Chapter 267: The Storm Begins (Part One)

Chapter 267: The Storm Begins (Part One)

The sky was heavy and sultry, and as the misty sun hung high in the sky at noon, it seemed as if the entire world was enveloped in a steaming cauldron. Even the breeze carried a sense of heat, making the scorching summer unbearable.

At the foot of Guanyang Peak.

Prince Yi of Zhu Xian, Shao, and Mo Ying reined in their horses.

"Your Highness, could Xiao Mubai be playing us?"

Mo Ying dismounted, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand.

He surveyed the surroundings.

All around was tranquil and still, without a trace of human presence. Not even a bird or beast could be seen; only the rustling of leaves in the wind broke the silence.

Here at Guanyang Peak, apart from the two of them, there was no one else, let alone any sign of the master of Freedom Pavilion.

Prince Yi of Zhu Xian furrowed his brows for a moment, but then his phoenix eyes took on a serene look.

It was too quiet here.

"Since the master of Freedom Pavilion has arrived, why not show yourself and have a conversation?"

With a light leap, Prince Yi of Zhu Xian ascended to the peak and turned his gaze to the surrounding mountains.

In an instant, his cold eyes fell upon the lush maple forest.

As it was not yet autumn, the maple leaves in the forest were still a vibrant green, layer upon layer, dense and lush, covering the entire landscape. It was hard to tell if anyone was inside.

But Prince Yi of Zhu Xian had a strong intuition that someone was indeed in the maple forest.

He took a step forward.

"Your Highness, be careful..."

Mo Ying, who followed, cautiously reminded Prince Yi of Zhu Xian to be cautious.

Prince Yi of Zhu Xian waved his hand and walked toward the maple forest. Just as he took two steps, he suddenly stopped.

This was because the originally stifling wind on Guanyang Peak had inexplicably turned cold, stinging his cheeks, and a chilling, bloodthirsty aura emanated from the forest.

It seemed to carry a thick scent of blood, assaulting the senses.

A figure in dark robes and a cloak stepped out, the green maple leaves swirling around him, each step exuding a sense of slaughter, the kind found in the depths of hell.

In an instant, the sky above seemed to change, the misty sunlight completely swallowed by the clouds, and the world transformed. The cold wind howled even more fiercely.

The dark-robed figure's cloak billowed wildly in the wind, a lock of black hair fluttering before him.

From ten paces away, a terrifying presence that made others feel unable to breathe arose from within.

Mo Ying's face suddenly changed, and images of the bloodthirsty person he had seen in Yunlang flashed through his mind.

This aura...

"Your Highness..."

Just as he shouted, a flash appeared before him, and Han Mochen stood before Prince Yi of Zhu Xian. The cold wind brushed past Prince Yi of Zhu Xian's face, and though he did not move, his hand inside the dark robe clenched tightly.

His phoenix eyes fixed on the figure before him, dressed in similar dark robes, but with a deeper, darker shade of crimson. The silver-black mask beneath revealed a pair of slender phoenix eyes, colder than ice, more bloodthirsty than anything Prince Yi of Zhu Xian had ever encountered—a complete cold-blooded killer.

The dark black cloak further shrouded him in mystery, making it impossible to discern his features.

For Xiao Mubai to willingly submit and oppose the Danliang imperial family for years, yet not be part of the Danliang royal lineage...

Though Prince Yi of Zhu Xian did not know the identity of the master of Freedom Pavilion, his investigations into the true identity had never ceased. Though he did not know who this person was, he was certain that despite Xiao Mubai being his right-hand man, this person had no connection to Rong Feng.

Who was this person? What ties did he have with Danliang? Repeatedly causing trouble in Danliang without showing his face, using a method akin to boiling a frog in slowly heating water to drain the energy of the Danliang imperial family, making them suffer night after night.

Such a method was indeed despicable, yet it was also an excellent and extreme strategy.

Prince Yi of Zhu Xian and Han Mochen sized each other up, and while Prince Yi of Zhu Xian knew only half of what he understood about this person, Han Mochen knew much more about Prince Yi of Zhu Xian.

After a brief moment, it was Prince Yi of Zhu Xian who took a step back first.

Though they had not engaged in physical combat, just by looking at each other, it was clear that in this initial, intangible confrontation, Han Mochen had the upper hand.

"Master of Freedom Pavilion..."

"Prince Yi of Zhu Xian..."

They spoke simultaneously.

Both were cold and aloof individuals, so there was no need for formalities. Despite meeting for the first time, they felt no sense of unfamiliarity.

Unbeknownst to Prince Yi of Zhu Xian, his actions had already been known to Empress Rong.

Clang...

In Emperor Wei's chambers, another sound echoed, the shattering of a jade bowl.

This time, it was not because Emperor Wei had dropped the bowl, but because he had deliberately pushed it to the ground, shattering it.

"Rong Yuer, from now on, I will no longer allow you to use me to bind Shao or control him. You will not succeed in threatening or manipulating Shao to achieve your goals."

His voice was extremely calm, and his face showed no emotion, nor did his heart waver.

Those tranquil phoenix eyes, after a year and a half, finally rested fully on Empress Ronggu's face once more, truly looking at her.

The woman before him was noble and cold, exuding a confident and proud aura, like a resplendent golden phoenix that captivated his heart with just one glance.

He had loved deeply, and hated even more intensely; the deeper the love, the deeper the hate. But now, whether it was love or hate, it seemed to have lost all meaning.

A pitiful life, a laughable misplacement of affection.

After Emperor Wei threw the jade bowl, he ignored Empress Ronggu's reaction and continued to paint.

Only when he lowered his eyes did those calm phoenix eyes flicker for a moment.

This move was taught by Yun Ji.

To attack the mind...

But Empress Ronggu neither became angry nor went mad as she had that night. Instead, she stared at the shattered jade bowl on the ground for a long time before speaking:

"Wei Lang cares so much for his younger brother, truly showing fraternal affection. Do you know, Wei Lang, that Shao has been secretly in contact with the head of the Xiao family of Danliang? During his six months in Yunlang, he did more than just the Huajian Fang incident. He must have already discovered the origin of the elixir..."

These words seemed to show no concern from Empress Ronggu about Shao obtaining the elixir formula from elsewhere. She even took the time to inform Emperor Wei of this matter.

Drip...

A drop of ink fell onto the rice paper, marring the freshly painted landscape and ruining its atmosphere.

Emperor Wei suddenly looked at Empress Ronggu, his calm expression vanishing.

His reaction seemed to confirm something for Empress Ronggu, who then took out the information Ronggu had found from within her wide sleeves and laid it directly before Emperor Wei.

Before Emperor Wei's birthday, Empress Ronggu had ordered Ronggu to investigate the Danliang nationals visiting Prince Yi's residence, but they had found nothing in two days.

It wasn't until last night when Xiao Mubai appeared at Prince Yi's residence again that Ronggu immediately investigated Xiao Mubai, discovering that he had been secretly in contact with Shao.