Chapter 383: The Eve

Zhao Muning quickly pressed a healing pill into her younger brother's mouth. Her outward expression remained composed, but the worry in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"What are you still standing there for? Take us to our rooms."

Zhao Muning supported her younger brother and spoke sharply to the attendant, who seemed to have frozen in place.

At those words, the attendant came back to his senses and answered quickly, leading Zhao Muning and her companion up the stairs.

Zhao Muning swept the inn with her eyes as she went, and though she was still deeply concerned about the poison in her brother's wounds, she was no longer as panicked as she had been earlier.

Because she knew perfectly well that Li Musheng, the Eighth Prince of Great Li, was in this inn.

Having learned Li Musheng's true identity from the Great Xuan emperor's own mouth, Zhao Muning had followed various clues and guessed that the carriage that had earlier forced its way into Xuanan City was very likely connected to Li Musheng. And after several days of quiet investigation, she had located where Li Musheng's group was staying.

She had originally had no intention of coming to disturb him. But Zhao Kuang had poisoned the princes, and her younger brother had been among the victims.

Had she not noticed the warning signs in time and managed to get him away with the help of her two Senior Aunts, her brother would almost certainly have died at Zhao Kuang's hands.

More pressingly, Zhao Kuang had dispatched the palace's foremost experts to hunt down and kill any surviving princes. Her two Senior Aunts were barely managing to hold off the palace's pursuers, and the two of them had nowhere else to go.

In the end, she had decided to bring him here.

That said, Zhao Muning was not coming to ask Li Musheng for help. She was self-aware enough to know that the connection between herself and Li Musheng was not deep enough to justify such a sudden request. It would be far too presumptuous.

But as long as they were here, with Li Musheng present, even if the Great Xuan palace's experts came in pursuit they would absolutely not dare act up, and she and her brother would be essentially safe.

And in the current chaos throughout Taixuan City, this inn was the best refuge Zhao Muning could think of.

Once in the room, Zhao Muning immediately began circulating her true qi to treat her brother's injuries. Zhao Kuang's methods had been vicious, and all she could do for now was use pills and true qi to suppress the poison in her brother's body temporarily.

Before long, the two elderly women appeared at the window, pushing it open and slipping inside Zhao Muning's room.

But both of them had disrupted true qi and blood at the corners of their mouths, clearly carrying serious injuries of their own.

"Crown Prince Zhao Kuang has gone completely mad. Not only has he moved against the court ministers, he has even killed most of the consorts and princesses in the palace."

"Right now only the Third Prince and Fifth Prince, who escaped with the help of certain ministers and generals, have any ability to stand against him."

Both elderly women looked grim. After barely shaking off the Great Xuan palace's experts, they had followed the markings Zhao Muning had left and come directly here.

The situation in Taixuan City was clearly not promising. Even with resistance mounting, Zhao Kuang seemed absolutely determined to eliminate every surviving prince. The martial world experts and soldiers of both sides were fighting all across the city, and the Great Xuan internal conflict was well and truly underway.

"Thank you both, Senior Aunts. I am deeply grateful. As things stand, there is nothing we can do to intervene in what is happening in the city. For now we will shelter here and wait for things to settle, then leave Taixuan City."

Zhao Muning had already been planning to leave this city of conflict. Though part of her wanted to avenge her brother by killing Zhao Kuang, she understood clearly that she was in no position to do it now, and retreat was her only option.

If Zhao Kuang survived the current turmoil, there would still be opportunities for revenge later.

At those words, both elderly women gave a nod.

Zhao Muning had not kept the matter of Li Musheng from them, and they naturally understood that this inn was probably the safest place in the entire Great Xuan imperial capital right now.

Zhao Muning's arrival naturally did not escape Li Musheng's notice, though he showed no particular interest in it and had no intention of going to see her.

Daoist Qingyu, who rarely left her room, glanced toward the room where Zhao Muning and her companions were, then decided the Great Xuan princess and prince were hardly worth her attention, and closed her eyes again to sit and recover in meditation.

And so another day passed with the inn remaining as quiet as it had been.

Perhaps the Great Xuan palace's experts had not managed to track Zhao Muning's group to this location, or perhaps Zhao Kuang was wary of Li Musheng. Whatever the reason, Zhao Muning and her companions were allowed to recuperate at the inn without incident.

But throughout Taixuan City, conditions were utterly brutal. Bodies lay strewn across the streets everywhere, with an unknown number of martial world experts, soldiers, and innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire among the dead.

Within the span of barely two days, nearly half of the entire Great Xuan court's officials had been killed. Even the Left Chancellor, who had administered the court, had been cut down by Zhao Kuang.

In terms of the overall balance of power, Zhao Kuang still had the upper hand. After all, whether the Great Xuan imperial palace or the secret guards, all of them answered to him as the future emperor.

The Third Prince and the Fifth Prince, even with the backing of numerous powerful clans and a portion of the military, could not breach the heavily defended and impregnable Great Xuan imperial palace, let alone eliminate the instigator of it all, Zhao Kuang.

At the same time, the seven major sects' experts had been making their way into Taixuan City one after another, taking advantage of the chaos.

Seeing the Great Xuan court tear itself apart was, on the whole, something the seven major sects found rather pleasing. After all, the court and the martial world were naturally opposed forces, not quite mortal enemies but not far from it.

And the arrived experts from the seven major sects received yet another piece of welcome news from their disciples.

The seven major sects had managed to intercept one of the Demonic Cores from the three demonic sects, effectively dismantling the three sects' plan to gather all nine and obtain the Demonic Patriarch's legacy.

"Our martial cultivation was not enough. The First Palace Mistress of the Inviting Moon Palace appeared and volunteered to keep the Demonic Core safe. She has now taken it away and hidden it. There is no way the demonic world could ever find it."

One of the seven major sects' disciples spoke with confidence.

In their view, with the Inviting Moon Palace's First Palace Mistress personally acting, the matter was as secure as it could be. The three demonic sects had no hope of opening the Demonic Cores.

"Why would the First Palace Mistress of the Inviting Moon Palace personally come to Taixuan City?"

A red-haired elder from the Heaven Blood Palace spoke up, apparently puzzled by Wenyue's appearance.

The other sects' experts all showed thoughtful expressions, and none of them dared dismiss the red-haired elder's question.

Beyond the Heaven Blood Palace's considerable standing among Great Xuan's seven major sects, what was more important was that the Heaven Blood Palace counted among its members a figure known as Shangguanyun the Peerless Divine Arm.

This was someone even Great Xuan's own Fist Saint did not dare underestimate. Though Shangguanyun had been unknown in his youth, circumstances had led him to obtain the legendary Qilin Blood, using it to temper his arms to indestructibility and granting him the divine power of the Qilin, sending shockwaves through the entire Great Xuan martial world.

It was in fact partly because of this figure that the Great Xuan court was so wary of the seven major sects.

"Does anyone know where your First Palace Mistress is now?"

One of the seven major sects' experts looked toward the Inviting Moon Palace disciples and asked, "Now that our experts from the seven major sects are all gathered, it would be more appropriate for all of us to jointly keep that Demonic Core safe."

At those words, the Inviting Moon Palace's disciples exchanged glances with one another, clearly with no knowledge of Wenyue's whereabouts.

Seeing this, the red-haired elder from the Heaven Blood Palace and the other martial experts all had their brows deepen.

"Please set your minds at ease, all of you. Though we do not know where the First Palace Mistress is, we can use the Inviting Moon Palace's exclusive signal. As long as the First Palace Mistress sees it, she will come find us at once."

The young woman who had been able to communicate with the large black cat spoke up.

At those words, the assembled martial world experts gave a reluctant nod, allowing the Inviting Moon Palace disciples to attempt to contact Wenyue.

"Though we have secured one Demonic Core, I find myself somewhat ill at ease. Those of us from the righteous sects still cannot afford to let our guard down. To avoid any unexpected development, we must continue keeping a close watch on the demonic world's movements in Taixuan City."

The red-haired elder from the Heaven Blood Palace spoke in warning. The Heaven Blood Divine Art at a deep level of cultivation sometimes produced intangible and elusive premonitions.

He had a persistent feeling that the current upheaval in Taixuan City among the Great Xuan court might be only the beginning. The real crisis had perhaps not yet arrived.

Meanwhile, the three great demonic sects' figures were thoroughly excited by the court's turmoil.

Beyond the fact that the Great Xuan Crown Prince and his princes were busy killing each other with the court in no condition to pay any attention to the three demonic sects, the current Taixuan City of rampant killing and total chaos was practically a paradise for those of the demonic world.

The three demonic sects' members had stopped holding back and were acting with increasing recklessness.

Bodies were everywhere, and blood and carnage provided endless material for the Blood River Demonic Sect and the Ten Thousand Malice Demonic Sect to cultivate their arts. Had the three cult masters not issued orders restraining their members' behavior, unwilling to see any unexpected developments at this critical juncture with the Demonic Core opening imminent, the entire Taixuan City would likely already be reeking with demonic energy.

"After our deliberations, we have decided that tomorrow night is the ideal time to open the Demonic Cores."

In the underground space of the three demonic sects' stronghold, both the Ten Thousand Malice Demonic Sect Master and the Blood River Patriarch had already come out of seclusion. The two of them sat on their stone seats looking at the Inviting Moon Palace's First Palace Mistress before them, informing her of this decision.

"Where do you plan to open them? And is the location secure?"

Wenyue's expression remained as composed as ever. Even after spending several days in the demonic lair alongside these demonic figures, as the sect master of one of the seven major sects, she showed no discomfort whatsoever.

"It is not yet time to tell you that. You will find out when the moment comes. But we have chosen the location with great care, and you can put your mind completely at ease."

The Blood River Patriarch spoke slowly, his gaze fixed on Wenyue as he studied her. But no matter how closely he looked, he could find nothing unusual about her.

Wenyue showing up out of nowhere with the final Demonic Core and offering to cooperate with the three demonic sects was obviously suspicious.

Both the Ten Thousand Malice Demonic Sect Master and the Blood River Patriarch had already guessed that this First Palace Mistress of the Inviting Moon Palace certainly had some other purpose.

Though they did not know what it was, they were not particularly concerned about it.

The only thing they cared about at this moment was opening the Demonic Cores. Everything else was a minor matter they could afford to put aside.

And when the Demonic Patriarch's legacy was finally opened, the first person they would kill was this First Palace Mistress of the Inviting Moon Palace.

Faced with the gaze of the two demon lords, Wenyue's expression remained unruffled. She swept a look over the two of them and said, "You both know my condition. I want the Demonic Patriarch's legacy arts. But I still have to remind you of one thing."

As she said this, Wenyue turned her head and let her gaze pass through the empty underground space toward the outside, "The Sun and Moon Demonic Empress is nowhere near as simple as you think. I suggest you both be careful. Do not let her eat you down to the bones."

With those words, Wenyue turned and walked away without a backward glance, leaving the Blood River Patriarch and the Ten Thousand Malice Demonic Sect Master where they sat.

The two of them exchanged a look, and not much appeared in their eyes.

Perhaps they did not take it to heart, or perhaps the two of them had already taken precautions against the Sun and Moon Demonic Empress long since.

...

The inn's main hall.

Li Musheng sat eating with Shen Anran, Cang Yinyue, and the others, when Zhao Muning and the two elderly women came down from upstairs. They ordered a table of food and drink and sat down not far from Li Musheng's group.

"Young master, that woman keeps looking at you."

Cang Yinyue, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed that from the moment Zhao Muning appeared, she had been casting occasional glances toward Li Musheng.

"People with a good appearance naturally get looked at. Is that not entirely normal?"

Li Musheng waved a dismissive hand, indicating to Cang Yinyue that there was no need to make a fuss.

With the way he looked, even if he and Zhao Muning were strangers, she would probably take a second glance.

At those words, Shen Anran's eyes shifted faintly, and she gave a quiet nod, "Exceptional people always draw attention. Especially you, young master."

At those words, the large black cat's head snapped up immediately and it fixed a look on Shen Anran. This woman always gave it a profound sense of threat.

The only reason it was not out-flattering her was that it could not talk. If it could, it would absolutely be better at it.

Just then, Zhao Muning hesitated for a moment inwardly, then poured herself a cup of wine and drank it down.

After that, she prepared to stand and go over to pay her respects to Li Musheng.

Though Zhao Muning had no wish to intrude on him presumptuously, her group was after all sheltering under his protection, and however one looked at it, a word of thanks was owed.

But before Zhao Muning had even risen from her seat, Li Musheng's voice reached her ear, "Stay where you are. I know what you are thinking."

Li Musheng naturally could not let Zhao Muning speak right now. Otherwise the air of casual indifference he had cultivated would have been wasted.

At those words, Zhao Muning's eyes shifted faintly. She glanced quietly at Li Musheng, then sat back down.

Then Li Musheng's voice came again, "As long as I am still in this inn, you are safe here."

With that, Li Musheng set down his chopsticks and went directly upstairs.

Zhao Muning watched his retreating figure, and a look of genuine gratitude rose in her eyes. That Li Musheng was willing to extend his protection in words was clearly an enormous kindness.

With those words from him, the last trace of worry and unease she had been carrying dissolved.

"Your Highness, what is the matter?"

One of the elderly women beside her transmitted quietly.

Zhao Muning shook her head slightly, "The two of you need not worry about our safety any further. Focus entirely on recovering from your injuries. I will do everything I can for our brother."

"As for the fighting between Zhao Kuang and our two Imperial Brothers in Taixuan City right now, let us not involve ourselves. If there is an opportunity in the future, we will settle the matter of revenge then."