176: First meeting with the Seventh Princess!

Along the way, Li Qing appeared to be resting with his eyes closed.

In truth, his Divine Thought had already silently spread out.

He investigated the entire layout of the imperial palace, the strength of the guards, and even those powerful yet hidden auras concealed in the shadows, making everything perfectly clear.

"As expected of the foundation of a thousand-year Dynasty."

Li Qing sighed inwardly.

There were more hidden experts in this imperial palace than he had imagined.

The Spirit Transformation Realm seemed to only qualify as a squad leader here.

Those whose auras were unfathomable, terrifying existences like deep abysses, were the true trump cards of the imperial family.

It seemed his previous choice not to stubbornly go against the Emperor was the right one.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of an elegant, quiet palace filled with poetic charm.

"Marquis Wuan, we have arrived."

The high-pitched voice of the Old Eunuch rang out.

"This is the residence of Her Highness the Seventh Princess—Lingxi Garden."

Li Qing stepped off the carriage and looked up.

He saw an exquisite palace built of white marble and glazed tiles, standing quietly amidst a sea of flowers.

A faint fragrance of flowers and a subtle hint of medicinal aroma permeated the air.

"Marquis, please. Her Highness the Princess is waiting for you in the warm pavilion inside."

Li Qing nodded and stepped into Lingxi Garden.

Passing through a courtyard filled with exotic flowers and herbs, he arrived at a very cozy and elegant warm pavilion.

Inside the warm pavilion, high-quality Silver Silk Charcoal was burning, making it as warm as spring.

A young girl wearing a pale yellow palace dress and a snow-white fox fur cloak sat quietly on a soft couch by the window, holding a book and reading intently.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly raised her head.

Their eyes met.

Li Qing's mind swayed slightly.

Beautiful.

Truly beautiful.

It was an ethereal and transcendent beauty that seemed detached from the mortal world.

Her facial features were as exquisite as a Fairy in a painting, without a single flaw.

Her skin was as white as snow, almost transparent, even allowing the faint blue veins beneath to be seen.

Her eyes were as clear as a mountain stream, without any Impurities, yet they carried a faint, pity-inducing melancholy.

However, her face was far too pale.

It was a bloodless, sickly pallor.

Her whole person looked like a fragile porcelain doll, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

"Are you Li Qing?"

The girl looked at him, her red lips parting slightly as her voice, soft as a feather, carried an innate nobility belonging to the imperial family.

"I am Li Qing."

Li Qing looked at her and nodded, while secretly mobilizing his Divine Thought to carefully investigate the condition within her body.

Exactly.

Just as Elder Xuan had said, her body contained an extremely pure yet bone-chillingly cold "Profound Yin Qi."

This energy was like a maggot on a bone, constantly eroding her Meridians, her internal organs, and her life force.

If not for the massive amounts of Heaven And Earth Treasures sustaining her life, she would likely have passed away long ago.

Just then.

A voice full of laughter drifted in from outside the warm pavilion.

"Oh, sister and Brother-in-law, you've already met?"

Before the voice finished, a graceful and elegant figure wearing a luxurious palace dress stepped inside.

It was the Grand Princess, Xia Qingyue.

She seemed to be in a good mood today, with a bright smile on her face.

"Sister."

Seeing her, Xia Ningshuang hurriedly tried to stand up to salute, but was pressed down by her.

"We are sisters, no need for formalities," Xia Qingyue said with a smile, her gaze turning to Li Qing.

"Marquis Wuan, this Princess has heard that you even turned down Father's imperial banquet just to see my sister. What, are you that impatient?"

Her words seemed like teasing, but in reality, they were full of sharp irony.

Li Qing looked at her, his face still maintaining that expression of calm like a still well.

"Your Highness must be joking."

"Hehe."

Xia Qingyue covered her mouth and chuckled, a faint cold light flashing in her icy Phoenix eyes.

She walked to Xia Ningshuang's side, affectionately took her hand, and said to Li Qing in a voice full of concern:

"Marquis Wuan, this sister of mine has been frail and sickly since childhood, and her constitution is very weak."

"And you are a martial arts genius in the prime of your youth, with abundant Yang Qi."

"In the future, after you get married, you must take it easy."

"My sister's body cannot withstand such vigorous and energetic exertion from you."

"If anything goes wrong and clashes with the cold Qi in her body, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Her words were spoken with sincere emotion, full of love for her sister.

But the threat and implication within were self-evident!

She was telling Li Qing that Xia Ningshuang was a ticking time bomb!

If you touch her, she will die!

If you don't touch her, you are incompetent!

No matter what you do, as long as something happens to Xia Ningshuang, you will have to take the blame!

What a move—killing the heart with excessive praise!

However, after Li Qing finished listening, a strange smile appeared on his face.

He looked at Xia Qingyue and slowly said something that made her smile instantly freeze.

"Your Highness worries too much."

"To be honest, besides knowing how to fight..."

"I am actually also a Divine Physician."

"Specializing in treating all kinds of incurable diseases."

"Divine Physician?"

Hearing these words from Li Qing, Xia Qingyue was first stunned.

Then, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed so hard her shoulders shook.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

Xia Qingyue's uncontrollable laughter echoed in the warm pavilion.

"Li Qing, you really know how to joke."

"How come I didn't know that besides fighting, you also had such skills to save the world?"

She sized Li Qing up, her cold Phoenix eyes full of contempt and disdain.

"If you are a Divine Physician, then wouldn't there be Hua Tuos reincarnated all over the world?"

Beside her, a flash of astonishment also appeared in Xia Ningshuang's clear eyes.

She looked at the youth before her, who had an indifferent expression yet spoke such shocking words, her mouth slightly agape, momentarily unsure of what to say.

Divine Physician?

To treat her illness, her father had invited famous doctors and Alchemy Grandmasters from all over the world.

But everyone was helpless against her innate Profound Yin Constitution.

This youth before her looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, yet he dared to make such a boastful claim?

Was he joking, or... did he really have something to rely on?

Li Qing ignored Xia Qingyue's mockery.

He just looked at Xia Ningshuang's face—pale without a trace of blood, yet heart-wrenchingly beautiful—and said calmly.

"I can indeed cure your illness."