353: Chapter 353 Gambling with Life

She was both angry and ashamed: "That bastard, he only told me to be careful, but didn't say these Entangling Love Threads would be so hard to endure!"

What embarrassed her even more was that Feng Ming's figure kept appearing in her mind; every moment spent with him lingered, impossible to shake off.

She knew it was the poison's effect, yet she couldn't help but curse inwardly, "I am a high-born noble of the Imperial Capital, after all. Though I have seen few men, they were certainly not mediocre. Why must I think of him? It must be that bastard's cooling pill that's strange!"

Xun Luoyuan was born in the King Xibei's Manor. Her father, Xun Baishan, was a peerless general guarding the Northwest. Having fought alongside King Haoyue his entire life, his family members had all perished in the wars. His first wife had also passed away early, and he only had this one daughter late in life, whom he pampered in every way.

Xun Baishan remained devoted his whole life and never remarried. The people of Xun Prefecture were moved by his loyalty and righteousness, while also pitying his loneliness. Thus, a ballad emerged: "Xibei has guarded the borders for five hundred years, his merits rivaling the Peak of the clouds! Heavens envy the talented, making people wonder—does the sky dare to continue the fated bond?" Everyone hoped the heavens would pity him and allow him to reunite with his late wife.

At this moment, Xun Luoyuan had no time to lament her life story. She focused her senses and remained on guard, waiting for the next move from the person who set this trap.

Suddenly, a loud "bang" was heard, and a dark figure was violently thrown into the room, crashing straight toward her.

Xun Luoyuan reacted extremely quickly, kicking out, and the dark figure landed heavily on the floor.

Once she saw the person on the ground clearly, she was shocked—it was actually Feng Ming!

Feng Ming's consciousness returned from that kick. Rubbing his aching cheek, where he could still feel a clear footprint, he looked up and saw Xun Luoyuan, looking bewildered: "Xun Luoyuan? Was it you who brought me here? I never left my room at all!"

"Why would I do such a thing!" Xun Luoyuan hurriedly helped him up and frowned, "Who threw you here?"

Feng Ming came to his senses, his heart sinking: "I didn't even notice a thing before being knocked out. The opponent's strength is at least at the seventh-grade Human Immortal realm!"

"Seventh-grade? Too low." Xun Luoyuan shook her head, her tone grave, "To be able to throw someone in right under my nose without a sound, they must be at least at the Peak of the eighth-grade True Immortal realm. Otherwise, it would be impossible for me not to notice."

Feng Ming clicked his tongue: "To actually be willing to let an eighth-grade True Immortal do such dirty work, it seems the opponent has spent a fortune to bring me down!"

Xun Luoyuan was in no mood to dwell on that. Grabbing his arm, she asked urgently: "I have already taken extra precautions as you said. Now that the opponent has made their move, how do we break this trap?"

Feng Ming's gaze swept across the room, a cunning smile playing on his lips: "The opponent wants us to violate the rules of propriety and give people something to use against us. So, let's follow their lead and put on a show."

"Put on a show?" Xun Luoyuan was stunned.

"Exactly." Feng Ming nodded, his tone certain. "Immediately set up a Sealing Grand Formation, the kind that even those in the True Immortal realm cannot probe or break into. Then, pretend to be lost in the Entangling Love Threads, unable to control your passions and about to make a move on me. The bigger the commotion, the better!"

"Who is going to do something improper to you? Can't you speak properly?"

Hearing this, the Xun Luoyuan's face darkened, her tone full of displeasure.

Feng Ming spread his hands, looking speechless: "Anyway, that's what I mean, as long as you understand! At a time like this, do you really have to nitpick my words?"

Xun Luoyuan rolled her eyes at him, but her fingertips had already condensed spiritual energy. She raised her hand and set up a Sealing Grand Formation, a pale green light curtain instantly enveloping the entire room.

The moment the Formation patterns lit up, several dark figures hiding in the darkness outside the house indeed dared not linger any longer and quietly retreated into the night.

Inside the room, the light curtain cut off all movement from the outside world.

Xun Luoyuan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the person beside her: "The Formation is set. Now what?"

Feng Ming also slumped to the ground, rubbing his temples: "Do nothing. Just wait until tomorrow morning and see who comes to cause trouble for us first."

"What do you mean?" Xun Luoyuan frowned.

"Aside from you and me, only those attacking dark figures know about tonight's events." Feng Ming looked up, a hint of coldness in his eyes. "Whoever jumps out first tomorrow to cause trouble is one of theirs."

"By tracing back from that person's identity, wouldn't the mastermind behind the trap become obvious?"

Xun Luoyuan's eyes lit up, and she nodded in realization. It indeed made sense.

However, the doubts in Feng Ming's heart continued to surge. Taking this opportunity, he asked, "Speaking of which, what exactly is the situation in Qian Prefecture? How much do you know?"

Although Xun Luoyuan had mentioned some things when they met before, Feng Ming still wanted to gather more information.

Xun Luoyuan composed herself and slowly explained, "My father and I have been stationed in Xun Prefecture for years, so we aren't very well-versed in the trivial court matters of the Imperial Capital. However, we see the situation of the nine prefectures outside the capital very clearly."

"Within the Imperial City, the Crown Prince and the other princes' Succession Struggle is growing more intense. Although the nine major prefectures outside are the left and right arms of King Haoyue, they are far from the center of power, yet they are also the top priorities for the princes to fight over."

"Historically, the Provincial Governors of the nine prefectures have all been very shrewd. Aside from Prince Zhenwei, who is the Third Prince's biological uncle and openly supports him, the other Provincial Governors all remain neutral, avoiding offending either side."

She paused, her tone becoming heavier, "At a time like this, picking a side is gambling with your life. If you lose the bet, you lose everything. No one dares to take that risk."

Feng Ming's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "You mean, Qian Prefecture isn't neutral at all? No..."

Feng Ming suddenly realized, "Didn't you just say something about a Secret Realm opening? Why have you changed your story now?"

Xun Luoyuan gave Feng Ming an annoyed look, "There were many eyes and ears just now. What I said was only what King Haoyue announced to the public. As for whether there really is a Secret Realm in Qian Prefecture, no one knows. Even the specific reason for the Acting Commandery Governor's death is unknown."

Xun Luoyuan nodded: "I'll analyze the current situation for you now, and you can judge for yourself. Qian Prefecture is different from the other prefectures. The Acting Commandery Governor, Xu Kan, was recommended to His Majesty by the Provincial Governor of Qian Prefecture. To put it bluntly, he was the Provincial Governor's confidant, following his every lead."

"And this Provincial Governor, before he attained his position, was very close to the Crown Prince and his biological mother, Yao Ji. Yao Ji's frequent whispers in King Haoyue's ear played a significant role in him becoming the Provincial Governor of Qian Prefecture."

She looked at Feng Ming and stated clearly: "So, although he hasn't explicitly stated his support for the Crown Prince, everyone in the court knows he is the Crown Prince's man."

"With him there, plus Xu Kan as the Acting Commandery Governor, the entire Qian Prefecture has long been the Crown Prince's backyard."

Feng Ming was suddenly enlightened. He finally understood why the Acting Commandery Governor had to die suddenly. There was a reason he had to die.