225: Chapter 223 The Record of the Cold Moon Mystic Fox

The Princess Royal's Phoenix Sedan remained parked outside Qingyao City for two days.

On the morning of the third day, she changed into a plain set of clothes, eschewing her royal blue brocade palace attire for a pale green long dress. Her hair was also styled simply, held in place by only a single jade hairpin.

She looked in the mirror and felt that she appeared much more approachable.

Cradling the Treasure-Spitting Mouse, she stepped onto a grey cloud and landed at the entrance of Yun Ming's small courtyard.

She knocked on the door.

The door opened.

Yun Ming stood at the entrance, still chewing on melon seeds.

When he saw the Princess Royal, his brow furrowed slightly; he didn't step aside, but he didn't close the door either.

“Why has Your Highness come again?”

The Princess Royal took a deep breath, suppressing the displeasure in her heart. “This Palace wishes to speak with you.”

Yun Ming glanced at her and stepped aside to let her in.

The Princess Royal walked into the courtyard and sat down by the stone table.

Yun Ming sat opposite her and poured himself a cup of tea, but did not pour one for her. “What does Your Highness wish to talk about?”

The Princess Royal took a Storage Pouch from her sleeve and placed it on the table. “This Palace knows you do not lack Spirit Stones or Medicinal Pills. This Palace has brought some different things this time; take a look.”

Yun Ming did not reach out for it.

The Princess Royal didn't mind, taking the items out of the Storage Pouch one by one and arranging them on the table herself.

The first item was a jade seal.

It was emerald green throughout, with a coiled dragon carved as the seal knob. The dragon's eyes were inlaid with two red gemstones that sparkled in the sunlight. Several characters were engraved on the bottom of the jade seal; Yun Ming couldn't see them clearly, but he could guess they were likely the title of some noble rank.

“This is a peerage that this Palace, in the capacity of the Princess Royal, has petitioned the imperial court to grant. As long as you nod your head, you will be an Earl of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty. You will have a fief, a salary, and an official post. You don't have to perform the duties, but the title is there; no one will dare to look down on you.”

Yun Ming glanced at the jade seal but said nothing.

The second item was a jade bottle.

The bottle was transparent, revealing a Medicinal Pill lying inside. It was the size of a longan, pure reddish-gold, and its surface was covered in dense cloud patterns. A nine-turn jade infant pill. A Saint Grade item for forming a Nascent Soul.

“This is a nine-turn jade infant pill that this Palace has treasured for many years. You are currently in the Late Golden Core Stage and will soon need to form your Nascent Soul. This pill can increase your chances of success by at least fifty percent.”

Yun Ming glanced at the pill but still said nothing.

The third item was a stone.

It was the size of a fist and pale gold throughout, with fine patterns on the surface resembling the rings of a tree or the ripples of water. The stone emitted a warm glow; holding it felt like holding a ball of warm sunlight.

xiguang jade marrow. A fourth-grade High Grade natural treasure of heaven and earth, it could be used for Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or formation setting, and could also be directly absorbed to enhance cultivation.

“This Palace indeed does not have a lunar crystal core or a solar crystal core. This Palace isn't even sure if such things exist in this world. But I can give you xiguang jade marrow. It is fourth-grade High Grade, enough for you to use until the Nascent Soul Stage.”

Yun Ming looked at the three items on the table and remained silent for a moment.

Then he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

“Your Highness,” he said, “these things of yours are indeed valuable. An earldom, a nine-turn jade infant pill, xiguang jade marrow—take any one of them out, and Nascent Soul Cultivators would fight to the death for it. But you've gotten one thing wrong.”

The Princess Royal's brow furrowed. “What thing?”

Yun Ming set down his teacup. “The one you want to buy is Xue Ji, not me. It's useless to talk to me; you have to talk to her. If she's willing to go with you, I won't stop her. If she's not, it's useless even if you give me an imperial city.”

The Princess Royal's finger tapped lightly on the table.

She looked at Yun Ming, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. “If this Palace could reach an agreement with her, would there be any need to come looking for you?”

Yun Ming spread his hands. “Then you've found the wrong person. I won't lobby for you, nor will I try to persuade her. Her matters are for her to decide. I have said my piece.”

The Princess Royal fell silent.

She looked at the three items on the table, then at Yun Ming's stubborn, unyielding face, and her teeth itched with frustration.

She wished she could strike this ungrateful Loose Cultivator dead with one palm, but she knew she couldn't.

She couldn't explain it to the Third Prince, she couldn't explain it to Shen Yizhi, and she herself didn't want to be pricked by that black needle again.

“Then what about Xue Ji?” Her voice turned cold. “This Palace will talk to her.”

Yun Ming shook his head. “I don't know. Since that day, she has stayed in her room and hasn't come out. Perhaps she just doesn't want to see you.”

The Princess Royal's expression darkened.

She took a Jade Slip from her sleeve and slapped it onto the table. The Jade Slip was snow-white, with cold Qi flowing across its surface; the moment it was placed on the table, the surrounding air chilled by several degrees.

Cold Moon Mysterious Fox Record.

The innate Cultivation Technique of the Frost Brilliance Fox, a secret kept within the fox tribe of the Far North Ice Plains.

“Hand this Jade Slip over to her for this Palace. Recorded on it is the Frost Brilliance Fox's innate Cultivation Technique, the Cold Moon Mysterious Fox Record. That Charm Technique she practices is not suited for her. Continuing to practice it will only waste her talent. Let her look at this; it is worthy of her natural constitution.”

Yun Ming reached out and picked up the Jade Slip, turning it over to examine it before tucking it into his sleeve. “Fine, I'll pass it on for you. But I can't guarantee she'll read it.”

The Princess Royal stood up, picked up the Treasure-Spitting Mouse, and turned to leave.

At the courtyard gate, she paused but did not look back.

“This Palace will be back,” she said.

Then she left.

Yun Ming sat at the stone table, looking at the closed door and shaking his head. Did he return those three items—the jade seal, the jade bottle, and the xiguang jade marrow—to the Princess Royal? No. The Princess Royal hadn't taken them at all when she left, simply leaving them abandoned on the table. Yun Ming looked at the three items, thought for a moment, and stored them in the map of mountains and rivers. It wasn't that he was greedy; he just couldn't be bothered to chase after her to return them. In any case, this Highness was wealthy and didn't care about such trifles. He stood up, walked to Xue Ji's door, and knocked.

Yun Ming stood up, walked to Xue Ji's door, and knocked. “Xue Ji.”

There was no response from inside.

He knocked again, his voice a bit louder.

“The Princess Royal has left. She left a Jade Slip for you, saying it's a Cultivation Technique of your fox tribe. I'm leaving it at your door.”

Still no response. Yun Ming frowned, bent down to place the Jade Slip on the ground by the door, and turned to leave.

The moment he turned, the window was pushed open with a 'clack'.

A white shadow darted out from inside, fast as a bolt of lightning.

Yun Ming's reaction was even faster; his body shifted to the side, his hand shot out, and he grabbed the white blur.

It felt soft and warm in his hand, furry and struggling.

A fox.

It was pure white without a single stray color, and nine tails were thrashing wildly behind it.

Its eyes were amber, currently wide and round, filled with panic and annoyance.

It opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth, wanting to bite Yun Ming's hand, but it couldn't reach.

Yun Ming gripped the fox by the scruff of its neck with one hand and pushed the window open with the other to look inside.

The room was empty.

The bedding was folded neatly, the crimson cloud flowing smoke was folded at the head of the bed, the hairpins were placed on the dressing table, and the cosmetic boxes were also arranged tidily.

The bedding had no warmth, and there was no residual scent in the air.

It was as if no one had lived here for a long time.

But Xue Ji's clothes, jewelry, and rouge were all there.

Except for herself, she had taken nothing.

A piece of paper lay on the stone table.

The paper was held down by an inkstone, its corners slightly curled.

The ink was already dry, and the handwriting was crooked, like that of a child who had just learned to write, but every stroke was written with great force, as if trying to pierce through the paper.

Yun Ming tucked the fox into his bosom and flipped through the window into the room.

There weren't many words on the paper.

He took one look, and his pupils shrank suddenly.