Chapter 6: Little Prince

"Your Highness?"

After a brief silence, the clamor of voices erupted.

"When did she return?""Who knows? There wasn't a single word!""She... she's actually still alive."

Song Ce sighed, his hands trembling uncontrollably in his sleeves, no longer able to conceal his fear and unease.

Ning Xiaoling was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Could it be her?""Who?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiaoling immediately explained, "Legend has it that in the imperial palace, when people simply say 'Your Highness,' they aren't referring to a crown prince or any particular princess, but rather... the foster daughter of a lady consort."

Ning Changjiu grew even more puzzled. "Foster daughter?"

Ning Xiaoling nodded. "It's said that over ten years ago, the late emperor returned from a military campaign and encountered a celestial-like woman on the city wall. He brought this woman back to the palace, built a grand hall for her, and revered her as a divine child. Alongside this woman, there was reportedly a little girl, four or five years old. Some said she was her illegitimate daughter with the emperor, others said she was an orphaned child the woman adopted. In any case, she was raised deep within the palace. And then, over ten years ago…"

Ning Xiaoling lowered her voice further. "Over ten years ago, just as the grand hall was completed, the emperor, who should have been in his prime, fell gravely ill and eventually died."

The surrounding voices were noisy. As Ning Xiaoling spoke, she carefully glanced around, only sighing in relief when she was sure no one was paying attention to them.

Ning Changjiu understood many connections. "So, the one who died twenty days ago was that lady consort."

Ning Xiaoling's eyes widened. She stared blankly for a moment before she understood his words.

There were many conjectures among the common people about the lady consort who had long resided deep in the palace. Although many said she was a demoness who had brought disaster to the Zhao dynasty, and that the former emperor's sudden death was surely connected to her, for over ten years, who dared to truly harm her?

Although this lady consort had never appeared publicly, she left behind many stories in Zhao, such as the flying sword that traversed thousands of miles to slay demons at Qianyu Palace, and the azure dragons that came to pay homage from beyond the nine heavens…

In Zhao, whether she was a goddess or a demon, that lady consort was considered a legendary figure.

That's why she hadn't considered that possibility.

At Ning Changjiu's words, she suddenly had an epiphany. If it truly was that lady consort who died, then as her daughter, how could 'Your Highness' let the matter rest? And the varied expressions of the people in the hall, mostly fear and dread, suggested that the consort's death was not unrelated to them.

No wonder they were so terrified…

"Even so, why are they afraid?" Ning Changjiu said. "Since they dared to kill that lady consort, why didn't they kill her daughter as well?"

Ning Xiaoling quickly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

Fortunately, no one noticed him, because outside, a graceful figure vaguely appeared, walking through the curtain of rain. The voices gradually quieted.

Ning Changjiu stood in the shadows behind the doorway and looked over.

The autumn rain was cold, leaves rustled down, and in the courtyard, half-green, half-yellow, a girl in a snow-white dress with a cinched waist walked slowly, holding an ancient red umbrella.

She walked up the stone steps, closing her umbrella under the eaves. The girl held the umbrella as if a sword at her waist, and water droplets fell from the slender tip of the umbrella, each distinct and audible.

She glanced around at everyone in the hall, finally letting her gaze fall upon Song Ce. The girl pursed her lips and smiled slightly:

"Everyone… I trust you've been well?"

Just as she spoke, the overcast sky parted, and a ray of heavenly light pierced through, falling upon her amidst the vast autumn rain.

She stood under the eaves, half in light, half in shadow.

Only then did everyone react, bowing one by one, respectfully greeting 'Your Highness.'

In fact, besides one day three years ago, few people had seen her since. Seeing her today, they realized that the untamed girl who stood covered in blood before Qianyu Palace's steps three years ago had now grown into this appearance.

Ning Xiaoling stared blankly at her for a moment, then quickly averted her gaze, lowering her head, her heart pounding.

Ning Changjiu glanced at her, also slightly lost in thought.

The girl was exceedingly beautiful; without makeup, her features were like a painting, and her simple white dress was captivating.

Ning Changjiu looked at her, as if looking at a flower in black and white ink, delicately blooming on a steep cliff. All other things lost their brilliance, leaving only pure black and white.

The girl met Ning Changjiu's gaze.

Ning Changjiu looked at her calmly, his gaze showing no hint of evasion or avoidance.

The autumn rain continued, and a cold wind swept into the hall. The officials remained bowed and lowered their heads. The charred corpse before the divine statue emitted a foul odor of decay and burning. In the eerie silence, their gazes met.

Ning Changjiu found her somewhat familiar. He tried to recall his memories, but couldn't remember when or where he had seen her.

Perhaps it was simply that the girl was too beautiful, creating ripples in his Daoist heart. After all, he now possessed a mortal body, and naturally couldn't escape the seven emotions and six desires of the human world.

Ning Xiaoling watched them uneasily, then gathered her courage and stepped forward, bowing. "Greetings, Your Highness. My senior brother and I came with our master to subdue demons. Our master unfortunately died. My senior brother's mind has been a bit unusual lately, so I hope Your Highness will not be offended."

Ning Changjiu somewhat recovered his senses, recalling the etiquette of these secular dynasties, and awkwardly performed a bow. "Greetings, Your Highness."

The girl smiled slightly, her clear, cool voice still carrying a hint of childishness. "Since you are here to exorcise demons, you are our guests. I dislike these elaborate formalities anyway, so why would I be offended?"

Ning Xiaoling retreated to Ning Changjiu's side, letting out a slight sigh of relief.

"Everyone, seeing me…" The girl's eyes narrowed slightly as she chuckled softly, "Why do you all look so grieved?"

Everyone snapped back to attention, quickly kneeling and repeatedly saying, "We wouldn't dare!"

The girl raised a hand, signaling them to rise. "As I just said, I dislike these elaborate formalities."

Some stood up, only to find that others were still kneeling, so they knelt down again.

The girl's gaze slowly swept around. She sighed, her voice growing colder. "If you are unwilling to rise, is it because you have something to hide?"

Everyone's eyes secretly met, but no one responded.

Among these people, Song Ce held the highest official position, and the investigation into the Sparrow Ghost was primarily handled by him.

He sighed softly, and was the first to rise. Looking at the girl in the subtly swaying white dress with ink-dark hair draped over her shoulders, he said, "It is certainly a good thing that Your Highness has returned safely. We are… overjoyed."

"Heh…"

The girl chuckled. Her lips were very pale, thin and slightly upturned. As they curved into a slight smile, her features became more animated. She took two steps forward, as if stepping out of a painting, and walked among the crowd.

"Twenty days ago, when the cavalry surrounded the palace, where was Lord Song, who once swore loyalty to my mother before the palace hall?"

Song Ce was drenched in cold sweat. "That day... that day was too chaotic. The entire city was filled with fire and bloodshed. I truly didn't know what to do."

"Didn't know what to do?" The girl's face was soft and beautiful, but her expression grew increasingly stern.

Song Ce closed his eyes, not daring to answer.

The girl stared at him, her tone suddenly sharp. "Surrounding the palace, setting fires, killing people, cavalry trampling the hall… After planning for so long, it all comes down to 'I didn't know what to do'? You are truly… audacious."

"With the situation as it was, what could my humble efforts possibly achieve?" Song Ce said sorrowfully.

The girl looked at him indifferently, silent for a moment, then asked, "Why?"

Song Ce bowed deeply, then slowly straightened his body, trying his best to meet her eyes. He said, "If the lady consort hadn't always resided deep in the palace, if she had looked more closely at the suffering of the people, listened to the pleas of the common folk, why would it have come to this?"

"My mother always watched over Zhao," the girl said.

"But the common people did not know, and neither did I…" Song Ce said with grief.

"Whether you knew or not, my mother didn't care," the girl said.

Song Ce stared at the girl's youthful, peerless face and asked, "And what about Your Highness? Do you care?"

The girl didn't answer, calmly looking at him, waiting for him to continue speaking.

Song Ce sighed heavily, his gaze growing firmer. "The fate of the Zhao nation has withered to this extent. Previously, in the war with the Jin nation, our armies were repeatedly defeated. Afterward, the Rong nation loomed covetously, and countless territories were ceded. Now, the signs of national demise are evident. The Jin nation has also made such pronouncements repeatedly. Your Highness has lived deep in the palace, unaware of the daily and nightly torment we have endured! Now that things have come to this, I, Song, have no regrets, only hatred, and I seek only death. I hope Your Highness can stop…"

"Stop?" The girl's delicate brows furrowed, then she pointed to the charred corpse on the ground and chuckled, "Do you think I killed them?"

Song Ce lowered his head and remained silent.

The girl calmly said, "When I returned to the palace, and where I was last night – with Lord Song's intelligence, it shouldn't be difficult to ascertain, should it?"

Song Ce was silent for a moment, then nodded and said in a deep voice, "I know… Last night, Your Highness knelt before Qianyu Palace all night."

Many people knew this, but who else could the killer be besides her? Could it truly be that elusive Sparrow Ghost? But if she knelt before Qianyu Palace all night, how could she have killed anyone?

The girl said no more, directly asking, "Where is my mother's body?"

"It hasn't been found," Song Ce replied.

"Hm?" The girl slightly raised an eyebrow.

"But I am certain that not a single person escaped from Qianyu Palace that day," Song Ce sighed.

With the great fire, cavalry, archers, and magic formations, coupled with that divine being's intervention, escape was impossible.

The girl stopped speaking and slowly raised her hand. Her long, snow-white fingers emerged from her wide sleeves, appearing even more slender.

Those hands rested on Song Ce's shoulders.

Song Ce stiffened completely, drenched in cold sweat but not daring to move.

Seeing this scene, everyone involuntarily recalled the small, delicate girl from three years ago, standing before Qianyu Palace, covered in blood but with an unchanging expression.

Song Ce closed his eyes, resigned to death.

The girl, however, merely smiled, adjusted his attire, and said with a slight smile, "Lord Song should cherish this hard-won official uniform well."

Song Ce was stunned. He hadn't yet realized he had just walked through the gates of hell; his body remained tense.

The girl no longer looked at him, shifting her gaze to the others. She smiled and said, "I will be at the Imperial Preceptor's Manor. If any of you have matters to discuss, you may come find me there."

"The Imperial Preceptor's Manor?" Song Ce's expression subtly changed.

The girl had already turned and was walking outside.

Outside the eaves, the autumn rain had not stopped. She reopened her umbrella, and her clear, cool voice drifted through the rain:

"My master is gravely ill, on the verge of death. As his student, it is only right that I serve him diligently."

A gentle breeze drifted by, and on the skirt beside her arm, a small yellow flower swayed in the wind.

"The Imperial Preceptor's Manor? Why would she go there?""The Imperial Preceptor is her master, and now effectively her only living relative. But during that encirclement and slaughter twenty days ago, the Imperial Preceptor chose to stand by and do nothing…""Could she still not know that her master has turned against her?""It's possible.""Oh, and what about those assassins? The ones the Jin nation sent to intercept and kill her? Why did she still return?""Did they fail...? How could that be? They say the Jin nation's third-ranked assassin made a move. How could they have returned empty-handed?""It seems we can only rely on the Imperial Preceptor and the Grand Shaman. It's rare for these two, who are usually at odds, to be united in purpose. Unless that little girl possesses extraordinary power, she's surely destined for the same fate as her mother!"

Everyone was discussing animatedly, mostly thinking along optimistic lines, when a voice suddenly cut in.

"Do you truly not understand? Didn't that girl's words clearly indicate she has already taken the Imperial Preceptor hostage?"

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, only to see a young man in a Daoist robe gazing at them with confusion, as if they were a group of fools.

Many recalled the girl's earlier words and understood, but they were already extremely vexed, and now that a young man had pointed it out, most of their faces were filled with anger.

Song Ce's patience snapped. He bellowed, "What exactly are you trying to do? You're not needed here! Get out of the city! If you dare to utter another word, you won't get a single penny of your master's burial expenses!"

Ning Changjiu looked at him helplessly, thinking, "I was trying to be helpful and remind them, why is this person so ungrateful?"

Is this what the secular world below the mountains is like?

Ning Xiaoling tugged at his sleeve, almost pleading, "Senior brother, let's go…"

Song Ce was in a terrible mood now, and too annoyed to waste words. He waved his hand, signaling the guards to escort them out.

"Wait a moment!"

Suddenly, someone walked out from the crowd.

Song Ce glanced at the person and said displeasedly, "Zhao Shisong, what trouble are you stirring up?"

The person named Zhao Shisong bowed apologetically, then looked at the young man and woman and tentatively asked, "May I ask, young Daoist, how are your Daoist skills?"

"They're acceptable," Ning Changjiu replied.

Zhao Shisong thought for a moment and said, "To be frank, my wife has recently fallen ill with malevolent energy. Renowned doctors have been consulted, and Daoist priests have been called, but all have been helpless. Would you two be willing to try?"

Clearly, he was willing to try anything, no matter how desperate.

Just as Song Ce was about to reprimand him, Ning Changjiu spoke first. "We can."

Ning Xiaoling, having no choice, pretended to nod confidently.

Song Ce glanced at them, no longer dissuaded them, and walked away, his gaze growing increasingly indifferent.