This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

The three had escaped danger, but their blood-soaked appearance made them look extremely disheveled. Tian Yuanzi's right hand was missing, and the empty sleeve of his clothes hinted at just how brutal the pursuit had been.

Qingyu had also lost her initial arrogant demeanor; a bloody knife wound on her back was particularly gruesome.

As for Chen Miao, her external injuries were not visible, but her internal injuries were extremely severe. If Madam Chen hadn't arrived in time, all three of them would have perished on Cangshan Mountain.

"What exactly happened to you? Why are you in such a sorry state?"

Madam Chen was merely Chen Haoran's nominal wife; in reality, she was the core person in charge of intelligence for the Great Qian Dynasty in the Dali Dynasty. Taking advantage of Chen Haoran's trip to the capital, she smoothly infiltrated Yong'an to begin her undercover work.

Who would have thought that Chen Miao would suffer such a serious injury on her first mission? You must know that Chen Miao is the most valued princess of the Dali King, otherwise he would not have sent her to Daqian. Xiao Jianxian's secret is of utmost importance, and only with the princess by his side can he be sure that the secret can be found and brought back to Dali smoothly.

“Aunt, it’s a long story. We never expected to stumble upon the ancestral home of the Great Qian royal family, which led to our pursuit. We are extremely lucky to have escaped with our lives.”

Chen Miao spoke weakly. While fleeing, she was struck directly by a palm strike that descended from the sky. She felt as if her entire body had been shattered. Fortunately, she possessed a life-saving item from Dali, which saved her life. Even so, she could no longer easily use force; her spiritual platform and dantian were nearly shattered by that single blow.

"The ancestral home of the Huangfu family? How could this be? How could he be in the Cangshan Mountains? This is impossible!"

Madam Chen, who was called Aunt, was shocked and stood there. That was the ancestral land of the royal family. The ancestral land of each royal family was the greatest foundation of the country. These ancestral lands were usually invisible and could not be seen. How could they be placed in Cangshan so directly?

Furthermore, according to Dali's intelligence, the ancestral land of Daqian is not located in Yong'an City at all. This is because the ancestral land represents the last line of inheritance for a royal family. Even if the country is destroyed, the ancestral land is where the flame of revolution is preserved. No one would place their ancestral land in their capital city, as the risk would be far too great.

"Yes, we didn't expect it either. We were originally looking for Xiao Jianxian's secret, but we ended up encountering the ancestral land. There is the Jade Capital Nine Heavens there, so we can be sure that it must be the Huangfu ancestral land."

Tian Yuanzi replied somewhat dejectedly, "This trip was originally intended to make a name for myself and achieve great things, but I never expected it to end like this."

"Tell me everything that happened to you."

"it is good."

Chen Miao then recounted in detail how they infiltrated the back mountain after causing chaos at the Silent Temple, how they encountered Xiao Xingchen, and the story of Xiao Jianxian's tomb, followed by the appearance of the White Tiger and their pursuit by the ancestral land. Madam Chen listened with a furrowed brow, as these events were entirely outside their plans.

"There's something else that I find very strange. On our journey to escape, we've seen more than one army stationed in Cangshan. When did Cangshan become more important than Yong'an City?"

"We haven't seen this many troops in Yong'an City, and this is the heart of Daqian. Why would we need so many people to guard it?"

"Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Chen Miao nodded, and they exchanged glances, both seeing the suspicion in each other's eyes.

"The army of Daqian and the ancestral land seem to be guarding Cangshan. In other words, it's like they're watching over something. There's a big secret here."

The group fell silent, as if they had truly made an extraordinary discovery this time—not only had they found Xiao Jianxian's tomb, but they had also uncovered the greatest secret of Yong'an City.

"We'll discuss this matter later. Since Cangshan is heavily guarded, we can't explore it at will. Let's put it aside for now. You should focus on recovering. Chen Haoran will be reporting for duty soon, and distinguished guests from the capital will be coming to offer their congratulations. Your Highness will need to attend."

"I've temporarily suppressed your Central Purple Qi. For the time being, you cannot use any power. Just be a proper daughter of a vice minister. As for anything else..."

“Tian Yuanzi, go back to Xingyun Pavilion and ask the Pavilion Master what in this world is worth the Great Qian Martial Emperor’s caution. I have a feeling that there’s more to this than meets the eye.”

Madam Chen continued to assign tasks to the group, while also becoming more cautious about the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty. She had a premonition that Cangshan Mountain would be a turning point in the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Hey, what's that monument here?"

Xiao Xingchen led Daji on a long journey, finally finding a way out after three days. Who knows how he got through those three days? Daji was practically hopeless with directions. If it weren't for his survival skills from his past life, which led him to find signs of human sabotage, they don't know how long they would have been wandering in the mountains.

"Xiao Xingchen, come here and pull me."

For some reason, Xiao Xingchen sensed that Daji had become somewhat nervous ever since she saw the boundary marker named Cangshan.

"what happened to you?"

He quickly returned to her side, and she gripped his arm tightly with her hand.

"Xiao Xingchen, whether you can get me out of here depends on this. Some things may happen later, but you have to believe me, I won't hurt you."

Daji's unusual loss of composure made Xiao Xingchen sense something was wrong. Was it because of that boundary marker?

"Don't worry, just follow me, I'll pull you along. It's just a boundary marker. If it dares to block the way, I'll smash it."

"Okay, you're special, which is why I chose to help you the first time I met you. I hope to get out of here with the help of the power behind you."

"Oh, I didn't know I had this function. Don't worry, I'll definitely do my best."

Xiao Xingchen assured him confidently, "It's no big deal, why are you taking it so seriously?"

But just as he was about to move forward, he was pulled back again. Daji sighed, and her voice continued to echo in her mind.

"Don't you have any questions for me?"

"Why ask? You'll tell me when you want to. If you don't want to talk about it, there must be something you can't say. Why should I ask?"

"Thank you for your trust, but I still have to tell you that taking me out of this boundary marker will bring trouble in the future. Do you still want to take me with you?"

"Bring trouble upon yourself?" Xiao Xingchen smiled.

"I thought it was something serious. Well, let me tell you, I'm also in a lot of trouble, no less than yours. We're in the same boat, so neither of us needs to look down on the other. Maybe in the future I'll need you to help me take the fall."

Daji was clearly taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

"Okay, I'll remember this favor and repay it in the future."

"You're too kind. I don't have any friends in this world yet. What a coincidence, you're the first. I'd go to great lengths for a friend, let alone something as small as this boundary marker. I'll take you with me."