73: Yan Ruxue's calculations

The leading maid gestured for the group to wait outside the hall, and she entered alone to report.

In a short while, the leading maid's voice came from within the hall.

"Please invite Princess Han Yue and her entourage to an audience."

Hearing the voice from inside.

Yan Ruxue walked in the center, with Lin Mu following on both sides, entering the Imperial Study Room together.

Inside the Imperial Study Room, the Eldest Princess sat upright at a desk, dressed in palace attire.

She held a brush in her hand, rapidly making revisions on a memorial.

As Yan Ruxue and the two entered the Imperial Study Room, she immediately rose, putting down the brush in her hand.

"Greetings, Your Royal Highness, Eldest Princess."

Yan Ruxue bowed.

The Eldest Princess quickly stepped forward, supporting Yan Ruxue, who was about to prostrate herself.

"We are sisters; there's no need for such formalities."

She took Yan Ruxue's hand and walked towards the side hall, not once looking at Lin Mu and the other person.

Lin Mu was also discerning enough not to follow.

Once in the side hall, the two sat down.

The Eldest Princess asked.

"Sister, what is the urgent matter that brings you to the palace?"

Yan Ruxue glanced at Lin Mu through the screen, then slowly said, "This is a long story, but I'll try to keep it brief."

"Young Master Lin, who came with me, wishes to meet His Majesty the Ice Emperor. He once saved my life. That is why I brought him here."

Yan Ruxue then roughly recounted how Lin Mu saved her.

Upon hearing this, the Eldest Princess picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip.

Her movements and demeanor were graceful, and although a faint smile was always on her face, it gave no sense of approachability.

"Sister, you should know that even you and I find it difficult to easily see His Majesty."

"Do you think His Majesty would meet an outsider?"

Yan Ruxue sighed softly and said, "Sister, there are no outsiders here, and I won't hide it from you anymore."

"This Young Master Lin used the favor of saving my life to coerce me; I was truly forced into this."

The Eldest Princess's smile vanished, and she said with some surprise, "When did the people of Yanshan Kingdom become so bold as to dare to threaten a princess of our Wind and Snow Country?"

Yan Ruxue said, "Since Sister already knows Young Master Lin's background, you must also know about the conflict between the Yan Family and him."

The Eldest Princess did not answer Yan Ruxue's words but instead spoke of another matter.

"Sister, during your journey, three priests accompanied you as guards, but now only you have returned alone."

"And Sister was coincidentally saved by Young Master Lin."

"Young Master Lin coincidentally had a conflict with the small Yan Family of Hancheng City."

"Sister, don't you think all of this is too coincidental?"

After the Eldest Princess finished speaking, her gaze directly scrutinized Yan Ruxue.

That gaze was like a knife, piercing into Yan Ruxue's brain nerves.

For a moment, it made her forget how to respond next.

As early as on the way to the palace, Yan Ruxue had already planned to divert the trouble.

To shift the conflict between her and Lin Mu onto the Eldest Princess.

With Lin Mu's arrogance, as long as the Eldest Princess didn't comply with his wishes, the two sides would immediately become hostile.

Then she would fan the flames from the side, letting them fight to the death.

No matter the outcome, she could remain uninvolved.

But she had still underestimated the Eldest Princess too much.

A person who manages an entire Wind and Snow Country, if she couldn't even see through such a small scheme.

Then she would truly have lived in vain.

The Eldest Princess not only saw through Yan Ruxue's trick but also suspected her of colluding with outsiders with malicious intent.

Although everything the Eldest Princess said was truly just a coincidence, no one would believe it now.

She really had shot herself in the foot.

If she couldn't explain things clearly today, no matter how much the Ice Emperor had favored her before, she would lose the Ice Emperor's trust.

Thinking of this, Yan Ruxue suddenly knelt on the ground and said sincerely:

"Little sister knows her mistake; I shouldn't have tried to show off in front of the Eldest Princess, but what I just said is absolutely true."

"Little sister can swear to the Heavenly Dao that if I, Yan Ruxue, have done anything to betray the Wind and Snow Country, I am willing to die from the Heavenly Dao's backlash, never to reincarnate for all eternity."

"Please, Eldest Princess, be discerning."

The Eldest Princess didn't expect Yan Ruxue to make a Heavenly Dao oath.

For cultivators in the Flying Heaven Realm, once such an oath is made, it is recorded by the Heavenly Dao.

If the oath is broken, they will suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Dao when they attempt to break through to the Venerable Realm, with unimaginable consequences.

Looking at Yan Ruxue kneeling on the ground, the Eldest Princess quickly stepped forward and gently helped her up.

"Sister, what are you doing? I didn't mean to blame you."

"It's just that I am entrusted by His Majesty to manage this vast Wind and Snow Country, so I must always be careful."

After Yan Ruxue stood up, the Eldest Princess held her hand and continued.

"Sister, you don't know, but during your absence, someone broke into Mysterious Ice Mountain."

"What?" Yan Ruxue exclaimed.

Mysterious Ice Mountain is where the Ice Emperor cultivates in seclusion, a forbidden area known to everyone in the entire Wind and Snow Country.

Anyone who enters without the Ice Emperor's summons will die without a burial place.

For hundreds of years, no one had ever dared to trespass on Mysterious Ice Mountain.

"Who did it? Could it be the Flame Emperor?"

The Eldest Princess shook her head and said, "I don't know who it was. That person fought with the Empress in Mysterious Ice Mountain for half a day and then retreated unharmed."

"I tried to send a message to His Majesty, but I didn't receive a reply."

"Now you understand why I am suspicious of those two, don't you?"

Yan Ruxue frowned deeply. After listening to the Eldest Princess, she pondered for a moment and then said:

"Although I don't know why Young Master Lin wants to see His Majesty the Ice Emperor, I can be certain that he has absolutely no connection to the person who broke into Mysterious Ice Mountain."

"Why are you so certain?" the Eldest Princess asked, puzzled.

"That Young Master Lin is precisely the person who rang the heavenly dao bell at Heavenly Sect Academy that day. I have witnessed his way of doing things."

"He is ruthless, cold-blooded, and his strength is unfathomable, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals."

"If the person who came that day was truly related to him, he wouldn't be going through this extra trouble today."

When the Eldest Princess heard that Lin Mu was the one who rang the heavenly dao bell, a rare look of surprise appeared on her usually calm face.

After Yan Ruxue finished explaining her insights, she questioned again:

"This is all just your personal speculation. What if that person was forced to retreat that day, and then later had this Young Master Lin come to coordinate from the inside?"

"This..."

Although Yan Ruxue was certain that person had no connection to Lin Mu.

She lacked sufficient reasons to prove it.

Seeing that Yan Ruxue was unable to refute, the Eldest Princess continued:

"Instead of guessing here, why don't we go out and ascertain the facts before making a decision."

Although a sound-isolation array was set up where the two women were talking.

This had no effect on Lin Mu whatsoever.

He heard their conversation clearly.

Lin Mu was also pondering who had broken into the Ice Emperor's place of seclusion.

He successively thought of the Flame Emperor and the Sect Master of Taixu Sect.

Even Wu Daoren (Nameless/Unprincipled Man).

But he rejected them one by one.

The Flame Emperor and the Sect Master of Taixu Sect should both be acquaintances of the Ice Emperor, so there would be no need to sneak in.

As for Wu Daoren (Nameless/Unprincipled Man), it was even less likely.

The Ice Emperor had once cultivated at Heavenly Dao Academy, so nominally, Wu Daoren (Nameless/Unprincipled Man) could be considered the Ice Emperor's master.

Suddenly, Lin Mu remembered something.

Someone who could silently infiltrate Mysterious Ice Mountain, fight a great battle with the Ice Emperor, retreat unharmed, and also have the same objective as Lin Mu.

The only one who met these conditions was the Dragon King of the Endless Sea, Long Yuan.