Chu Yuechan soared gracefully through the sky, her elegant form accompanied by Murong Qianxue and Chu Yueli. They resembled a living embodiment of frozen natural beauty under the pale sunlight. Their presence at this imperial banquet was clearly not a coincidence; the Imperial Family's connection with Xichen was the key reason for their attendance. Were it not for that, Chu Yuechan would have simply sent ordinary disciples with Murong Qianxue, keeping themselves away from a spotlight befitting only a select few.
The matter was more complex. After the previous poisoning incident during her attempt to hunt a Profound Beast for Xia Qingyue, she could not afford to take risks again. For this reason, and to obtain the rare herbs and precious treasures that might cure the poison permeating her body, she was compelled to come personally to the Imperial Capital.
However, despite all her preparations, there was a critical shortage of healing ingredients; the most important being the Devil's Flaming Blood Crystal, that rare fire crystal she had yet to find.
As they flew through the sky, like ethereal phantoms from paintings of immortality, a beautiful girl's silhouette suddenly appeared before them. Her features carried a dignity and power that could not be ignored. She stopped them mid-flight without showing the slightest sign of hesitation.
Chu Yuechan's icy blue eyes rose, as frozen as sea ice in a bitter winter, and she spoke in a voice as cold as frosty dew:
"Who are you?"
Her voice carried caution and authority, for she sensed this girl's strength. Despite her younger appearance and less radiant aura, she was far more powerful. It wasn't just the ice power she possessed that evoked this feeling, but the presence of the fire energy the girl cultivated, which felt like an outright challenge.
The girl smiled gently, lowering her head in respect, and said in a calm, polite voice:
"I was sent by His Highness, Prince Xichen."
Then, from the luxurious Storage Ring on her waist, she produced a small box adorned with elegant gold patterns.
"His Highness noticed the poison within the Fairy of Frozen Beauty's body, and thus sent me to grant her a seventh-grade Poison Cleansing Pill."
"Thank His Highness for his kindness, but I do not believe we are close enough for him to grant such a precious pill without something in return." - said Chu Yuechan. Despite the temptation, she refused coldly. She did not know Xichen's intentions in giving her a seventh-grade Poison Cleansing Pill, something almost impossible to see in this small empire. If one appeared, it would cost a fortune.
"Do not worry, His Highness did not grant it to you without something in return."
The maidservant smiled lightly, a hint of diplomatic intelligence playing on her lips, before she continued in a polite tone:
"His Highness has a younger sister, titled Princess Xue'er, who has been fond of snow since childhood... But, as you know, in the Divine Phoenix Empire, which is founded upon the law of fire, snow is extremely rare, falling only once every few years."
The maidservant raised her head slightly to meet Chu Yuechan's icy gaze with confidence:
"Therefore, His Highness wishes for Fairy Chu to accompany him for a short while before he returns to the Divine Phoenix Empire... to show Her Highness the sight of real snow, using your power, nothing more."
A moment of silence ensued, where only the soft rustling of the wings of the three ice ladies could be heard in the air. Murong Qianxue fixed her gaze on the maidservant with quiet suspicion, while Chu Yueli seemed uncomfortable with the idea but remained silent.
Chu Yuechan did not reply immediately. Instead, she looked at the precious box in the maidservant's hand. There was no doubt that its contents could suppress the poison slowly draining her body, perhaps even extend her life for several more years. However, she was not a woman accustomed to accepting help from strangers.
"If the Princess desires snow, there are simpler ways... He could have summoned a practitioner from a lesser-known ice clan."
She said this in a calm voice, but one that carried an unshakeable firmness at its core.
"Forgive me, but His Highness is not seeking a mere magical display."
The maidservant replied without losing her respect:
"Her Highness the Princess has long admired the title 'Fairy of Frozen Beauty' and personally requested His Highness to find an opportunity for her to see snow created by the one who bears that name."
For a moment, Chu Yuechan seemed about to refuse, but the light reflecting off her pale skin revealed the faint lines left by the poison. She knew she would not last much longer if the poison continued to spread.
Finally, she closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke in a voice cold but less harsh:
"So be it. I will meet the Prince personally later... If we agree, it will be by my own decision, not through servant's messages."
She then extended her hand calmly towards the box, taking it slowly as if weighing the entire world within it.
"But tell him that I do not like being treated as an instrument of entertainment, whether for a princess or an emperor."
The maidservant bowed once more and said with respect:
"I will convey your words exactly as they are, Fairy Chu."
Then she retreated lightly through the air and vanished as she had appeared, as if she were nothing but a warm breeze in a frozen ocean.
Chu Yueli breathed a sigh of relief after she left and said in a low voice:
"Are we really going to the Divine Phoenix Empire?"
Chu Yuechan replied without turning around:
"I will go alone. You two return to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace and inform the Palace Mistress of the matter... Tell her I will be accompanying Prince Xichen for a while."
Chu Yuechan spoke with deadly calm, but the tone in her voice was decisive and brooked no argument, like a precisely honed icy blade.
Murong Qianxue seemed about to object, but one look from Chu Yuechan's icy eyes silenced her. This was not a matter for discussion now, especially when time, health, and even dignity were all at stake.
"As you command, Elder Sister."
Murong Qianxue replied with a slight bow, while Chu Yueli watched with a hidden worry in her eyes that she couldn't conceal.
Then they turned and moved away across the sky, leaving their mistress behind, heading north where the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace stood tall amidst the white mountains.
As for Chu Yuechan, she remained suspended in the sky for a moment, holding the box that pulsed with a soft, warm energy contrasting with her own cold aura. She closed her eyes and murmured.
"It's better to purge the poison from my body quickly..." - she whispered and continued flying, but this time towards the Imperial Capital, where she needed to find an inn to take the Poison Cleansing Pill and purify the poison in her body before going to meet Xichen.
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In the Imperial Palace, within the Moon Pavilion.
Xichen sat in his arranged courtyard, staring at the moon in the sky while sipping fine wine, which was made from many medicinal herbs and treasures.
[Ding! You have cut off Yun Che's opportunity to treat Chu Yuechan and boast about his medical skills and ability to open 54 Profound Entrances. Yun Che has lost 1,200 Fortune Value, and the Host has received 6,000 Destiny Points.]
"With these points, I have 15,000 Destiny Points..." - Xichen murmured while opening the system shop to search for a suitable Profound Art. Apart from the World Ode of the Phoenix, he didn't possess any Profound Art.
He already had a goal in mind, but the price was exorbitant and far from his current means.
[Name: Immortal-Devouring Demonic Art]
[Rank: Mythic]
[Description: A forbidden technique that allows the cultivator to swallow Immortals, and even their Primordial Spirits.]
[Price: 150,000 Destiny Points]
...
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