, bowing in respect.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded lightly, bringing Fu Zheng and Li Yuzhen as they slowly entered the city.

Strolling along the main street in the city, he did not encounter any other acquaintances.

In just a few months’ time, he already felt a sense of things and people being different.

Upon reaching the Ninth Prince’s Mansion, You Lan was already waiting with people at the steps.

She had returned a step earlier to the Yujing Imperial City, managing and sweeping the Prince Mansion.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled as he entered the Prince Mansion.

You Lan followed him inside, saying, "Your Highness, Consort Hui has already sent a message, she should be coming over."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

"The Emperor has also sent a message," You Lan said, "and there might be an edict coming down."

Chu Zhiyuan snorted lightly, "What about Uncle?"

"Prince Gan has also sent an invitation," You Lan replied.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

The ones he most desired to see now were his Uncle Chu Honglin, Consort Hui, and Chu Qiao and Chu Zhen.

He did not want to see the Emperor.

It depended on whether the Emperor would summon him to the palace with an edict.

He surmised that he would not be summoned.

After just finishing cleaning up, it was announced that Consort Hui, Chu Zhen, and Chu Qiao had arrived.

Chu Zhiyuan went up to meet them.

Chu Zhen and Chu Qiao immediately embraced him and cried, leaving him utterly helpless.

Consort Hui, however, smiled softly, examining him with satisfaction, nodding continuously.

Shortly after, Chu Honglin also arrived.