Chapter 66

Chapter 66

On their way to the imperial palace, the Medical Cultivator's chatter was incessant.

"In a moment, both of you must be exceedingly careful. This young Crown Prince spent his childhood wandering outside the palace and was only recently brought back. It was solely due to the King's severe illness and the untimely deaths of the other princes that there was no alternative but to recall him. So," he continued, lowering his voice, "our Crown Prince is incredibly volatile, cruel, and bloodthirsty. The slightest misstep can displease him. Just in recent days, he has punished so many people that the death row prison isn't even enough to contain them all!"

Rong Yu, supported by his "senior brother," walked slowly forward. He hadn't wished for such assistance, but his "senior brother" was unusually forceful, holding him without question as if he were a precious, fragile piece of porcelain. Though uncomfortable and reluctant to hurt his "senior brother's" feelings, Rong Yu diverted his attention, asking, "Cruel and bloodthirsty? Does he kill palace Medical Cultivators?"

The Medical Cultivator replied, "Him? He kills Medical Cultivators, guards, palace servants—anyone who displeases him. It's utterly terrifying. Oh, right, Immortal Master, it would be best if you wore something... to cover your eyes. The Crown Prince dislikes it when others look directly at him or his Crown Princess. In your condition... if you accidentally offend the Crown Prince, it would be very unfortunate."

Upon hearing this, his "senior brother" immediately produced what looked like a ribbon and carefully tied it around Rong Yu's face.

Rong Yu obediently closed his eyes, allowing the action, thinking to himself: *Well, now I have a jade circlet on my forehead and a ribbon over my eyes. It truly doesn't matter what I look like anymore, as nothing is visible.*

Unbeknownst to him, after securing the ribbon, his "senior brother's" gaze lingered for a moment on Rong Yu's faintly red lips and defined jawline before slowly withdrawing his hand and averting his eyes.

As they were about to meet the Crown Prince, Rong Yu continued his inquiry: "Then what about his relationship with the Crown Princess?"

Hearing this, the Medical Cultivator let out an even deeper sigh. "Alas, Immortal Master, you probably don't know. Here in Western Lu, while demon cultivators are numerous and humans and demons generally coexist peacefully, the imperial family—the Zhao clan—possesses a pure true dragon bloodline and strictly forbids marriage to demonic beings. By the way, you might have heard of the legendary General Zhao Xijing. It's said he shares the same lineage as our Western Lu imperial family, both descended from the true dragon."

"But I digress, I digress. Anyway, this young Crown Prince is quite unconventional. He insisted on making a demon his Crown Princess—a little wolf demon, apparently brought back from outside the palace. The Crown Princess, what kind of position is that? The future Empress of Western Lu! Tsk, tsk, tsk... And that's not all. Even more absurdly, he removed all the protective barriers in the palace meant to ward off demons. As a result, the palace's defenses are weaker than those of any random small city. Now, the palace is overrun with demons..."

Rong Yu gasped in shock. "The palace is overrun with demons? And no one is doing anything about it?"

The Medical Cultivator clarified, "It's not *that* severe. The imperial guards naturally clear out the demons. They catch all they can, and none that harm people escape. But there are still one or two demons that don't cause much harm and are difficult to capture. For example, there's a type of demon called the 'Twin-Heart Lock.' It seeks out two people who are in the same room and genuinely love each other, locks the door, and won't release them unless the two become one in body and soul."

As these words were spoken, the two listeners beside him stiffened, and an awkward silence permeated the air.

It seemed the customs of Western Lu were indeed influenced by demon cultivators, being much more open than those of Eastern Lu.

Rong Yu felt awkward for a moment but quickly regained his composure. However, he faintly sensed that his "senior brother's" breathing beside him seemed heavier than before, and the arm supporting him felt even hotter.

Rong Yu thought to himself: *It seems this "senior brother" is the innocent and inexperienced type. Even if they were truly cultivation partners in the past, they probably never did anything too improper.*

*If that were the case, if they ever regained their memories and were to do something, he might have to properly teach his "senior brother"...*

Rong Yu suddenly snapped back to reality, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He found himself inexplicably lost in thought. Where had his mind wandered? He didn't even know anything for sure yet, and here he was imagining so much. What if they were just ordinary senior and junior brothers? This was truly a mess...

He wondered what his "senior brother" was thinking too, as he remained silent for the rest of the journey. The three of them entered the palace in this somewhat peculiar atmosphere.

Since Rong Yu couldn't see anything, whenever they passed obstacles like doorsteps, his "senior brother" would softly remind him. During these moments, the distance between them became very close, almost intimately whispering into each other's ears.

After this happened several times, Rong Yu felt extremely awkward, sensing that his ear was burning hot and had probably turned completely red.

After hesitating for a while, Rong Yu finally couldn't help but tilt his head away when his "senior brother" leaned in again to remind him, saying uncomfortably, "...Thank you... Senior Brother, but there's really no need..."

Unaware that tilting his head had brought his face close to his "senior brother's," Rong Yu felt the arm supporting him stiffen instantly, and the breathing beside him seemed to halt for a moment.

Rong Yu thought he heard a faint swallowing sound and couldn't help tilting his head slightly in confusion.

The next moment, his "senior brother" suddenly pulled away, his voice hoarse. "...Junior Brother... You're welcome."

After turning who knows how many corners, the Medical Cultivator finally lowered his voice and said, "Ahead is the Crown Prince's bedchamber. Both of you must be very careful with your words. Do not anger His Highness the Crown Prince."

After the palace attendants announced their entry, the Medical Cultivator led them into the hall, keeping silent out of fear.

The place was silent, seemingly permeated with a stifling atmosphere.

After being guided through the formal greetings, Rong Yu was unsure what to do when he heard a young, childlike voice say, "It's you again? Who have you brought this time... Huh? You two look somewhat familiar..."

The Medical Cultivator seemed extremely nervous, stammering, "Y-Your Highness, these are... these are two Immortal Masters from afar, here to treat the Crown Princess."

The Crown Prince snorted. "Good, perfect timing!"

Just then, a faint scream seemed to come from not far away, sounding like a young girl. The Crown Prince suddenly grew anxious, rushing over while shouting urgently, "Quick, come save her!! If you can't save her, you'll all pay with your lives!!"

His words were fierce, but they carried a sobbing tone and a hint of a childish voice. Then he cried out, "Qing Qing, hold on a little longer, Qing Qing... Wah wah wah..."

Rong Yu hadn't expected the Crown Prince to be like this and was momentarily stunned. Based on the Medical Cultivator's earlier description, he had imagined the Crown Prince as a gloomy, violent middle-aged man with dark circles under his eyes from overindulgence, looking very menacing and terrifying. He never expected the Crown Prince to be such a child, who even sounded somewhat... cute??

Somehow, even knowing this child might have killed many people, Rong Yu couldn't bring himself to fear him. Instead, he felt an unavoidable sense of familiarity and affection, as if he had once taken care of a child around that age.

Hearing the young Crown Prince's words, Rong Yu walked toward the source of the sound. His "senior brother" seemed hesitant, gently squeezing Rong Yu's hand. Rong Yu gave his hand a reassuring pat in response, signaling reassurance.

Rong Yu said gently, "Your Highness, don't be afraid. The Crown Princess is only ill and will surely recover." As he spoke, he slowly approached the area where the girl's voice had come from.

The Medical Cultivator was so frightened he almost held his breath, cold sweat soaking through his robes, terrified that the Crown Prince would take offense at these unnecessary words and immediately order them executed.

But miraculously, not only did the Crown Prince hear him, but his expression also seemed to improve slightly after listening. The Crown Prince silently held the hand of the young girl on the bed, still looking very tense but not saying another word.

As Rong Yu slowly approached the two of them, the jade circlet on his forehead suddenly grew hot. Following his instincts, Rong Yu raised his hand and channeled spiritual power into it. At the same time, he sensed his "senior brother" beside him pause briefly before also making some movement.

In the next instant, Rong Yu felt the space around him suddenly empty. The "senior brother" who had been supporting him was gone, and the surroundings became noisy, filled with the shouts of street vendors and the loud chatter and laughter of people.

He was no longer in the Crown Prince's chamber but in a bustling market district!

Just then, someone rushed past him quickly, bumping into Rong Yu and causing him to stumble. Following behind were angry shouts: "You're still running!! If I catch you next time, I'll break your legs!!"

Rong Yu regained his balance, standing there bewildered.

What was happening? Where was he?

The person who had been chasing seemed to have been intercepted by someone else, and he continued cursing loudly: "Well, you two, cooperating quite well now, are you? Really moving me to tears! Planning to die together in the future, huh?"

The crowd around them murmured, and someone tried to calm the shopkeeper: "Alright, alright, it's just some leftover food. Think of it as my treat for them."

The man continued grumbling: "Leftover food? That was meant for the dogs! And who said he was some kind of noble? Bah! Fighting with dogs for food every day, how despicable!"

Rong Yu frowned. Could the person who bumped into him earlier be the young prince who had been living as a wanderer outside? He was indeed small, just a child. Rumor had it that he had wandered around the imperial city as a child, begging for food near his own home.

Thinking this, Rong Yu immediately quickened his steps, wanting to catch up with the child who had run past.

Although his hearing was much sharper than an average person's, he was still blind. Even using spiritual sense to detect his surroundings, it was difficult to pinpoint the child's direction.

Rong Yu wandered forward uncertainly, gradually feeling a sense of panic and anxiety. Just then, a hand reached out from behind and firmly grabbed his wrist, halting him completely.

Before Rong Yu could strike, the person pulled him forcefully into an embrace.

The familiar scent of his "senior brother" made Rong Yu relax instantly. He recognized the person holding him and dissipated the spiritual energy he had prepared to attack.

As strange as it was, Rong Yu had to admit that in this moment of reunion, he felt an unexpected sense of safety.

His "senior brother," however, didn't seem to share this feeling. Rong Yu gradually noticed that as he held him close, his "senior brother's" body... was actually trembling.