Lan Qing collapsed onto the ground, his snow-white robes stained with crimson blood.
He was spitting blood!
"Grand Preceptor, how are you?" Chu Qianli helped him up and took his pulse, her heart immediately tightening.
Why were his pulses so chaotic?
"I'm sorry..." Lan Qing knew he had failed to keep his promise to her.
"You were injured before?" No wonder she had felt something was off when she looked at him earlier. So he had been gravely wounded before casting the spell.
"During the last spell casting, I was careless... and injured my internal energy."
The Emperor had nearly fallen into the ice pond. To stop him, he had forcefully interrupted the process, causing his meridians to reverse and nearly leading to qi deviation.
Tonight, he had actually hoped Chu Qianli wouldn't come.
But he also knew that once this girl said she would come, she would definitely come.
He was a man without much personality, only knowing that he had to fulfill promises made to others, no matter how difficult.
But this time, he truly couldn't.
Earlier, while casting the spell, he had warned Chu Qianli not to come any closer. His qi had immediately become unstable, and he had spat blood.
He was too severely injured; he had lost at least ninety percent of his power this time!
He had never been injured so badly. He didn't even know how long it would take to recover his power.
"I'll help you go rest," Chu Qianli supported him as they walked away from the edge of the ice pond.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they reached the outside, they heard a commotion.
"The Grand Preceptor is casting a spell. No one is allowed near."
"Get out of the way!"
A rough voice boomed, "This Prince received news that rebellious ministers and traitors have intruded, intending to harm the Grand Preceptor! If you block us like this, and something happens to the Grand Preceptor, who will bear the consequences?"
Was that Prince Yu's voice?
Chu Qianli and Lan Qing exchanged glances.
Lan Qing's brow furrowed, and he immediately put on his veil, preparing to go out.
Unexpectedly, another voice chimed in, "If I, myself, come, am I still not allowed to enter? That ice pond belongs to my clan! How dare you block me?"
Chu Qianli didn't know who this voice belonged to, but Lan Qing knew.
At this moment, Lan Qing's expression turned grim, and he stopped his movement to go out.
"You go first." He looked at Chu Qianli, and without realizing it, he coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.
This time, the injury was truly not light!
Chu Qianli wanted to take his pulse, but Lan Qing gently pushed her away, "My senior brother is here. The small palace attendants here can't stop him. Hurry..."
Before Lan Qing could finish speaking, outside, his senior brother angrily roared, "The assassin is inside! Guards, break in!"
Upon hearing that they were here to save the Grand Preceptor, who would dare to stop them?
This senior brother was named Lan Fan, a member of the Lan clan.
He should have been the one to inherit the position of Grand Preceptor, as he was a few years older than Lan Qing.
When the previous Grand Preceptor passed away, Lan Qing was still young, and Lan Ji had gone missing. Lan Fan was the most suitable successor.
For some reason, the Lan clan had decided to let the young Lan Qing inherit the position of Grand Preceptor.
No one knew why.
Regardless, Lan Fan's cultivation was no less than Lan Qing's.
Hearing his voice now, Lan Qing immediately felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy, and even Chu Qianli could sense his seriousness.
"Grand Preceptor..."
"Hurry and leave!"
"Where do you think the villain is running?" With a whoosh, a cold wind attacked.
Lan Qing's brow furrowed, and he pushed Chu Qianli away.
He took the palm strike himself.
But now, with his power greatly diminished, how could he be Lan Fan's opponent?
He was sent flying with one palm, crashing onto a nearby rock with a thud!