261: Chapter 259 The Second Prince's Strange Movements

Her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't speak.

There wasn't much content in the secret report, but every line carried significant weight.

The Second Prince's side had recently gained a mysterious source of assistance.

It wasn't a local power; their origins were unknown, their identities a mystery, and their cultivation levels were extremely high.

The Crown Prince's offensive had been halted—not just halted, the Second Prince had even begun to push back.

This is impossible. She knew the Second Prince's strength; it was on par with the Third Prince's, and he shouldn't have been able to withstand the Crown Prince's full-scale assault.

Unless—someone was helping him.

"Your Highness, have you found out who they are?" The Princess Royal put down the secret report and looked at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince shook his head. "I can't find anything. Those people seem to have popped out of nowhere, with no history or background. Their cultivation is high, and they act ruthlessly, but they never reveal their identities. I've sent several groups to investigate, and they all perished."

The Princess Royal was silent for a moment. "Who do you suspect, Your Highness?"

The Crown Prince's fingers tapped lightly on the table. "I don't know. But no matter who it is, to be able to make the Second Prince's strength surge in such a short time, this power is not simple."

He paused, "However, I didn't ask you here for this."

The Princess Royal looked at him.

"Where is the third brother?" the Crown Prince asked. "You know."

The Princess Royal didn't deny it. She picked up her teacup, took another sip, and slowly set it down. "What do you intend to do, Your Highness?"

"Make him come back." The Crown Prince's tone was calm but carried an unquestionable authority. "He can redeem himself through service. After all, he is my brother, a prince of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty. It is unseemly for him to be drifting outside. As long as he is willing to return, the past will be wiped clean."

The Princess Royal was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Your Highness, it's not that I won't help you. You know the third brother's temper; since he has left, he won't come back. He no longer wishes to compete, nor does he want to redeem himself. He just wants to live a quiet life now."

The Crown Prince's finger paused. "He doesn't even care about the Zifu Immortal Dynasty anymore?"

"He doesn't even care about himself, so why would he care about the Zifu Immortal Dynasty?" The Princess Royal's tone held a hint of helplessness. "Your Highness, you don't need to worry about the third brother anymore. He won't come back, and he won't cause trouble. Just act as if you don't have this brother."

The Crown Prince was silent for a long time. He looked at the night sky outside, illuminated by immortal light, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. The Princess Royal didn't rush him; she sat quietly, holding the Treasure-Spitting Mouse.

"There is one more thing." The Crown Prince retracted his gaze and looked at the Princess Royal. "That Yun Ming has come to Tianyuan."

The Princess Royal's eyebrows twitched. "I know."

"He offended Zhao Shisan of Xuanming Hall, and the Zhao family won't let it go." The Crown Prince took a sip of tea. "I wanted to ask if you're interested in meeting him?"

The Princess Royal smiled. The smile was faint, carrying a "you already knew" implication.

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I have already sent people from the Vermilion Tower to contact him."

The Crown Prince nodded and said no more. The Princess Royal stood up, picked up the Treasure-Spitting Mouse, and gave a slight nod to the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

The Crown Prince waved his hand. The Princess Royal turned and walked out of the Imperial Study. The door closed softly behind her. The Imperial Study fell silent. The Crown Prince leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. He wasn't sleeping, nor was he cultivating. He was wondering what exactly was happening on that land in the north.

The small courtyard in Huai Tree Alley.

Yun Ming lay on a bamboo chair under the old Huai tree, holding a cup of tea. The fox lay on his lap, its nine tails hanging down and swaying. Ah Yuan was cultivating inside the house, the array-breaking sword suspended before her. Most of the formation patterns on the blade were already glowing, just one step away from being fully refined.

The Longevity Festival wasn't over yet, and the Heavenly Street was still bustling, but Yun Ming was no longer interested in any of it.

Every day, he would sit in the Sundries shop for a while, drinking tea, daydreaming, and waiting for customers.

There weren't many customers—only seven or eight groups a day, with three or four deals closed. He didn't earn many Spirit Stones, but it was enough to maintain daily expenses.

People from Xuanming Hall didn't come looking for trouble. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but they didn't dare. During the Longevity Festival, the Crown Prince had given orders that no one was allowed to cause trouble. Even if Zhao Shisan had the courage of a lion, he wouldn't dare to stir up trouble under the Crown Prince's nose.

Yun Ming was happy to have the leisure. He

wasn't afraid of Zhao Shisan, but he was afraid of trouble.

If he could avoid one more thing, it was better to do so.

However, people from the Shanhai Society and the Vermilion Tower had visited a few times.

Bai Shan and Liu Ruxu were natural businesspeople and wouldn't stop associating with him just because of the fox. Bai Shan bought several Fourth Grade Magical Artifacts from him at a fair price, and Yun Ming was happy to sell. Liu Ruxu ordered a batch of Third Grade Medicinal Pills, saying they were for the girls of the Vermilion Tower to use for cultivation. Yun Ming didn't ask much; he refined the pills and delivered them on time. Over time, his relationship with the Shanhai Society and the Vermilion Tower actually became closer than before.

This afternoon, while Yun Ming was napping in the Sundries shop, Bai Shan pushed open the door and walked in. He wore a black brocade robe with the short blade hanging at his waist, walking with large strides to the counter, placing a Storage Pouch on the table.

"Shopkeeper, President Qian sent me to collect the goods."

Yun Ming opened his eyes, picked up the Storage Pouch, sent his Divine Sense inside to check the contents, and confirmed everything was correct.

He took out several jade bottles from under the counter and placed them on the table. "Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill, ten bottles. yunling pill, twenty bottles. Please check them."

Bai Shan picked up the jade bottles and inspected them one by one very seriously.

Although his cultivation wasn't high, his eye for detail was good; he could tell the quality, appearance, and fragrance of the pills at a glance.

"No problem." Bai Shan put the jade bottles into the Storage Pouch, then took another Storage Pouch from his robe and placed it on the table. "This is the payment. Shopkeeper, please check it." Yun Ming took the Storage Pouch and swept his Divine Sense inside; it was a pile of High-Grade Spirit Stones. He didn't count them and put them directly into the map of mountains and rivers.

Bai Shan wasn't in a hurry to leave. He sat in the chair in front of the counter, looked at Yun Ming, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Shopkeeper, I don't know if I should say this." Yun Ming looked at him. "Speak."

"Zhao Shisan won't let it go. He doesn't dare to act during the Longevity Festival, but it might be different after the festival." Bai Shan's voice was low but serious. "Shopkeeper, please be careful. The Zhao family is capable of anything. They won't dare to do it openly, but in the shadows... you understand. If you need anything, contact our Shanhai Society anytime. President Qian said you are a friend of the Shanhai Society. When a friend is in trouble, the Shanhai Society will not sit idly by."

Yun Ming leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Brother Bai. However, I'll deal with whatever comes my way. If Zhao Shisan has the ability, let him come. I don't go looking for trouble, but I'm not afraid of it either."

Bai Shan looked at his calm and unruffled demeanor, gave a bitter smile, and didn't try to persuade him further. He knew that for a Loose Cultivator to make it all the way from the East Xuan Region to the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, they relied on more than just luck. He stood up and cupped his hands toward Yun Ming. "Shopkeeper, then I'll be going. Take care." Yun Ming nodded.

As Bai Shan reached the door, he stopped and looked back at Yun Ming. "By the way, Shopkeeper, that nine-turn jade infant pill you asked me to look out for has arrived. The goods are at the Shanhai Society headquarters. Do you want to go pick it up now, or should I bring it to you tomorrow?" Yun Ming stood up. "I'll go get it now. I'm not busy anyway." He locked the shop door and followed Bai Shan to the Shanhai Society headquarters.

The Shanhai Society headquarters was deep within the Tianbao Market, a three-story building with a small storefront but a hidden world inside. Yun Ming paid the Spirit Stones and collected the Medicinal Pill. The nine-turn jade infant pill, Fourth Grade High Grade, a Saint Grade for Nascent Soul formation. Three thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones was a steep price, but it was worth it. He put the Medicinal Pill into the map of mountains and rivers, left the Shanhai Society, and returned to the small courtyard.

Ah Yuan had already come out of the house and was squatting in the yard, combing the fox's fur. The fox lay on the ground, eyes narrowed, its nine tails spread out like a white fan. Ah Yuan combed very carefully, strand by strand, from the top of its head to the tips of its tails. The fox purred contentedly.

Yun Ming walked over and sat on a stone stool. Ah Yuan looked up at him. "Master, you're back." Yun Ming nodded. He took the jade bottle containing the nine-turn jade infant pill from the map of mountains and rivers and placed it on the stone table.

Ah Yuan looked at the jade bottle, her eyes lighting up. "Master, is this... the nine-turn jade infant pill?"

"Yes. I bought it from the Shanhai Society." Yun Ming leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the table. "It cost three thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. But it's worth it."

Ah Yuan opened her mouth to say something but swallowed it back. She knew what three thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones meant. With her current cultivation, she wouldn't be able to save that much in a hundred years without eating or drinking. If Master said it was "worth it," then it was worth it.

Yun Ming saw Ah Yuan's hesitant look and added, "Don't worry. When you reach Golden Core Perfection, Master will prepare one for you as well." Ah Yuan's eyes brightened even more. "Master, I... I will definitely Cultivate hard and not let you down."

Yun Ming waved his hand. "No rush, just take it slow."

Ah Yuan nodded vigorously. She looked down at the fox, who was squinting, half-asleep. Its aura was much more substantial than before, and the Golden Core Perfection Bottleneck had completely loosened. Ah Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Master, why does Xue Ji Cultivate so fast? It hasn't been long, and she's already about to break through to the Nascent Soul."

Yun Ming reached out and rubbed the fox's head. "First, her talent is good. The Frost Brilliance Fox is a Spirit Beast of the Far North Ice Plains to begin with, so the foundation is there. Second, she was originally at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. Although she dispersed her power to recultivate, the foundation remains. Before the Golden Core Stage, there were no Bottlenecks for her. Going from dispersing power to Golden Core Perfection is just retracing a path she's already walked. But the Nascent Soul is different. The Nascent Soul is a hurdle that requires sufficient accumulation and Opportunity. Medicinal Pills are the Opportunity. That's why I prepared this nine-turn jade infant pill for her."

Ah Yuan nodded, though she only half-understood.

Yun Ming looked at her and added, "The same goes for you. Your talent is no worse than Xue Ji's. A single-attribute water Spiritual Root is one in ten thousand. Your cultivation speed is already very fast, but don't be proud. Foundation Establishment is just the beginning; the road is long. When you also reach Golden Core Perfection one day, Master will also prepare a nine-turn jade infant pill for you. As long as you are willing to work hard, none of this will be a problem."

Ah Yuan lowered her head, her eyes slightly red. "Master, why are you so good to me?"

Yun Ming didn't answer. He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, fingers tapping lightly on the table. After a while, he spoke softly, "Alright, don't think too much. Go Cultivate. Finish refining the array-breaking sword first."

Ah Yuan nodded vigorously, put away the array-breaking sword, and went back inside. Yun Ming sat on the stone stool, holding the cup of tea that had gone cold. The fox lay on his lap, its nine tails hanging down and swaying. He looked down at the fox, and the fox opened its eyes to look at him.

"Golden Core Perfection?" he asked. The fox gave a "hmpf," as if saying "of course." Yun Ming smiled and rubbed its head. "No rush. When your cultivation is more stable, find a suitable time to take that nine-turn jade infant pill. Then, you'll be a Nascent Soul Cultivator. You'll regain your human form and your memories. I'll have to ask you what you were thinking back then."