63: Chapter 63 Clues, the Sixth Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty?

"Great Qian Dynasty? Why is this behemoth from the Central Region involved again?"

Xia Jin looked at the letter in his hand and couldn't help but frown.

Could it be that the Great Qian Dynasty has already stretched its hands into the Eastern Region?

"Husband, what's wrong? What is written in that letter?" Leng Yuexi asked curiously as she supported Princess Jiang Rou, seeing Xia Jin's frowning expression.

"Take a look at this." Xia Jin handed the letter to Leng Yuexi.

"This!? The Great Qian Dynasty?" Leng Yuexi's gaze fell upon the words "Xiguan City of the Great Qian Dynasty," and her expression instantly became solemn.

"Rou'er, you take a look too, and see if you can find anything in this letter!" She patted Princess Jiang Rou's shoulder and brought the letter before her.

Princess Jiang Rou took the paper and glanced at the few short words on it, but suddenly smelled a faint fragrance. She couldn't help but bring it to her nose to sniff.

"The texture of this paper is special, with a very faint scent of soapberry. It should be specially made from the core of the 'Snow Soapberry Tree,' which is unique to the Great Qian Dynasty. Moreover, the production of this paper is extremely low, and it is usually only provided for the core members of the Great Qian Imperial Family."

"The Great Qian Imperial Family? Why would they kidnap your father?" A hint of doubt flashed in Xia Jin's eyes. "Logically speaking, there should be no connection between the Fenglin Kingdom and the Great Qian Dynasty. Could the problem lie with the Xuanyin Sect?"

After speaking, Xia Jin's gaze unconsciously fell upon Leng Yuexi and Princess Jiang Rou.

"Impossible. Although my Xuanyin Sect is located at the southern end of the Great Qian Dynasty, we have always had very little contact with the Great Qian Imperial Family, let alone any grudges..." Leng Yuexi said with a frown, but before she could finish, she felt Princess Jiang Rou tugging at her sleeve.

"Rou'er?"

"Revered Master! Have you perhaps forgotten... that Sixth Prince of Great Gan?"

"The Sixth Prince of Great Gan? Him!?" A flash of disgust appeared in Leng Yuexi's eyes. "Rou'er, do you mean... today's events might be his doing?"

"Yes!" Princess Jiang Rou nodded. "Aside from that Sixth Prince of Great Gan, I really can't think of any other member of the Great Qian Imperial Family who would do such a thing."

"The Sixth Prince of Great Gan?" Xia Jin looked at Princess Jiang Rou and asked calmly, "What's going on?"

"Three years ago, that Sixth Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty wanted to secretly recruit some powerful Sect forces to serve as his capital for competing for the throne of Great Qian in the future. As a top Sect within the Great Qian borders, my Xuanyin Sect naturally caught his eye," Princess Jiang Rou explained to Xia Jin.

"Back then, he personally visited the Xuanyin Sect Headquarters, and Revered Master received him. As a result, this person seemed to be infatuated with Revered Master, and thereafter, he actually began a frantic pursuit of her."

"Hmph!! That fellow is indeed troublesome!" Leng Yuexi stood to the side, her face showing undisguised annoyance. "He harassed this Palace at the Xuanyin Sect time and again. If not for my concern regarding the Great Qian Imperial Family behind him, I would have split that fellow in two with a single sword strike back then!!"

"However," a hint of doubt flashed in Princess Jiang Rou's eyes, "about half a year ago, that Sixth Prince of Great Gan seemed to have stopped coming to the Xuanyin Sect. But he is the only person from the Great Qian Imperial Family we've had contact with!"

"Enough! Don't think too much about it!" Xia Jin directly took the letter from Princess Jiang Rou's hand. "I will know the result once this Prince personally visits Xiguan City of Great Qian!"

After saying that, he prepared to walk out of the Imperial Study.

"Wait, Husband, I'll go with you!" Leng Yuexi immediately took a step forward and grabbed Xia Jin's hand.

Xia Jin smiled and patted Leng Yuexi's head, whispering, "It's not suitable for you to go this time. If it really is that Sixth Prince of Great Gan, he might discover your presence before we even enter the city! It will be more convenient for this Prince to act alone!"

Leng Yuexi looked deeply at Xia Jin before finally nodding. "...Alright. Then promise me you'll be careful! Especially watch out for the Dao Protector behind that Sixth Prince of Great Gan!"

"Dao Protector?"

"Yes!" A figure flashed through Leng Yuexi's mind, and her eyes were instantly filled with wariness. "It is said that he is a peerless expert whom The Sixth Prince's Imperial Consort Mother accidentally saved. To repay the favor, he swore to protect her son's safety for a lifetime. With such a person by his side, this Sixth Prince is extremely difficult to deal with."

"Prince Jin!" At this moment, Princess Jiang Rou suddenly bowed deeply to Xia Jin. "I beg Your Highness... you must bring my Father Emperor back safely!!"

"Don't worry!" Xia Jin nodded to Leng Yuexi.

In the next moment, he turned into a streak of black light and shot toward the Great Qian Dynasty.

Leng Yuexi supported Princess Jiang Rou, clutching her somewhat cold hand, and whispered, "Rou'er, don't worry. With Husband's skills, he will definitely bring your father back safely."

...

Just as Xia Jin was leaving the Fenglin Imperial Palace,

near the border of the Fenglin Kingdom, an ordinary-looking carriage was speeding forward.

Inside the carriage, the Fenglin Emperor, Jiang Qianjue, finally woke up amidst the occasional jolts. He wanted to rub his throbbing forehead, only to find himself tied up securely.

Instantly, Jiang Qianjue's heart was filled with panic and a sense of humiliation. As the Emperor of Fenglin, when had he ever suffered such disgrace and treatment?

"Who?! Who exactly tied me up and brought me here?!" Jiang Qianjue roared while forcefully banging against one side of the carriage.

The continuous banging seemed to attract the attention of the people outside, and the speeding carriage suddenly came to a halt.

Then, the curtain at the front of the carriage was pulled open from the outside with a "swish."

The blinding light made Jiang Qianjue instinctively squint his eyes. Against the light, a face with a somewhat playful smile appeared at the carriage door, blocking most of the light.

"Your Majesty! What are you trying to do?"

"Hmm? Why does this voice sound familiar?" Jiang Qianjue couldn't help but frown suddenly. When he clearly saw the face at the carriage door, his eyes widened.

"Guan... Guan Heng?! Why is it you?!"

The person before him was clearly an Imperial Guard Commander he thought highly of within the Fenglin Imperial Palace—Guan Heng! This man usually handled matters steadily and had decent martial arts skills; he had even rewarded him several times!

He was here? The kidnapper was actually his own Imperial Guard Commander?! Was it an internal rebellion?!

Guan Heng looked at Jiang Qianjue, the smile on his face becoming more pronounced. However, that smile held none of the past respect, only undisguised mockery.

"Awake? My... Your Majesty?" Guan Heng spoke unhurriedly.

"Are you surprised?" He reached out and patted Jiang Qianjue's cheek. "Don't look at me with that kind of gaze. First, let me introduce myself. I, Guan Heng, am not some lowly Imperial Guard Commander of your Fenglin Kingdom. My true identity is the Left Captain of the 'Xuanying Guard' under The Sixth Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Great Qian?! The Sixth Prince?!

Jiang Qianjue was completely stunned. The Great Qian Dynasty? That was an existence that all the kingdoms in the Eastern Region had to look up to! He, and even the entire Fenglin Kingdom, had no contact with Great Qian, let alone any grudges. Why would they target him?

"Alright, my former Majesty! Don't think too much." Guan Heng said calmly, "Our target isn't you! You are merely a pawn in His Highness's plan."

"Once you've been used, you'll be discarded! Hahahaha!"