After his prayer, Xu Tianran went to his study and asked the captain of his guards:
"Have you found Juzi?"
The captain secretly thought:
Since the Crown Prince was deposed, many forces have cut ties with him. Those who once lent him a hand no longer wish to be involved. Even those who used to give him face now refuse. Mingdu is far too deep and complex, making the search difficult. The men under me don't want to get dragged in, so we still haven't found her.
But if I speak the truth outright, I might provoke His Highness into anger, and he could take it out on me. I'd better find a way to push the blame and make an excuse.
The captain bowed respectfully and said:
"Your Highness, I stationed men at every major road and checkpoint throughout Mingdu, expanding the search outward from the mansion. Yet, we've not found even a trace of Juzi.
I suspect someone is secretly helping her—either to smuggle her out of Mingdu or to shelter her. This is my failure. I await Your Highness's punishment."
Hearing that so many days had passed without results, Xu Tianran frowned deeply. He knew well that the longer the time passed, the slimmer the chances of finding her.
The captain's suspicion only reinforced his belief.
If Juzi, just a mere maid, managed to escape my search, then someone must be helping her in secret. This proves she really was the one colluding with outsiders, spreading rumors, and betraying me.
Xu Tianran clenched his teeth, his heart full of hatred.
*I should never have shown mercy because Juzi once saved me. I should never have let Xu Tianyuan, Captain of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, save her life. I should have left her outside the city to die and feed the dogs.
If I had, no one would've known about my impotence. My Crown Prince's seat would never have been stripped away. I wouldn't be in such misery now.*
A wave of agony tore through him as he cursed his past weakness—his moment of "soft-hearted benevolence."
After a brief reflection, Xu Tianran waved his hand dismissively.
"I understand. If she cannot be found, then stop searching.
Go to the underground black market and issue a bounty—five million gold soul coins, plus a thousand-year soul bone. I want her dead."
"Yes, Your Highness. I take my leave."
The captain bowed, relieved that his excuse had appeased Xu Tianran, then departed.
Mingdu, Eastern Outer District.
Inside a modest little house, a breathtakingly beautiful woman sat in deep thought. Her figure was slender and curvaceous, her skin pale and delicate like jade, almost as if water would spill from it with a touch.
This woman was none other than Juzi.
After throwing her lot in with Xu Tianran, she quickly discovered his cold and ruthless nature—he was no good man.
So she had prepared a new identity and safe house long ago, in case she needed to run. Now, those preparations had saved her.
Xu Tianran's men had scoured the city for recent settlers and tenants. Luckily, Juzi had bought this house much earlier. Otherwise, they might have found her already.
Why hadn't Xu Tianran ordered door-to-door searches? Because Mingdu was too vast. Searching every household would take forever.
Besides, Mingdu was crawling with hidden dragons and crouching tigers—powerful nobles, officials, and experts everywhere. Searching their homes was no simple matter. Even just checking recent tenants and arrivals, Xu Tianran's men had run into more than a few tough opponents.
Juzi lay on the bed, her brows furrowed in thought. She knew hiding here wasn't a permanent solution. Sooner or later, she'd be discovered.
Though Xu Tianran had lost his title, his influence was still considerable.
Leaving Mingdu meant passing through major checkpoints—all controlled by his forces. She would surely be caught.
Her soul power was at Rank 41, something Xu Tianran knew. At those checkpoints, the detectors would expose her. Once her rank was revealed, she'd be investigated immediately.
I need to join another force, Juzi thought. Only then can I escape Xu Tianran's pursuit.
She considered carefully. To avoid Xu Tianran, she had to side with his enemies. Only then would she be safe.
She believed that with her wit and cleverness, she could seize another opportunity to rise again within a new faction, just as she once had by saving Xu Tianran.
If not for his impotence becoming public knowledge and endangering her by association, she would never have left the Crown Prince's mansion.
Having made up her mind, Juzi rose from bed, disguised herself with makeup, and transformed into a plain-looking young woman in her twenties. Then she stepped out of the house.
Time passed quickly. Another day came.
Morning, Wang Chen's residence.
Wang Chen slowly opened his eyes. After a night's rest, he was fully refreshed, brimming with energy.
The first thing he did upon waking was place his secret art, Ring Explosion, into the Black Book's second crystal sigil for directional simulation.
The focus of the simulation: shortening the cooldown.
Twelve days were far too long. If he encountered another powerful enemy during that time, it could be fatal.
Moments later, Wang Chen opened his eyes again, frowning. He had failed—or rather, his chosen direction was not accurate enough.
He extended his hand, and his soul rings appeared—several of them split with jagged cracks. After a night of recovery, they had partially healed, enough for him to use some soul skills again.
But it was clear from their condition that full restoration would take much longer.
If he used Ring Explosion again before they fully recovered, the rings wouldn't just crack—they'd shatter completely, bringing disastrous backlash to his body and soul.
The twelve-day cooldown was essentially the time needed for his rings to mend. Using the technique again too soon would cause true destruction.
His version's cooldown was shorter than the Haotian Sect's Ring Explosion because the Black Book had optimized it, allowing him to release the rings' energy in a way that caused less damage.