Poisonous Goddess: I'm just lazing around in the mortal realm.

"I think you're tired of living. You dare to talk about that princess of the Yongle Emperor?"

Qingfeng shrank his neck, and even mentioning that girl's name made him tremble.

“That princess is not from the mortal realm, and besides, I don’t know her at all.”

"Who told you she wasn't here? I heard that Princess Yongle ran away from the Yongle Divine Kingdom because she wanted to elope. Aunt Qin called us back to Xichen just for this."

"Ran?"

Hao Jing was somewhat surprised. Although he also opposed this kind of marriage, if it could alert Xi Chen to the search for people, the marriage would probably be a done deal.

He touched his nose, and lowered his voice somewhat guiltily.

"Did Aunt Qin say where the princess went? We in Cangling have also received news that the Demon Lord's other two clones have appeared on the southern border. I'm afraid a fierce battle is inevitable sooner or later."

Hao Jing recalled the letter from the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley. Several of Cang Ling's Divine Lords had died at the hands of his other two clones, who were probably even more difficult to deal with than Sun Youzhi.

"What should we do then? If something happens to the princess, I'm afraid the marriage between Xichen and Yongle will be in jeopardy." Qingfeng frowned, looking at Zhou Jinghuai with a worried expression.

Haojing happened to see his worried expression and muttered something to himself.

“I understand you’re worried about the princess, but why are you looking at Young Master Zhou?” He followed Qingfeng’s gaze and saw that Qin Rao had already left at some point.

Shen Mu withdrew his gaze from Hao Jing and turned to look at Zhou Jinghuai.

“I thought you were originally going to stay in Nanyang and go with me to capture Sun Youzhi, but I didn’t expect that General Qin would come to capture you personally. I’m afraid that Haojing and I will have to deal with the rest.”

His brow furrowed slightly, as if he had encountered something extremely difficult.

Instead, Zhou Jinghuai sneered and crossed his arms.

"Why do you sound like you're going to hunt down the Demon Lord for me? Wasn't this something we planned together from the beginning? I'm trying to help you now, but the time I can stay doesn't count."

Although he wasn't considered clever in front of the old fox Shen Mu, he could still tell that Shen Mu was trying to provoke him.

"I didn't say that. If General Qin really needs your help, then go ahead and do it. After all, Xichen must be very important for you to be able to get back here right now."

Shen Mu remembered that Thirteen was still in the carriage not far away, and he immediately wanted Zhou Jinghuai to leave.

If this person were to find out that Thirteen's true identity was here, Zhou Jinghuai would probably be like a piece of maltose, impossible to shake off.

Let alone sending him back to Xichen to handle matters.

At this point in their conversation, Zhou Jinghuai finally remembered the girl who had been hiding behind Shen Mu earlier. After looking around in vain, he said with some displeasure...

"Why are you hiding this girl away and not letting anyone see her?"

“Our conversation just now wasn’t appropriate for her to hear here,” Shen Mu said, leaving Zhou Jinghuai with no room for argument.

After all, in this mortal realm, only thirteen people know their identities.

With Thirteen still missing, Zhou Jinghuai couldn't help but feel worried again.

"I don't know when I'll see Thirteen again. If you do see her, be sure to ask her if she received the item I gave her."

He recalled that he had asked Haojing to deliver the wooden hairpin he had personally carved, and wondered if that unreliable guy had managed to do it successfully.

"What did you give her?"

Shen Mu pretended not to know, his gaze falling on Hao Jing in the distance, secretly competing with him.

"It's nothing, just some painkillers. I thought she was always getting hurt outside, so it's always good to have some medicine on hand." Zhou Jinghuai guiltily looked away.

Right now, he doesn't want Shen Mu to know what he's thinking.

He realized that he hadn't recognized Thirteen before, and he didn't want to tell Shen Mu Thirteen's true identity directly right now.

Shen Mu glanced at Hao Jing not far away, then turned his head and said somewhat calmly.

"So what brings you back to Xichen?"

“Go back…find someone.” Zhou Jinghuai’s originally bright eyes darkened slightly.

A complex emotion flashed across his face.

"Find someone? What could be more important than killing the Demon Lord's incarnation? Are you hiding something from me?" Shen Mu was slightly taken aback.

He had known Zhou Jinghuai for so many years and had never seen him so timid.

Right now, General Qin Rao is personally coming down to fetch him back.

I'm afraid this matter is still somewhat tricky.

Thinking of this, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and continued...

"Don't worry, although you are going back to Xichen, I think by the time you come back I should have already dealt with all of Sun Youzhi's doubles."

"Lord Shen's kung fu is truly remarkable, so I'll take a break from it then."

Zhou Jinghuai smiled at him, but the bitterness in his heart suddenly exploded.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stay in the mortal realm, nor that he didn't want to go with Shen Mu to find Sun Youzhi.

Right now, however, he must return to Xichen to find that princess!

Otherwise, the future of the Western Star Divine Kingdom may be in grave danger.

Shen Mu looked up and saw Zhou Jinghuai's preoccupied expression, and her heart sank.

He naturally understood that Zhou Jinghuai was hiding something from him, but since Zhou Jinghuai didn't want to talk about it now, he didn't press him further.

He slowly stepped forward and patted Zhou Jinghuai on the shoulder.

When will you return?

"Go back to Xichen?"

"Um"

"When you arrive in the Southern Barbarian Lands, I'd like to go with you to see if there are any dangers on the border. If it's truly safe, then I can return later."

Zhou Jinghuai composed himself, even though he had long forgotten that he still carried the mission of the Western Star Divine Kingdom.

He, who was originally bright and cheerful, now looked more solemn and profound.

"That's fine, but can you handle General Qin's side?"

Shen Mu suddenly remembered that Qin Rao's gaze towards him earlier had not been friendly.

He thought to himself that perhaps he just looked like one of Qin Rao's old friends.

Mentioning Qin Rao's name, Zhou Jinghuai's usually indifferent expression cracked slightly; he was still afraid of Qin Rao after all.

Thinking of this, he shrugged, trying to sound casual.

"If I say I'll stay, she should allow me to stay for a while. However, she might have to go back to Xichen earlier."

Zhou Jinghuai figured that Qin Rao's hasty descent to the mortal realm was probably to postpone the affairs of the Western Star Divine Kingdom. Right now, what the Western Star needed most was General Qin Rao.

"Alright, you'll come with me later to follow the Crown Prince's carriage."

"The Crown Prince? He finally came after all?" Zhou Jinghuai's cold face twisted into a mocking sneer.

Ever since Qin Rao descended to the mortal realm to find him, he hasn't had much time to attend to worldly affairs.

Therefore, there are always some things that are overlooked.

"You don't actually think it's the Third Prince, do you?"