In the mountain forest—
"Damn it, damn it!"
Yang Xiu's resentment was boiling over.
Not long ago, he'd been full of excitement, thinking this time he could finally wipe out Yang Cheng.
But in the blink of an eye, he had fallen from heaven to hell.
For some reason, Yang Cheng had been prepared in advance and lured the Tianyuan experts he brought into a trap, wiping them all out in one stroke.
That completely crushed his hope of killing Yang Cheng.
Worse still, thousands of Great Zhou soldiers had witnessed him colluding with Tianyuan experts and plotting to murder the crown prince.
There was no way to cover this up.
"I can't go back to Fengtian City. If I do, I'll definitely be arrested and thrown in prison, and I might even drag my mother and the Yun clan down with me."
In this dark moment, Yang Xiu didn't fall into despair. Instead, he became more clear-headed.
"Go to Chanzhou."
He made the decision immediately. "Chanzhou is the fief of the Southern Guardian Prince, and his heir, Wu Cangming, has a deep grudge against Yang Cheng."
"If I go there, the chances of being betrayed are low. I can use the Southern Guardian Prince's channels to secretly contact the Zhuang clan, and at the same time get resources and support from both the Zhuang clan and the Southern Guardian Prince's household."
"Besides, Chanzhou has been prosperous since ancient times. The martial resources there might not be worse than those in Fengtian City."
With that thought, he set off toward Chanzhou.
Halfway there, anxiety struck him. "Master, how are you?"
For a long time, Lin Xinglan said nothing, making him worry that something had happened to her.
Though he had once felt resentment toward Lin Xinglan, right now he truly couldn't do without her guidance.
"To save you, I've spent more than half of the mental strength I've built up over seven years. I won't be able to respond to you for some time. You're on your own."
Lin Xinglan's voice came once, then fell silent completely.
Yang Xiu's heart sank again. Misfortune never came alone.
Three days later—
After traveling day and night, Yang Xiu finally reached Chanzhou.
Ahead stood a city called Canglan City.
"Canglan City? Perfect place to rest."
After three days of constant flight, Yang Xiu was exhausted.
He entered an impressive-looking tavern, ordered some food, and noticed commotion across the way.
It seemed someone had burned down a brothel.
From the ruins of the brothel, a youth with unsteady steps staggered out.
"That Xu family son-in-law really takes the cake."
"On his wedding night, he went to a brothel. And if that's not enough, he burned the place down."
People all around were gossiping and watching the scene unfold.
Yang Xiu shook his head. This Xu family son-in-law was indeed trash.
He didn't give the man another thought.
Elsewhere—
Liu Wuji looked a little dazed.
"I'm not dead?"
He had been one of the ten Realm Gods of the Lingyun Ancient Domain, but after obtaining the Swallowing Heaven Divine Cauldron, he was besieged and killed by other Realm Gods.
Unexpectedly, he hadn't died completely. By some twist of fate, he had possessed the body of this Xu family son-in-law.
Without hesitation, he devoured the man's soul and absorbed his memories.
"You beast!"
The Xu family patriarch came storming over in fury.
"Good men die young, but evil lives a thousand years."
"This time the Xu family's face is gone. They took in a son-in-law, and on his wedding night, he goes to a brothel."
"The most pitiful one is the Xu family's eldest daughter, Xu Qingxue."
The surrounding voices were full of scorn.
But Liu Wuji's gaze was indifferent.
"I, Liu Wuji, survived this calamity. One day I will return to the God Realm and slaughter every enemy."
As for this so-called 'Wasteland Realm,' he didn't take it seriously.
He was confident that with his abilities, rising to power here would be effortless.
Meanwhile—
Yang Cheng had already returned to Fengtian City.
Before this, the news that Yang Xiu had colluded with outsiders to try to kill the crown prince had spread throughout the city.
Yang Xiu's name was now mud, and he was seen as a traitor to the realm.
Noble Consort Zhuang was struck as if by lightning.
Emperor Qian Yuan was furious. Ignoring the pressure from the Zhuang clan, he demoted Noble Consort Zhuang to Consort Li.
From then on, Noble Consort Zhuang became Consort Li.
This rank for a consort was undoubtedly low.
Consorts of higher standing usually bore titles like "Virtuous," "Kind," "Worthy," or "Wise."
Getting the title "Li" ("Beautiful") was basically saying she was good for nothing but her looks.
Emperor Qian Yuan's move was clearly a public reprimand of Consort Li.
This time, the Zhuang clan couldn't stop him—mainly because they had no leverage.
After all, Yang Xiu's crime was far too great.
The crown prince was the vice-emperor.
Yang Xiu's offense was second only to treason.
In Splendid Radiance Hall, things were peaceful.
Although everyone there was furious at Yang Xiu's actions, they had already been prepared for this outcome because Yang Cheng had foreseen his plan.
Since Yang Cheng was unharmed, their mood was naturally much calmer.
This made people inside and outside the palace praise Yun Liyue even more.
They thought that even when faced with such a situation, she could remain poised and composed, not losing herself in grief or rage just because her son had nearly been murdered. She truly had the bearing of an empress.
But they didn't know—if something had really happened to Yang Cheng, Yun Liyue would have been the first to go mad.
"Hu Po, I recall you're from the Xu family?" Yang Cheng asked.
Hearing this, Hu Po smiled brightly. "I never thought Your Highness would remember this about your servant. I'm truly blessed."
"Have you ever thought about going back to visit?" Yang Cheng asked.
Hu Po shook her head. "I was sent to the palace when I was six. I have no real feelings for the Xu family."
"No feelings? Then just treat it as a little trip." Yang Cheng said. "In a while, I'll have to go to Chanzhou for some matters. I'll need someone to guide me and watch my back."
For him, the fastest way to grow stronger was by completing the system's tasks.
So, he was definitely going to Chanzhou.
Hu Po understood. "Then I'll speak with Her Majesty, hand over my duties, and accompany Your Highness to Chanzhou."
Seven days later, in Canglan City—
Lately, the city had been a little on edge.
In just seven days, dozens of people had died mysteriously.
It was as if they'd been attacked by some kind of blood-sucking corpse demon—their bodies were all shriveled dry after death.
At the Xu residence, things were the opposite. The place was bustling, festooned with decorations.
"What's going on? It's not a holiday."
"Did something big happen in the family?"
The Xu family members were surprised.
"Our Xu family's greatest pride, Xu Ruowei, is returning home today," the family patriarch announced.
At those words, the others froze for a moment before excitement lit their faces.
Why was the Xu family so prosperous now?
It was all because of Xu Ruowei.
Even in Fengtian City, serving as a chief palace maid at the empress's side gave her remarkable status.
Elsewhere, she was an even bigger figure.
Forget an ordinary city lord—even a provincial governor had to show her respect.
In the back courtyard—
"This body used to be far too weak."
A figure opened his eyes. "But in these seven days, I've turned everything around. Not only has my body recovered, my cultivation has also greatly improved."
That figure was Liu Wuji.
Those dead people, of course, had been drained of their life essence by him.
"My so-called wife has been looking down on me for too long. But I believe it won't be long before she's completely under my thumb."
He grumbled at first, then chuckled to himself.
After seven busy days, he decided to relax a little and walked outside.
When he stepped out, he froze for a moment—today the Xu residence was nothing like usual.
Not far ahead, a few young men and women were gathered.
He walked over to ask, "What's going on?"
"It's this useless piece of trash."
"Don't bother with him," another said, ignoring him and continuing their own conversation.
"Cousin is finally back. This time we have to show our best."
"I heard cousin even has a little lord with her this time. Judging from her attitude, that little lord's identity must be extremely distinguished."