Chapter 1519: The Court Does Not Allow Such an Overpowered Existence

"Yes!" Eunuch Wen's heart tightened, sensing the anger in the emperor's voice. Minister Sang had truly provoked His Majesty this time. He was usually so meticulous and skilled at anticipating the emperor's desires; what could have gone wrong?

He dared not ask further, hurrying away. With the emperor truly enraged, he didn't even risk sending other junior eunuchs to deliver the message. Instead, he personally saw to it that Zhuxie Chixin was informed immediately via the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so the envoy team could be notified.

As he hurried through the imperial garden, a clear, pleasant voice suddenly called out beside him, "Eunuch Wen, what's causing such a rush?"

If anyone else had asked, Eunuch Wen, consumed by his urgency, probably wouldn't have given them the time of day. But the person who spoke this time was someone he dared not slight in the slightest: "Greetings, Crown Princess!"

Not far away, he saw several palace maids clustered around a beautiful woman—none other than Crown Princess Bi Linglong.

As there were no major events in the palace that day, she wasn't dressed in her usual elaborate formal attire.

A simple emerald jade hairpin adorned her bun, and she wore a soft, plain long dress with an exquisite jade belt gently cinching her waist. The entire gown flowed around her like an elegant wisp of cloud, further enhancing her graceful and captivating figure.

A fiery red fox fur shawl draped over her shoulders, casting a delicate, rosy glow upon her fair complexion.

Despite seeing her frequently within the palace, Eunuch Wen couldn't help but inwardly marvel, "The Crown Princess truly is an exceptional beauty."

Then, recalling the Crown Prince's rather foolish demeanor, he once again felt a pang of regret, akin to a beautiful flower planted in dung.

He immediately lowered his head, however, suppressing this treasonous thought. "To answer the Crown Princess, this old servant is on his way to check the whereabouts of Minister Sang's envoy team."

Bi Linglong nodded. "Indeed, their envoy team's progress is rather peculiar. They should have returned long ago, by all accounts."

That Zu An is truly a scoundrel. Before, they'd only met briefly through the scrying mirror, and with so many people present, much couldn't be said. She hadn't even dared to exchange an extra word to avoid suspicion.

Afterward, she had officials from the Eastern Palace send numerous letters to the envoy team, inquiring about various matters—all, of course, under the pretext of official business.

She trusted that Zu An, with his cleverness, would surely grasp her intentions and reply promptly. While she knew his letters would be strictly official, simply seeing his handwriting would bring her joy. And given his nature, she was sure he'd find a way to convey a personal message.

To her surprise, countless letters sent by officials from the Eastern Palace to the envoy team had all vanished without a trace.

Of course, "vanished without a trace" wasn't entirely accurate, as numerous replies were indeed received. However, these were either from Sang Hong or other members of the envoy, and not a single one was from Zu An!

A young woman's heart can be so peculiar. Rationally, she knew that even if he replied, he wouldn't be able to say much of consequence. Yet, his complete silence inexplicably angered her.

"The Crown Princess is right, the envoy team's progress is indeed unusually slow," Eunuch Wen agreed. He noticed that she hadn't bothered a palace maid, but was personally holding an exquisite umbrella. Its surface was adorned with delicate yet elegant plum blossoms, adding a touch of vibrant life to the winter imperial garden.

He was initially surprised. Although it was lightly snowing, a cultivator's vital energy would repel the snowflakes before they even touched their head. Most cultivators, like himself, wouldn't bother with an umbrella in such weather.

He quickly understood, however, that it was simply a young woman's fondness for beauty.

And the Crown Princess was indeed beautiful; the umbrella only served to enhance her charming and captivating presence.

Eunuch Wen suddenly snapped back to reality. "I'm a eunuch," he thought, "what am I doing admiring someone's beauty? Ah, what a tragic fate."

After answering a few of Bi Linglong's questions, he quickly departed.

Bi Linglong, meanwhile, gazed toward the northwest, her delicate brows subtly furrowed in a beautiful arc, lost in thought.

***

"Achoo!"

Far away in the Demon Imperial Palace, Zu An rubbed his nose, a touch bewildered. He was clearly feeling incredibly restless, so why was he sneezing?

Feeling his inner energy on the verge of boiling, Zu An felt an urge to continue releasing it. Yet, he still possessed enough reason to know that causing a disturbance within the imperial palace could easily lead to fatalities.

With a light push of his toes, he swiftly flew towards the mountains outside the royal court.

Meanwhile, in the Golden Crow Ancestral Land, someone soon returned to report. Upon hearing the news, several elders exclaimed in surprise, "The new divine weapon is in the Regent's hands?"

Soon, the scoffing voice of another hot-tempered elder named Wu Fan rang out. "The younger generation of the royal family truly has no shame now," he sneered. "They actually let a frail human suppress the entire assembly and even appointed him Regent. Can he truly lead the demon race to prosperity? He lacks that capability..."

Hearing his continuous rant, which was practically an insult to the new Demon Emperor, the Grand Elder's expression immediately soured. After all, he had been present yesterday. "That young man isn't quite as frail as you make him out to be," he interjected. "He even killed several Grandmasters yesterday."

"Hmph, I heard you speak of it," the elder named Wu Fan sneered. "But ultimately, wasn't it just due to the power of the Sun-Shooting Bow? He himself is merely a junior who just broke through to the Master Yingpo realm."

"But he also killed Mr. Bat of the Blood Clan with his bare hands," another elder countered, who had also been present last night. "It seemed to happen almost instantaneously."

"Although Mr. Bat was infamous," Wu Fan analyzed with conviction, "he constantly absorbed the vital essence and cultivation of others. His cultivation was therefore mixed and impure. The more he absorbed, the more susceptible he became to conflicting vital energies, which would inevitably lead to qi deviation and death. In my view, last night simply happened to coincide with his moment of qi deviation, allowing that young man to get lucky."

"But... how could it be such a coincidence?" another elder questioned.

"Then let me ask you," Wu Fan retorted, "could any of you instantly kill Mr. Bat with a single move?"

At this, the others fell silent. Indeed, some among them could defeat Mr. Bat with a single move; after all, they were ancient figures of the demon royal family with unfathomable power.

However, Mr. Bat was no righteous master; he was a master of the evil path, forged through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Such a person's ability to preserve their life was absolutely first-rate. While they were confident they could defeat him in one move, they could not guarantee killing him in a single blow.

"There you have it," Wu Fan sneered, hearing the others' silence. "Eliminate all impossibilities, and whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

Even the Grand Elder was somewhat swayed by his argument. "This young man certainly possesses extraordinary fortune, to hold two divine artifacts at such a young age."

Wu Fan snorted coldly. "I don't see it as a good thing at all. For someone so young to possess two divine weapons is like a child flaunting a fortune in the marketplace; it will undoubtedly invite disaster. I shall go and retrieve his divine weapons, which will also be a way of preserving his life."

The Grand Elder frowned. "He has, after all, been appointed Regent. Directly seizing them might not be appropriate."

"The Sun-Shooting Bow was originally a divine artifact of our demon royal family," Wu Fan scoffed. "The former Demon Emperor merely used him as a conduit to return it. It's perfectly reasonable for us to reclaim it now. So young, yet holding the high position of Regent, and wielding two divine weapons? Such an impressive individual cannot be tolerated in the royal court!"