Chapter 1280 - 327: The Imperial Princess’s Mysterious Trail Shocks Heroes, Dian Nan’s Candle Shadows Disturb the Monarch’s Heart (Part 4)

Shi Feiyang’s throat tightened, even the Bright Jade Technique couldn’t mask his fluctuating emotions: "It’s me." Before the words had finished, Wang Family had already staggered forward, her tears soaking his collar: "All these years... I’ve waited for you every day..."

Shi Feiyang embraced her frail body, gazing at the deep trail of tears at the corners of her eyes, his heart twisting like a knife.

He remembered the first time they met, when she was picking plums in the Imperial Garden, her eyes were filled with stars, but now because of longing she had become ill, and lost her sight.

"Why like this?" His voice was low, with a barely noticeable choke. Wang Family gave a bitter smile, her fingertips lightly touching his face: "Since you left, Your Majesty hasn’t stepped into this Cold Palace even once. I bore a prince, yet it’s seen as ominous... Changluo, he..."

She suddenly coughed violently, Shi Feiyang hurriedly used Inner Strength to help her, only to find that the accumulated depression within her body was harder to dissolve than the hidden wounds of an unparalleled expert. Upon learning the situation of his son Zhu Changluo, Shi Feiyang’s body was suddenly enveloped by a severe chill.

He gently smoothed Wang Family’s pale temples: "Don’t worry, I will ensure he is safe."

That night, he disguised himself as an Imperial Palace Guard and sneaked into Zhu Changluo’s residence at Jingyang Palace.

Moonlight spilled through the tattered window paper, revealing a small curled-up figure on the bed.

The child, a few years old, was sallow and thin, wearing a patched brocade robe, with only half a bowl of cold porridge at the bedside. "Little Prince, eat something."

Shi Feiyang’s voice trembled slightly as he discreetly tucked the fragmented silver from his arms to the old eunuch nearby.

Zhu Changluo raised his head, his pitch-black eyes full of fear, yet revealing a composure beyond his years: "Thank you, Gong Gong, but... save these to buy medicine for Mother." Shi Feiyang’s throat tightened, the Bright Jade Technique nearly lost control—such a wise child, yet suffering in the Cold Palace! When returning to the Cold Palace, he suppressed his inner fury, describing Zhu Changluo’s situation smoothly.

Wang Family felt his face, tears falling: "With you here, I am relieved..." Shi Feiyang gazed at her increasingly gaunt visage, secretly vowing: he must help this mother and son escape their plight. And the best method is to teach Zhu Changluo martial arts.

After pondering for a while, Shi Feiyang took his leave, inadvertently discovering Fuma Xiaoyezi, so he silently tailed her.

Fuma Xiaoyezi, a stunning young lady, possessed captivating beauty.

Her skin was delicate as jade, with a faint rosy hue, like cherry blossoms blooming in spring, tender and fresh.

Her eyes were like a deep night sky, sparkling with star-like brilliance, mysterious and enchanting.

Long eyelashes fluttered gently, each blink could stir heartstrings.

She wore a crimson ninja robe, embroidered with exquisite cherry blossom patterns, appearing and disappearing under the illumination of palace lanterns, adding a touch of dreamy beauty. Her figure graceful, her movements elegant and nimble, as if a fairy from a painting, untouched by dust.

The sandalwood box in her arms, though emitting a thin cold air, didn’t diminish her graceful demeanor.

On the contrary, this sense of mystery made her even more unique, sparking imagination, unforgettable at first glance.

The night was dark as water, the copper beast incense burner in the South Study of the Qianqing Palace diffusing lingering Dragon’s Saliva Fragrance.

Shi Feiyang hid in the shadows under the corridor, the Bright Jade Technique at its peak, his glass-like skin merging with the moonlight. The cherry blossom patterns on Fuma Xiaoyezi’s crimson ninja robe appeared and disappeared under the palace lanterns, the sandalwood box in her arms emitting thin cold air, seemingly holding an earth-shattering secret.

"Your Majesty, this is the ’Xu Fu East Crossing Map’, a secret kept by the royal family of Japan for a hundred years." Fuma Xiaoyezi knelt on the ground, her voice alluring with a touch of killing intent, "The map not only records the truth of the East Crossing by Japan’s ancestors but also hides key pointers to Xu Fu’s alchemy."

As the sandalwood box was opened in an instant, a beam of dark blue light shot into the sky, Shi Feiyang peered through the door crack, only to see the vermilion characters swimming like living things on a yellowed silk scroll, precisely the brushwork from the lost "Five Sacred Mountains True Shape Diagram".

Zhu Yijun suddenly rose from his seat, his dragon robe knocking over the bronze candlestick on the table.

Amid the flickering candlelight, this Emperor’s eyes gleamed with greed: "Good! Good! Good!"

He repeated the word "good" three times, his fingertips tracing the Penglai Immortal Mountain marked in the map, "No wonder I always felt Japanese rites and laws originate from the Central Plains, their royal family is actually Xu Fu’s descendants!"

Shi Feiyang’s heart trembled violently. He had seen sporadic records in the ancient books of the Divine Dragon Pagoda, it was said Xu Fu went East Crossing with six hundred boys and girls, yet he never expected this secret to be linked with the bloodline of Japan’s royal family.

Even more shocking was Zhu Yijun’s forthcoming words—"Young Princess surely is a unique lady of the Mu Family."

Suddenly, Zhu Yijun laughed, his voice shaking the tiles, "Fuma Xiaoyezi is really a clever name! Clever indeed! It not only deceives the ears and eyes of Japanese thieves but also stirs the Jianghu. The Mu Family protected Dian Nan for two hundred years, their merits shine like the sun and moon, and now you’ve stolen this map, an even greater achievement!"

Shi Feiyang’s pupils contracted sharply. He never would have imagined that this Japanese pirate demoness, feared by the Jianghu, was actually a Commandery Princess of Duke Qian’s Mansion!

Moonlight streamed through the window lattice onto Fuma Xiaoyezi’s face, she smirked like a thorny rose: "Your Majesty praises excessively. Ancestor Mu Ying followed the Taizu Emperor to pacify Yunnan, the Mu Family received imperial favor for generations, the best efforts couldn’t repay. This time infiltrating Japan, is merely exerting some slight strength."

Outside the South Study, Shi Feiyang activated the "Celestial Palace Illusion" of Holy Heart Technique, mesmerizing the guards as if they were in another world. He held his breath, focusing his mind, using the whirlpool suction of Bright Jade Technique to capture each word of the conversation inside.

Only to hear Zhu Yijun suddenly lower his voice: "Has the location for Xu Fu’s alchemy site in the map been confirmed?"