Ye Lingyuan lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Leave Tianqi immediately and head to Longdu to rendezvous with Feng Hua Xue Yue!"
Longdu, the imperial capital of the Azure Dragon Empire.
Feng Hua Xue Yue referred to the four individuals, Ru Feng, Ru Hua, Ru Xue, and Ru Yue, who were the heads of the Ye Chi, Ye Mei, Ye Wang, and Ye Liang organizations in Longdu.
Qing Dian gave a bitter smile. Did His Highness truly not understand her feelings?
Once she went to Longdu, she feared she would never have the chance to return to Tianqi.
However, she held no resentment.
As long as it was Ye Lingyuan's command, even if it meant shattering her body to pieces, she would execute it with unwavering resolve.
"Yes! Your Highness!"
Ye Lingyuan said with a poker face, "Upon arrival, follow Ru Feng's arrangements in all matters!"
A hint of bitterness flashed in Qing Dian's eyes, yet her gaze remained steadfast.
She dared not look up at Ye Lingyuan seated above. She feared that another glance would only deepen the ache in her heart.
"Your Highness, rest assured!"
Ye Lingyuan picked up a letter from his desk and said, "You depart immediately and take this letter to Ru Feng along the way!"
The letter flew to Qing Yu's front, hovering serenely in the air.
Qing Yu carefully collected the letter and said, "Your subordinate obeys!"
Ye Lingyuan raised his eyes and said, "I shall not pursue this matter further, but this is not to be repeated!"
A flicker of joy bloomed in Qing Yu's heart.
Knowing full well that this tactic of combining leniency and severity was Ye Lingyuan's usual approach, she still couldn't help but feel her heart pound uncontrollably.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Ye Lingyuan nodded. "This letter is of great importance; you must deliver it to Ru Feng personally."
"Yes! If the letter lives, I live. If the letter perishes, I die!"
Qing Yu's determination, fueled by her obsession, made her even more resolute.
She was well aware of her own limitations, thus she would only love him silently, without harboring any unrealistic fantasies.
This silent love, however, translated into a loyalty that would lay down her life.
"I trust you. Go now!"
A trace of helplessness flickered in Ye Lingyuan's eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness, this subordinate takes leave!"
After speaking, Qing Dian gathered her courage and stole a glance at Ye Lingyuan before vanishing from the study.
A murky, unreadable light shone in Ye Lingyuan's eyes.
He had vaguely sensed Qing Dian's feelings when she first showed hostility towards Zi Linling.
The reason he hadn't exposed it was because he had been giving Qing Dian opportunities to retreat.
This was also why Ye Lingyuan had instructed Qing Dian to protect Zi Linling before his tribulation.
And this time, although Qing Dian had not betrayed his heart, she had committed an act of betrayal.
He was now using this opportunity to transfer Qing Dian away from Tianqi, hoping that after leaving, she could let go of her inner obsession.
"This pool of water has been too still for too long; it's time for some ripples!"
Ye Lingyuan rubbed his slightly throbbing forehead and muttered to himself before rising and exiting the study.
It was the full moon night again. He had to go to the Southern Mountain Villa to use the hot springs' poison to suppress the Moon Glazed Marrow.
The Moon Glazed Marrow truly lived up to its reputation as an ancient and potent poison. Even though he had now broken through to the Minor God realm, he still couldn't expel this ancient poison from his body.
Ye Lingyuan set his course and quietly left the Underworld King's Mansion.
He did not alert anyone, not even the hidden guards within the mansion.
Now, he was a formidable expert of the Minor God realm. There was virtually no one who could threaten him within the entire Tianqi Kingdom, or even the entire Tianyuan Continent.
Of course, this did not account for some ancient monsters who had fallen into a deep slumber thousands of years ago and were still clinging to existence.
However, before heading to the Southern Mountain Villa, he inexplicably took a detour, "passing by" the Zi family.
As for why, it was because he was thinking of someone again.
He landed lightly on the large tree in the Purple Heart Pavilion, not disturbing even Qing Yu, who was guarding there.
"Xue Ying, go cultivate!"
Zi Linling instructed Xue Ying, then sat cross-legged on her bed.
Following that, her divine sense slowly extended outwards from the Purple Heart Pavilion.
Last night, she had already investigated Zi Wenchang and the royal couple in the Purple Gold Pavilion.
And tonight, she intended to investigate the members of the imperial Zi family.
Zi Linling's divine sense swept through courtyard after courtyard, yet she found no trace of the imperial Zi family members.
What was going on?
Were they not residing in the Zi family?
Zi Linling was unwilling to give up and scanned again, still finding nothing.
Were they truly not living within the Zi family?
That was impossible!
If they truly desired the Sumeru Space behind the Zi family's mountains, they would definitely reside within the Zi family.
This would allow them to monitor any movements within the Zi family and to conceal their identities.
But she had already searched twice, and yet she hadn't found a single person?
No!
She had to try again!
Zi Linling extended her divine sense once more.
Nothing!
Again!
Still nothing!
Again!
Zi Linling gritted her teeth and scanned seven times in a row, yet still found nothing.
Had she guessed wrong?
"Little girl, why are you so foolish? If they wanted to conceal their whereabouts, why would they openly reside within the Zi family?"
Elder Du's teasing voice echoed in Zi Linling's mind.
Zi Linling blinked in surprise. "Elder Du, you mean..."
"Idiot. Where they live is either underground or concealed by formations."
After speaking, Elder Du closed his eyes to rest.
"Thank you, Elder Du, for shedding light on my confusion!"
Zi Linling rejoiced and extended her divine sense once more.
This time, instead of following the ground, she permeated her divine sense into the earth below.
Then, she finally discovered something amiss in a certain location.
That place was called the Purple Cloud Pavilion, the residence of her grandfather, Zi Jitian.
At this moment, beneath the Purple Cloud Pavilion, an old man was tied to a chair.
This old man was her nominal grandfather, Zi Jitian.
Zi Jitian was dressed in a purple profound robe, which clearly bore several dried bloodstains.
His aura was weak, his complexion exceedingly pale, and a trickle of crimson stained his lips. He appeared to be severely injured.
Opposite Zi Jitian stood three men and one woman.
The three men were reasonably handsome, but the menacing aura emanating from them was entirely inconsistent with their appearance.
As for the woman, she appeared quite delicate. If not for the occasional flash of malice across her face, she might have been mistaken for a girl next door.
"Zi Jitian, where exactly did your son hide the Family Head Token?"
The man who asked the question had a feminine voice, eerily similar to a venomous snake.
His name was Zi Donglai, the most outstanding genius of the imperial Zi family in a hundred years, and a leading figure among the younger generation of the imperial Zi family.
"I've told you countless times, after Guochang disappeared, the Family Head Token also went missing. If you want the Family Head Token, you'll have to find Guochang first."
Zi Jitian's voice was weak, with a subtle indication of difficulty in breathing.
This suggested that he had sustained severe internal injuries.
However, despite his weakened voice, there was an air of unyielding dignity about him.
"Young Master, this stubborn old man is quite tough. Shall I teach him another lesson?"