The Sixth Prince?
"You're the Sixth Prince of Great Yan?"
Yun Qinghe's pupils constricted, and for a moment, her mind went blank.
Then, she understood.
'No wonder he isn't afraid of having his entire clan exterminated. His father is the current Great Yan Emperor. Exterminating his clan would mean getting rid of his old man, too...'
"If you're a Prince of Great Yan, why are you living in this small hall?"
Yun Qinghe's expression returned to normal. She stared at Lu Mingyuan again, her eyes filled with doubt.
Having grown up in a Taoist Sect, she was unfamiliar with the gossip of the Great Yan Royal Family. She had dedicated herself to studying Daoist Techniques, so she truly knew nothing about the grudges between the various princes.
"I made a small mistake. Let an important criminal escape from the dungeons."
Lu Mingyuan shrugged, speaking casually.
"I remember now. You're the Sixth Prince who was infatuated with a beauty, allowed the Demoness of the Demon Kingdom to escape, and was then sentenced to thirty years in the Cold Palace."
After Lu Mingyuan mentioned it, Yun Qinghe seemed to recall hearing someone bring up this past event during the grand banquet at Changle Palace. It was just that back then, her mind was solely focused on how to kill her target, so she hadn't paid it much attention.
This reputation was a useful cover, but having the past brought up every time was exasperating, even for Lu Mingyuan.
"So your reason for saving me was real."
Yun Qinghe blinked oddly. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back, finding the situation utterly absurd. In the end, she just shook her head and smiled.
With her naturally cold and pure temperament, that smile had the stunning beauty of a snow lotus blooming on the Celestial Mountain.
"I'm more curious about why you wanted to kill Lu Mingkong. And how could you possibly succeed at the grand banquet?"
Lu Mingyuan changed the subject, voicing the question on his mind.
'He couldn't wait for that bastard Lu Mingkong to die—there was no doubt about that—but for now, it was impossible for him to do it himself.'
'For someone to dare try and kill Lu Mingkong at the grand banquet… they must have some serious nerve.'
At the mention of this, Yun Qinghe grew visibly uncomfortable. Her tone became flat as she said:
"I have a feud with him. Is that reason enough?"
"Except for tonight, trying to enter the Imperial City's gates and break through the Ancient Ruined Array is harder than ascending to the heavens."
"Oh."
Lu Mingyuan seemed to understand something. He didn't dare ask more, as she was clearly unwilling to say.
Yun Qinghe watched the man before her, her eyes narrowing. "And you? Your own brother's fate is unknown, yet you can remain so calm and composed?"
Lu Mingyuan grinned. "I have a grudge against him. It'd be better if he died. Besides, didn't you just say you were only a hair's breadth away?"
"Hah."
Hearing Lu Mingyuan's tone, Yun Qinghe gave a faint smile. "The bonds of the Royal Family are truly shallow. Even the stray dog I kept for three years at the Daoist Academy mountain was more loyal. At least your life was spared, which is already a good outcome. Thirty years is nothing; it will pass in the blink of an eye. You'll still be the Sixth Prince, and your Father Emperor treats you well enough."
Clearly, she wasn't very good at comforting people, nor was she much of a conversationalist.
Lu Mingyuan wasn't angry or annoyed. He pressed his lips together and countered with a light laugh, "And what about you people? The books say your Taoist Sect and the Buddhist Sect have been fighting for over a thousand years, openly and secretly, starting countless battles over the faith of the Mortal World. How many commoners have died? And look at you—in your quest for revenge, didn't you just meet your defeat here?"
Yun Qinghe's gaze was placid. "The lifespans of you Martial Artists are among the shortest of all Cultivation Techniques. Naturally, you wouldn't understand."
Lu Mingyuan nodded leisurely. "So in your eyes, it's like this: when trekking over mountains and rivers, if you walk too fast and accidentally crush a few ants, or when your unparalleled Daoist Technique accidentally kills a few fish while crossing a river... it's all the same, isn't it?"
"I get it now."
Watching the two clash with their words, Zi Yun looked left, then right, unsure of who to support.
But Lu Mingyuan didn't plan to continue the argument.
'To some extent, he and this White-haired Daoist Nun were on the same side.'
'He couldn't stand Lu Mingkong.'
'She wanted to kill Lu Mingkong.'
'Each gets what they need. It works out pretty well.'
Hearing the faint RUSTLE of footsteps outside the hall, Lu Mingyuan said to the White-haired Daoist Nun, "Miss Yun, you can stay here in the Cold Palace. Feel free. However, I see the Imperial Guard is coming to search the area. How do you plan to cover your tracks?"
"Besides, your appearance was likely exposed at the banquet. They'll surely come with a portrait of you."
"That's simple."
Without a trace of worry on her face, Yun Qinghe took out a small white porcelain bottle from the large sleeve of her green robes.
Lu Mingyuan's brow twitched.
'A Daoist Divine Technique... hiding a universe in one's sleeve.'
She uncorked the bottle and swallowed a brown pill.
Her appearance quickly changed. She became much more demure, her features subtly altered, losing their former cold, stunning beauty.
Her snow-white hair also changed, gradually turning a jet black.
"With this Disguise Pill, no Cultivator below the Ninth Realm will be able to see through it."
"Also, just say I'm your Maid."
Yun Qinghe instructed him.
"Fine."
It was Lu Mingyuan's first time seeing such a magical trick, but he had to suppress his curiosity and deal with the Imperial Guard outside first.
CREAK!
The doors to Qingzhu Hall were already open. The Imperial Guard swarmed in, quickly surrounding the courtyard.
Lu Mingyuan pondered for a moment, then turned his head and said, "Miss Yun, I'll need your help to pull this off."
"What kind of help?"
"My apologies!"
...
CREAK... CREAK...!
In the remote, chilly courtyard, the sound of a wooden frame shaking echoed, exceptionally jarring to the ear!
The Imperial Guards outside, who were preparing to search, all froze and exchanged glances.
The Commander at the head of the group chuckled. "The Sixth Prince is just as debauched as they say. It's not even the middle of the night, and he's already at it."
"Why else do you think he was locked up in here?"
An Imperial Guard to the side shushed him with a cold smirk.
"Enough nonsense. We search all the same."
This Commander was no fool. He remained professional, stepping forward to knock on the door.
"What is it?! Who dares disturb me!"
An irritable, impatient voice erupted from within the room.
"An imperial search! We have a Holy Decree!"
After a long moment, a man with disheveled hair and a bare upper body appeared before the Imperial Guard.
"What does my Father Emperor want now?"
Lu Mingyuan said impatiently.
The Commander cupped his fist solemnly. "Your Highness, this is an imperial search. We are under military orders. Please forgive the intrusion."
"Go in and search!"
The Commander ignored his attempt to block them and directly ordered his men inside.
A few Imperial Guards ignored Lu Mingyuan and tried to barge straight into the hall. One of them accidentally bumped into him, only to find the man standing firm as a pine tree, not budging an inch. He was surprisingly solid.
Lu Mingyuan quickly realized that this was his cue to fall. In an instant, his ankle "slipped," and he tumbled to the ground, crying out in pain.
"Ouch!"
"You useless fools! How dare you bump into me!"
The Commander rushed forward to help him up. If the prince got so much as a scratch, they would all be in for it.
Lu Mingyuan was helped into the hall. The Commander's cold gaze swept across the room, and he saw two women on the bed.
They were clutching the sheets to their bodies, revealing only faint glimpses of arms as smooth as suet jade.
"Show your faces!"
One woman's face was flushed and dewy, beads of sweat on her forehead. She looked like she had just been ravaged, her expression panicked. The other woman only showed her back; her side profile was plain and demure, and her eyes held an icy indifference.
An Imperial Guard compared them to the ink portrait in his hand but found no resemblance at all.
One had a scar on her face, and the other was unremarkable—somewhat pretty, but a far cry from the portrait.
"The faces don't match."
The Commander looked at the two decent-looking Palace Maids, then shouted an order.
"Let's go! To the next hall!"
"Your Highness, our apologies for the disturbance."
After the door was closed, the wind and snow finally stopped forcing their way inside.
Yun Qinghe swept the area with her Spiritual Sense and found that the distant Imperial Guard had left, satisfied, without lingering.
She looked at Lu Mingyuan. He was sitting calmly in a chair, pouring himself a cup of tea and drinking it in silence. For some reason, a sense of admiration grew in her heart.
'This guy's Realm is clearly so low, yet he reacts so quickly. He has a strange sort of resilience about him.'
'It was the composure of someone who had failed many times, who had hit rock bottom. It was also the bittersweet strength to face any danger, hardship, or loneliness with a smile.'
...
Lu Mingyuan, however, paid no attention to her gaze. Instead, he was checking his panel.
[Gua Cheng. Moderately auspicious.]
[Disaster averted. Life Chart Trait (Dragon Raising Its Head) triggered. Acquired one blue Opportunity.]
[Acquired Azure Fate Grid - Fated to be Seductive. Refinement Level: 10%]
[Azure Life Chart (Fated to be Seductive): The Pool of Xianchi at noon, the sun never sets. Women are easily enamored. Favored by the great yin. Whether it leads to entanglement or harmony, the fortune and disaster of love all depend on the Life Master.]
[Unlocked Life Chart Trait - Peach Blossom Luck (Basic Level)]
[Peach Blossom Luck (Basic Level): Upon first meeting women, your affinity is extremely high, and you easily make a good impression.]
...