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Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Burdens! More Burdens!

"How many more secrets does Sir have that Qianyou doesn\'t know about?" Princess Qianyou smiled as she gazed at Zhongshan.

"Princess risked her life to protect Zhongshan and ensure his escape. Zhongshan is deeply grateful," Zhongshan said sincerely.

"At that time, I merely didn\'t want you to fall into Yi Yan\'s hands. Even without my protection, you should have been fine, right?" Princess Qianyou said with a smile.

"Why does the Princess say that? If you were unharmed, being captured wouldn\'t have been a big issue for me. However, if you had died, would the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty have spared me? At the very least, assassins like Ah Da and Ah Er would constantly appear around me. Therefore, my gratitude is genuine," Zhongshan said with certainty.

"You look so far ahead, Sir. Qianyou didn\'t think that far at the time," Princess Qianyou\'s eyes shone brightly with laughter.

Looking at Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan smiled faintly and said, "Regardless, thank you for trusting me in the end."

"Trust you?" Princess Qianyou suddenly felt her ears heat up. She remembered collapsing into Zhongshan\'s arms at the time, with his mouth close to her earlobe, a forbidden zone.

"That strike of yours was truly formidable," Princess Qianyou said, trying to steady the slight panic in her heart.

"It was just luck," Zhongshan shook his head.

"It wasn\'t luck. You combined sword and blade techniques. The energy I infused into the sword at that time had the power of a mid-stage Nascent Soul. The force you added was five times your usual strength. Even with perfect fusion, it wouldn\'t exceed the power of a late-stage Nascent Soul. However, the damage caused by your strike was at least at the mid-stage Integration level, splitting the Fish General in half! Is this a technique you created yourself?" Princess Qianyou stared at Zhongshan.

"Why do you think that?" Zhongshan frowned.

"When I was in Wushuang City, I saw you swing the blade once, causing a pond of water to flee. At that time, it wasn\'t as strong, and your strike wasn\'t as confident as now. It seemed like you were still in the initial creation stage. Now, it has become more mature," Princess Qianyou said.

Watching Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan smiled slightly and did not answer. This Princess Qianyou was too smart!

"Five times the strength, you must have used a secret technique. How are you feeling now?" Princess Qianyou asked with concern, knowing that such techniques often had side effects.

"At that time, I put everything into one strike, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing me to reach the fifth level of the Golden Core stage," Zhongshan smiled.

"Fifth level of the Golden Core stage? Sir was already at the peak of the fourth level, just one step away. Congratulations, Sir," Princess Qianyou said.

"Yes, one step closer!" Zhongshan said with a sense of nostalgia, feeling nearer to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Sir, where am I now?" Princess Qianyou asked.

"In a miasma forest, and this is a bridal sedan chair," Zhongshan replied.

"A bridal sedan chair?" Princess Qianyou asked in confusion. She couldn\'t understand why Zhongshan had prepared a bridal sedan chair.

"This was prepared for my wife," Zhongshan said after a moment\'s thought.

"Your wife?" Princess Qianyou\'s eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Yes, the one you met last time, Tian Ling\'er," Zhongshan said, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face.

"Oh," Princess Qianyou nodded.

Some things are best left unknown. There was no need to inquire further, at least given the current relationship with Zhongshan.

"Princess, how much strength do you have left now?" Zhongshan asked after some thought.

Princess Qianyou smiled bitterly, "I am now no different from an ordinary person. However, in a few days, I should be able to use some true energy. The Sacred Toxin Golden Silkworm, a peculiar poison from the Land of Supreme Bliss, will take a hundred days to fully recover, even with the Clean World Snow Lotus."

"Then I\'ll continue to help the Princess dispel the poison for a few more days. After that, the Princess will have to handle it herself," Zhongshan said after some thought.

"Do you really trust Qianyou that much?" Princess Qianyou\'s beautiful eyes fixed on Zhongshan intently.

Looking at Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan smiled faintly and said, "I don\'t think the Princess has much interest in my Clean World Snow Lotus."

"That might not necessarily be the case," Princess Qianyou\'s eyes lit up, and a rare mischievous expression appeared on her face.

At the Residence of the Great Deer King

"How is the investigation going?" the Great Deer King asked, frowning.

"Your Highness, we\'ve thoroughly checked all the places and people Princess Qianyou\'s subordinates have visited in the past few months. However, a group of people suddenly disappeared," Wu\'an reported respectfully.

"Oh?" The Great Deer King was puzzled.

"Qili Town, the Lu family, no one is left," Wu\'an said.

"The Lu family?" The Great Deer King asked, still puzzled.

"Yes, there was a man named Lu Jianping in the Lu family. I investigated; he was a jailer at the Heavenly Prison and often bullied Wu Wanli. However, on the day Wu Wanli died, Lu Jianping also suddenly disappeared. I suspect he is connected to Princess Qianyou," Wu\'an explained.

"Disappeared? They couldn\'t have just vanished. Were they exterminated?" The Great Deer King wondered.

"No, based on information collected from Qili Town, they purchased a large amount of food and supplies at that time, so it seems they were planning to flee. They might have joined up with Princess Qianyou," Wu\'an speculated.

"Joined with Princess Qianyou? What cultivation levels do those people have?" The Great Deer King asked.

"The highest is at the Innate stage," Wu\'an replied.

"Haha, Innate stage. How far can those people run? That Lu Jianping is surely connected to Wu Wanli and might know how to unlock the Ten Thousand City Treasure Mirror. Alright then, search for them. Not only Princess Qianyou\'s party but also the entire Lu family. People at the Innate stage should be easy to find," The Great Deer King said, laughing.

"Yes, Your Highness. But what should we do about Princess Qianyou and her group?" Wu\'an asked with a frown.

"What else? Capture them to exchange for the Ten Thousand City Treasure Mirror," The Great Deer King replied.

"I mean Zhongshan," Wu\'an clarified.

"Zhongshan? What about him?" The Great Deer King asked, confused.

"Your Highness, I\'ve heard that the former Grand Marshal Yi Yan highly valued this Zhongshan and even invited him alone. Moreover, Zhongshan is indeed exceptionally intelligent," Wu\'an said.

"Yes, but what of it?" The Great Deer King frowned, feeling Wu\'an\'s words were baffling.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has yet to appoint a new Grand Marshal," Wu\'an suggested.

Before Wu\'an could finish, the Great Deer King\'s eyes widened in realization, "You mean...."

Then, the Great Deer King began pacing back and forth in the hall. He remembered Yi Yan\'s words from when they were pursuing Princess Qianyou: bring Zhongshan back unharmed. His Majesty\'s actions were also strange; despite Yi Yan stepping down as Grand Marshal, a new one hadn\'t been appointed. Was he waiting for Yi Yan\'s recommendation? Who would he recommend? Zhongshan?

Realizing this, the Great Deer King felt a sense of urgency. His eyes narrowed, and his face darkened.

"Wu\'an, deliver my orders!" The Great Deer King suddenly commanded, frowning.

"At once," Wu\'an responded, immediately kneeling on one knee.

"Search for Princess Qianyou, the Lu family, and Zhongshan. Use all means to kill Zhongshan. A reward of 500,000 high-grade spirit stones for killing Zhongshan," The Great Deer King ordered.

"Understood," Wu\'an replied.

Five Days Later

Although Princess Qianyou had woken up, she was still weak. However, she could now release some true energy, allowing Zhongshan to temporarily leave the Clean World Snow Lotus with her to help her expel the poison.

Princess Qianyou was in the sedan chair, purifying the poison from her body, while Zhongshan stepped outside.

"Sir, something\'s wrong. Now, the Great Yu Dynasty has deployed soldiers everywhere to hunt us down, determined to capture the Princess. And there\'s more..." Ah Da said with concern.

"What else?" Zhongshan frowned.

"They have also put a bounty on your head, offering 500,000 high-grade spirit stones for killing you," Ah Da added.

"Haha, I didn\'t expect my life to be valued at only 500,000 high-grade spirit stones," Zhongshan said with a faint smile.

"Sir, what should we do now? Previously, only the soldiers from the surrounding ten cities near the Sky City were searching for us. But now, the entire army of the Great Yu Dynasty is hunting us down. They\'ve even recalled the troops that were heading east and south, focusing them all on the north and west. We\'re right within their search area. While we\'ve been recuperating here, the news has spread to the more distant cities, and more troops are waiting for us ahead," Ah Da said, full of worry.

Hearing this, Zhongshan frowned and thought for a moment. "It seems that Mister Water Mirror and his people have already escaped to a safe place. The Great Yu Dynasty is looking to capture Princess Qianyou to exchange for the Ten Thousand City Treasure Mirror. This isn\'t something Yi Yan would do; he would never act this way. Coupled with the urgency to kill me, haha, Yi Yan must have been dismissed."

"Sir, how do you know this?" Ah Da\'s eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh? You know about this too?" Zhongshan asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I heard about it while interrogating a soldier from the Great Yu Dynasty earlier. I just didn\'t have time to tell you. But I\'m surprised that you figured it out just from their troop movements," Ah Da said, full of admiration.

"It wasn\'t hard to guess," Zhongshan said with a nod and a smile.

"Not hard to guess?" Ah Da was left bewildered.

"Sir, as we discussed earlier, the soldier we interrogated can\'t return for a while. Since our position might be compromised, we should leave quickly," Ah Er suggested.

"Yes, right. Ah Er, did you find the Lu family I asked you to look for?" Zhongshan inquired.

"They\'re in a valley not far ahead. Lu Jianping has already arrived. But, sir, do you plan to take them with us?" Ah Da asked, looking incredulous.

"Why not?" Zhongshan smiled.

Both Ah Da and Ah Er widened their eyes in shock. It was already difficult enough for the four of them to escape, and now Zhongshan wanted to take over eighty extra people with them? Apart from Lu Jianping, the rest of the group\'s highest cultivation level was only at the Innate stage. Taking them along? How could they possibly escape like that?

"Sir, are you really going to take them with us? You\'re not joking, right?" Ah Da asked again, his eyes wide with disbelief.