AWB Chapter 108 was overjoyed.
Chapter 108 was overjoyed.
On the way back, Prince Ning suggested going to the palace first, since the emperor believed he had been missing and now that he had been found, he needed to report back to the emperor.
"Brother, why do I feel like you're acting a little strange?" Duan Chenke whispered to Duan Chaoxu when no one was looking.
Duan Chaoxu glanced at his puzzled younger brother and smiled slightly. "It's just an illusion. I'll tell you everything when I get back."
Seeing that Prince Ning was leaving, Lin Bihua felt it inappropriate to stay with Duan Chenke and the others alone, so she also took her leave and returned to the Lin residence.
When Duan Chenke and his companions returned to the Prince's mansion, it was almost time for dinner, but the small flower hall was quiet and deserted.
"Where did everyone go?" Duan Chenke was wondering when he heard a series of footsteps outside the door. Then he saw Gu Yan and Shen Mujin rush in first, heading straight for Jiang Si and Xuan Yi.
"Ah Si, you're finally back. Are you alright?" Gu Yan rushed to Jiang Si and grabbed his hand tightly.
"I'm fine, I'm sorry to have worried you." Jiang Si patted Gu Yan's shoulder and shook his head with a smile.
Gu Yan was somewhat incredulous, looking Jiang Si up and down, and immediately noticed the bloodstains on his sleeve. "You're injured?"
"It's not mine, it belongs to the enemy." Jiang Si felt warm inside as he felt Gu Yan's concern, and he immediately reached out and pulled Gu Yan into his arms before he truly felt at ease.
On the other side, Xuan Yi hugged Shen Mujin tightly, whining and acting coquettishly towards her.
"Mumu, I've finally seen you! I missed you so much."
"If you missed me, why didn't you come back sooner?" Shen Mujin hugged Xuan Yi back. She had missed Xuan Yi very much too, after not seeing him for so long.
"I wish I could. It's all that damn Taoist's fault. He created an illusion that trapped the three of us for so long."
Hua Yin and Zhou Yuran, who came in later, couldn't help but chuckle at the two couples in front of them.
Seeing that Jiang Si and Xuan Yi were covered in blood, Hua Yin couldn't help but look for Jian Yuheng. Unexpectedly, when she turned her head, she met Jian Yuheng's gaze.
Hua Yin felt somewhat embarrassed, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. But she couldn't help but walk over to Jian Yuheng, and seeing the usually gentle and refined Jian Yuheng looking so disheveled, she asked in a low voice, "Are you... alright?"
"It's alright, thank you for your concern, Madam." Jian Yuheng smiled slightly.
Hearing Jian Yuheng call her "Madam," Hua Yin felt her ears burning. She lowered her head slightly to hide her slight panic.
Zhou Yuran, standing to the side, was overjoyed to see the three sisters looking at each other. It was so much fun and happiness to be able to ship them on the spot!
Duan Chenke, who was also standing alone in the room, couldn't help but feel a little envious when he saw that everyone else had someone to care for them.
He glanced at Zhou Yuran, who was snickering to the side, and deliberately coughed loudly twice, hoping to get her attention.
Hearing Duan Chenke cough, Zhou Yuran walked towards him as he expected.
Zhou Yuran looked at Duan Chenke, who was all alone, and leaned closer to him, saying in a slightly sympathetic voice, "Your Highness, you're not getting any younger. Shouldn't you marry a princess? If you marry a princess, then someone will care for you and show you concern."
"... "
Duan Chenke: Thanks for reminding me, you're a really nice person.
Helpless, Duan Chenke asked another question: "Have you had dinner yet?"
Zhou Yuran shook her head, "Not yet. Since none of you are coming back, we don't feel like eating."
"Then let's eat together." Duan Chenke turned around, walked to the door, and gave a few instructions to the guards outside. Soon after, the guards brought out plates of dinner to the table.
After a brief chat, the group calmed down from their initial excitement and sat down around the nearest table.
"Where are Axi and the others?" Duan Chenke turned to look at Zhou Yuran, who was sitting next to him for the first time.
"In the afternoon, General Lin took the two little ones to the training ground. Xiao Hu and Xiao Hong thought it was interesting and went along too." Zhou Yuran looked at the Four Happiness Meatballs in front of her with great joy, and even when she talked to Duan Chenke, she had a smile on her face.
Duan Chenke noticed Zhou Yuran's joy and assumed it was because of their return that made her happy. His tone softened as well, "In that case, let's not wait for them. Eat more; you've all been worried sick all day."
Seeing Duan Chenke pick up his chopsticks, Zhou Yuran immediately scooped off half a meatball with a spoon and put it in her own bowl. It has to be said that the chefs in the Prince's mansion are truly skilled; no wonder they are all called "Imperial Chefs."
Xuan Yi and the others had been trapped for a day and were starving. Gu Yan and the others, though in the Prince's mansion, hadn't eaten much because they were worried about Jiang Si and the others. Now that everyone was back, they felt relieved and started to feel hungry too.
Everyone devoured the meal, ordering more food twice in the process. Only after they were all full and satisfied did they feel comfortable talking about the day's events.
"Ah Si, Xuan Yi just said you're trapped in an illusion? What exactly happened?" Gu Yan's question immediately attracted everyone's attention, and everyone turned to look at Jiang Si.
“We did find a secret passage in the backyard of the Mountain and Water Garden. After going out through the secret passage, we came to a grove of trees. From the moment we stepped into the grove, we entered an illusion.” Jiang Si briefly recounted the entire experience of the three of them.
"So how did you finally break free from the illusion and leave?" Gu Yan pressed.
Jiang Si shook his head: "It wasn't us, it was the illusion that shattered on its own."
"Myself?" Zhou Yuran thought she had misheard, so she repeated it, her tone full of doubt.
"When the strange phenomenon appeared, the Taoist priest was likely facing some troublesome situation or was seriously injured and did not have the extra energy to support the illusion, so the illusion shattered on its own," Jian Yuheng explained.
"Oh, oh." Zhou Yuran suddenly realized, instantly recalling the strange occurrences with the jade pendant. "How did you run into His Highness? Wasn't His Highness going to see Prince Ning?"
Jian Yuheng: "After leaving the illusion, we rushed to the place where the strange phenomenon occurred, but we didn't expect to find His Highness fighting with the man in black there."
The one in the land of strange phenomena was actually Duan Chenke?
Could Duan Chenke be the second person to unseal the Seven Star Stone Formation?
Zhou Yuran tilted her head slightly to look at Duan Chenke, whose expression remained unchanged, and then quickly exchanged glances with the other sisters before deciding to listen again.
Hua Yin poured Jian Yuheng a cup of tea and handed it to him, her face full of anticipation for what would happen next.
Jian Yuheng accepted the tea with a wry smile, then handed the conversation over to Duan Chenke.
"As for why Your Highness was there, I think it would be clearer if Your Highness explained it himself."
Zhou Yuran immediately followed suit, fawningly handing Duan Chenke a cup of hot tea and gazing at him expectantly.
Duan Chenke glared at Jian Yuheng first, then helplessly accepted the hot tea. "After I was ordered to surround Shaolin Temple, I sent three teams to conduct a thorough search, but unfortunately, we found nothing. Later, I led a team alone, and I encountered a masked man in black who led me to the back mountain of Shaolin Temple. He disappeared as soon as I arrived at the back mountain, so I had no choice but to search on my own. Not long after, I felt the earth shake, and then I saw the strange phenomenon. I immediately rushed to the place where the pillar of light appeared, and as soon as I arrived, I encountered the man in black, so we had to fight. Fortunately, you appeared. If I had been alone, I'm afraid the consequences would have been unimaginable."
It seems that Duan Chenke is not the one who can unseal the great formation.
Zhou Yuran breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Has Your Highness found Prince Ning?"
Duan Chenke nodded, his expression somewhat strange. "We did find him, but it wasn't me who found my elder brother; rather, it was my elder brother who found us."
"Wait, what does that mean?" Zhou Yuran didn't quite understand. How come the missing person was found by the people who were looking for them?
Duan Chenke hadn't expected to encounter Prince Ning like that. "I thought my elder brother would be in the cave where the strange phenomenon occurred, but after entering the cave, we encountered the Taoist priest who had trapped Xuan Yi and the others in the illusion. That Taoist priest was incredibly skilled; even the four of us combined were no match for him. Fortunately, my elder brother and Sister Bihua appeared at the crucial moment, injured the Taoist priest, and saved the four of us."
After listening to Duan Chenke's description, Zhou Yuran frowned and blurted out her thoughts: "So it was that wicked Taoist priest who set up the Seven Star Stone Formation..."
"Yueya!" Before Zhou Yueran could finish speaking, Hua Yin interrupted her sternly.
Zhou Yuran then realized that she had spoken her true feelings and quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth.
"How did you know there was a great formation sealing the Seven Star Stones in the cave?" Duan Chenke's expression changed, and his tone became somewhat serious.
Zhou Yuran was filled with regret. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a more prudent explanation, but she remained calm on the surface: "Your Highness just mentioned that a pillar of light appeared. Mu Mu and A Yan told me before that a similar phenomenon occurred when the great formation was unsealed on Phoenix Mountain in Wuzhou, so I thought that this time it might also be a Seven Star Stone that was unsealed."
Hua Yin, Gu Yan, and Shen Mujin listened to Zhou Yuran's explanation with bated breath, while also keeping a close eye on the expressions of those around them, afraid that she might say something wrong and arouse suspicion again.
Fortunately, Zhou Yuran's explanation was reasonable and well-founded, leaving no room for criticism.
Duan Chenke nodded, seemingly agreeing with her explanation, "This strange phenomenon is indeed related to the unsealing of the Seven Star Stone. But whether it was unsealed by that Taoist priest is hard to say right now."
Jian Yuheng shook his head as he considered what would happen next, saying, "Regardless of who lifted the seal, such strange phenomena appearing in Zhongjing, without a reasonable explanation, will likely cause widespread panic."
As soon as Jian Yuheng spoke, the entire flower hall fell silent.
The young ladies, including Gu Yan, remained silent because they dared not speak. Although they had many questions, such as why Sister Lin was appearing with Prince Ning, they were even more afraid of a repeat of the awkward situation that had happened to Zhou Yuran. The jade pendants they held were currently unknown, and even though they trusted everyone present, some secrets had to remain secrets.
"Reporting, Your Highness, there's a new discovery at Shaolin Temple." A voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Duan Chenke rubbed his temples. "Come in and talk."
The guard, perhaps surprised by the large number of people in the hall, paused noticeably upon entering before remembering his purpose. "Your Highness," he reported, "a fire broke out recently on the back mountain of Shaolin Temple. The fire was small and extinguished in time, but an unexpected mass grave was discovered on the mountain. The pit contained numerous corpses. According to the coroner's examination, most of the dead were beggars, and they died at different times, but all had been bled dry and died from excessive blood loss."
"I know..." Before Duan Chenke could finish speaking, the voice announcing the news came from the doorway again.
Duan Chenke waved to the person in front of him and called the person at the door in again.
"Your Highness, when we were interrogating the group of monks from Shaolin Temple, one of the young monks said that he had inadvertently seen a man in black enter the abbot's room. However, when we interrogated the abbot, we discovered that he was in disguise, and the real abbot was nowhere to be found."
"Understood. Continue the investigation. Even if it's fake, they must know some information."
"Yes, I am resigning."
After the guards left, Gu Yan, having heard so much information, couldn't help but lean close to Shen Mujin and mutter in a low voice, "I thought Shaolin Temple would be a reputable sect, but who would have thought that their abbot would collude with the men in black."
"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Don't be so naive as to let others sell you out again." Xuan Yi grabbed Gu Yan by the back of her collar with one hand and threw her toward Jiang Si. "Keep an eye on your silly older sister."
"You're the silly one! Your whole family are!" Gu Yan was so angry that she jumped up and down. If Jiang Si hadn't been holding her waist tightly, she would have definitely had a good argument with Xuan Yi.
Jiang Si looked at Gu Yan, who was sulking in his arms, rubbed her head, and said, "My master once told me that Shaolin Temple also has a screen painting. If the abbot really colludes with the mysterious person, then this screen painting will probably end up in his hands sooner or later."
"Could the Seven Star Stone that was unsealed in Shaolin Temple be the clue in this screen painting?" Gu Yan poked his head out from Jiang Si's arms and said.
"It's hard to say, since none of us know what's written on the screen painting that the Shaolin Temple has."
"Back then, a single Seven Star Stone caused chaos in Wuzhou. Now it has appeared in Zhongjing. I'm afraid Zhongjing won't have many days of peace." Shen Mujin thought back to the happy days they spent at the Four Seasons Inn. If it weren't for the appearance of the Seven Star Stone, Uncle Chen wouldn't have closed the Four Seasons Inn.
"Don't worry. This is Zhongjing. Even if things get out of hand, I'll protect you." Xuan Yi held Shen Mujin's hand and winked at her.
“Come on, I’ll show you something good. We helped His Highness sneak into the famous gardens at night, and His Highness allowed us to take one more item from his private treasury. This time you’ll come with me, and you can take whatever you want.” Xuan Yi took out the key to the private treasury from his pocket and held it in his hand for a moment.
"Really? I want to go too." Gu Yan said with a hint of envy.
"Let's go, together." Jiang Si said with a smile as he looked at the person in his arms staring intently at the key in Xuan Yi's hand.
"Really!" Gu Yan was overjoyed. She immediately jumped out of Jiang Si's arms, ran to Zhou Yuran and Hua Yin, took their hands, and ran to Shen Mujin's side.
Xuan Yi looked at Shen Mujin, who was surrounded by Gu Yan and the others and was smiling happily, and helplessly turned to look at Duan Chenke.
Although he had the key, it was, after all, His Highness the King of Chu's private treasury.
Duan Chenke nodded to him before leading the four girls to the private vault together with Jiang Si.
Watching the girls chatter away, Jian Yuheng said with a smile, "It seems His Highness's private treasury is going to suffer another loss today."
"Since they're just sitting there anyway, and they like them, it won't hurt to take a few more."
Jian Yuheng: "Then I must remind my wife when I get back that she should remember to pick out the more expensive items next time."
"Madam?" Duan Chenke looked at Jian Yuheng's smiling eyes. "It seems that the Empress has done some things quite satisfactorily."