“Heh heh…”
Chu Qingyan laughed.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, “I know Ninth Uncle-Grandfather wouldn't harm me, and there must be a reason for letting me participate in the siege.”
“Yes, you do have some intelligence.”
Chu Qingyan nodded approvingly: “If we really are going to besiege the Jade Cauldron Sect, that will be a major battle, involving a large number of people. This is a rare opportunity for you.”
Chu Zhiyuan said, “Ninth Uncle-Grandfather, isn't this operation extremely dangerous?”
“I know you cherish your life, but sometimes, you have to risk it.” Chu Qingyan smiled and said, “In a person's life, there are only a few crucial steps. If you take these steps well, your life won't be too bad. If you don't take these steps well, you'll regret it for the rest of your life, and be unwilling for the rest of your life!”
“Yes.” Chu Zhiyuan vaguely guessed something.
Chu Qingyan said, “Go back and conserve your energy. The Emperor's actions have always been swift and decisive, without any procrastination.”
“Yes.” Chu Zhiyuan solemnly clasped his fist, saying nothing more.
Chu Zhiyuan first returned to the Prince's mansion, exhausted, and lay down on the couch, quickly falling asleep. He felt like he had never been so tired before.
Although the Heavenly Origin Art could continuously replenish his mental strength, a kind of inexplicable fatigue still made him unable to bear it. He felt that Super-Sense consumed not only his spirit, but also other powers, powers beyond the spirit.
He was clearly full of energy, but still felt tired.
This was a fatigue from the depths of his soul, as if he had lived for too long and developed a sense of vicissitude, a kind of inexplicable weariness. He speculated that it was because he processed too much information that he had this sense of vicissitude and fatigue.
Two hours were equivalent to the amount of information that others processed in a lifetime. Neither the Heavenly Origin Art nor the Earthly Origin Art could make up for it.
He lay down on the couch and quickly fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up leisurely, he felt refreshed.
He raised his voice and said, “Zou Fang, how long has it been?”
“Your Highness has slept for an hour.”
Chu Zhiyuan saw that the window was already dim, turned over, and got up.
Mo Yi and the four girls entered lightly, each performing their duties, quickly making him clean, tidy, and full of energy. Chu Zhiyuan came to the back garden of the Duke Anguo's mansion in the twilight.
Xiao Ruoyu didn't appear, but Xiao Ruoling directly pulled him into the painted boat.
Chu Zhiyuan revealed an inexplicable smile.
Only the two of them were inside the painted boat, and the two sensible little maids had already retreated.
Xiao Ruoling took out a small cold jade box from the cabinet of the painted boat and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan: “Look, what is this?” Chu Zhiyuan looked at her in surprise and opened the small cold jade box.
As soon as he saw this small cold jade box, he inexplicably thought of the Emperor. He opened it, and inside were two exotic grasses.
Both grasses were the length of an index finger and the thickness of a chopstick, straight without a trace of bending, with narrow leaves like willow leaves. They were like carved from jasper, emitting a warm and crystal-clear luster.
“Heaven-Reaching Grass?” Chu Zhiyuan blurted out.
Xiao Ruoling smiled sweetly: “Exactly, Heaven-Reaching Grass!”
“Heaven-Reaching Grass…” Chu Zhiyuan was puzzled.
“Master asked someone to get it, saying that it would save me from being distracted by it, being anxious about gains and losses, so she simply got it for you first.”
“The Empress is really good to you.” Chu Zhiyuan smiled.
This was very likely obtained from the Emperor.
His sword eyebrows rose.
The two Heaven-Reaching Grasses were actually shrouded in an invisible force, as if in layers of mist, and he couldn't see them clearly no matter what. Chu Zhiyuan suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
He quickly remembered that he had the same feeling when illuminating the Mysterious Spirit Pearl. Mysterious Spirit Pearl… Heaven-Reaching Grass…
Could it be that they came from the same source?
Where did this power that hindered Super-Sense's illumination come from? Was it a power from the same source, or a power of the same type? He suddenly frowned.
“What's wrong?” Xiao Ruoling asked, puzzled.
Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.
If the Heaven-Reaching Grass and the Mysterious Spirit Pearl both contained a certain kind of power, was this power the root cause of the Grandmaster's suicide at the Moon Invitation Palace? He had already merged with the Mysterious Spirit Pearl.
Had he also merged with this power? Would he also experience the pain suffered by that Grandmaster of the Moon Invitation Palace? He carefully recalled the process of merging with the Mysterious Spirit Pearl.
If something was really wrong, the keen intuition derived from Super-Sense would give him a warning. He believed in his intuition.
Thinking of this, he smiled: “Why not try eating it first?” As he spoke, he picked up one plant and slowly brought it to his mouth. But even when it reached his mouth, there was still no reaction.
Xiao Ruoling was startled and quickly grabbed his arm.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled: “It seems that this Heaven-Reaching Grass is not harmful to me.”
“Really going to take it?” Xiao Ruoling said worriedly: “Not carefully figuring it out? What if…” Chu Zhiyuan put down this Heaven-Reaching Grass, then picked up the other one: “I'll try again.” He slowly brought it to his mouth, but suddenly stopped.
Xiao Ruoling had been staring at him, her eyes shining.
Chu Zhiyuan brought this Heaven-Reaching Grass in front of his eyes and carefully examined it.
Under the illumination, it was still shrouded in layers of mist, and he couldn't see the situation inside. There was an invisible force hindering it. At first glance, these two Heaven-Reaching Grasses looked no different.
But why did one give him a dangerous feeling, while the other didn't have a dangerous feeling, but instead had a faint sense of joy? Were these two Heaven-Reaching Grasses different?
There were no two completely identical leaves in the world, nor were there two completely identical grasses, but the difference between these two grasses was too great.
“What?” Xiao Ruoling looked confused.
Chu Zhiyuan thought for a while: “Two plants are too few, can you get more?”
“Then I'll talk to Master.” Xiao Ruoling said: “Is there something wrong?”
“One is very dangerous, the other can be eaten.” Chu Zhiyuan said: “It's very strange.” Xiao Ruoling looked at the two Heaven-Reaching Grasses, but couldn't see any difference.
At least the appearance was exactly the same.
Chu Zhiyuan smiled: “Don't tell the Empress the reason for this first, just say I want a few more to study.”
“Yes.” Xiao Ruoling nodded.
She felt that Master would agree.
Great Jing Imperial Palace
West Palace
On the clean open space in front of the main hall, two beautiful women stood side by side. Both women were dressed in white, close-fitting outfits, strong and graceful.
“He's really greedy enough.”
Zeng Yuan said unhappily: “Two plants are already a lot!”
Xiao Ruoling immediately smiled apologetically: “Master, get a few more, it doesn't matter if you give me a few more if you give me two.”
Zeng Yuan snorted: “With your little mouth open, I have to run my legs off! Who is the master and who is the disciple between the two of us!” Xiao Ruoling stepped forward and rubbed her fragrant shoulders, calling out in a coquettish voice: “Mas—ter—”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Zeng Yuan hurriedly shrunk her fragrant shoulders, unable to bear her strange voice: “Speak properly!”
“Master, you promised?”
“Okay, I'll try.” Zeng Yuan said: “Actually, I also begged it from the Emperor.” Xiao Ruoling widened her bright eyes.
Zeng Yuan snorted: “The Emperor also did research at the beginning, and like your Prince, he abandoned it after getting no results. Giving it to you is considered making the best use of it.” Xiao Ruoling immediately smiled like a flower: “Thank you, Master!”
If Master goes to beg, she can get it, but she doesn't even have the chance to talk to the Emperor.
“You…” Zeng Yuan shook her head.
She wanted to say a few words to her but closed her mouth, knowing that it was useless to say anything, she wouldn't listen. She did what she thought of and left gracefully.
After a while, she took another small cold jade box and handed it to her: “Take it, these are the last two plants.”
“Thank you, Master!”
“Practice your sword first, and see how much your swordsmanship has improved.” Zeng Yuan snorted: “See how much he has guided you.” After a quarter of an hour, Zeng Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
Xiao Ruoling's swordsmanship had improved too quickly, faster than she imagined.
It seemed that Chu Zhiyuan's swordsmanship was even more refined than her own, worthy of being the number one martial arts genius of the Great Jing Imperial Family.
