Only a dozen or so days remained until the sand-worshiping ceremony at Mingsha Mountain in Xijing!

According to Jun Beiyue’s original plan, this was supposed to be the time he and Ziqing set out on their journey together!

He had wanted to spend a proper New Year with Ziqing in the capital. On New Year’s Eve, at the Flower Queen Gathering, his true intention had been to personally present the phoenix crown and wedding robes to her before everyone, taking her hand and walking her home as the Consort of Prince Yao!

Who could have known such a disaster would strike, catching everyone so utterly off guard!

More than a month had passed already, and still there was no sign of her. It was a wonder Jun Beiyue hadn’t gone mad—how could he possibly spare a thought for Mingsha Mountain now!

Along the cliffs of the Eastern Sea, all was silent. Jun Beiyue stood motionless at the cliff’s edge, staring desolately at a rock bathed in the fading light of the setting sun.

Just then, Yingzi suddenly came rushing up from the mountainside like a man possessed.

“Master, there’s news, there’s news! They’ve set sail, they’ve put out to sea!”

“Master, quick! They’ve set sail! It’s the imperial ship, heading toward Yaoshun Island!”

…

Jun Beiyue spun around at once. He saw Yingzi waving a letter in his hand, sprinting toward him with a look of overwhelming joy!

In an instant, Jun Beiyue closed the distance and appeared before him, seizing him by the collar. “Is this true?!”

Yingzi, panting, said, “It’s true! It’s true! The Eastern Qin imperial ship, commanded by Xuanyuan Zhaoxi, set sail yesterday morning, heading southeast—toward Yaoshun Island!”

“Send word to Jiao Cha and Situ Haonan—full speed ahead, we leave immediately!” Jun Beiyue ordered coldly, and with a single leap, plunged straight off the cliff!

Below the cliff, on the churning sea, a light, swift boat had already been waiting a long while, its crew consisting entirely of sailors save for a few shadow guards!

Yingzi released a carrier pigeon and hurried down after him as well!

“Northeast—intercept the Eastern Qin imperial ship!” Jun Beiyue ordered coldly.

But one of the sailors unrolled a map and said earnestly, “Your Highness, to intercept them before they reach Yaoshun Island, we’d have to enter Eastern Qin’s waters!”

Yaoshun Island lay to the southeast of Eastern Qin, which also happened to be northeast of Da Zhou.

No matter which port in Eastern Qin Xuanyuan Zhaoxi’s ship sailed from toward Yaoshun Island, it would remain entirely within Eastern Qin’s own territorial waters. Jun Beiyue’s current location already marked the northernmost point of Da Zhou—venturing any further northeast would soon put them squarely within Eastern Qin’s waters!

Though there was no formal, written agreement among the royal houses of the coastal nations of the Longyuan continent regarding maritime boundaries, there were nonetheless customary boundaries commonly observed for fishing and hunting.

But once within Eastern Qin’s waters, it had to be said—Da Zhou’s naval strength stood little chance against Eastern Qin’s.

And intercepting an imperial ship within another nation’s territorial waters would practically hand Eastern Qin an open invitation and pretext to declare war!

Should war at sea break out, what could Da Zhou possibly muster against Eastern Qin?

Everyone aboard this ship—Prince Yao included—stood a very real chance of being captured at sea!

Jun Beiyue looked at the sailor coldly, saying nothing at all, yet his silent fury was so overwhelming that the sailor didn’t dare meet his eyes, lowering his head in silence.

“Even if it’s Eastern Qin’s own land, this prince will still charge through! Go!” Jun Beiyue commanded sharply.

For a moment, no one dared say another word. The small, swift boat soon left the cliffs far behind, racing northeast at full speed!

Meanwhile, Situ Haonan and Jiao Cha, who had set out earlier, were also rapidly closing in on Yaoshun Island!

Situ Haonan and Jun Beiyue raced across the sea’s surface while Jiao Cha cut through the water beneath, the three groups forming a triangle. Seven days later, they converged west of Yaoshun Island, within Eastern Qin’s waters!

Jun Beiyue stood atop the towering mast of Situ Haonan’s great ship, gazing into the distance where he could just make out the silhouette of Eastern Qin’s imperial vessel.

Meanwhile, aboard the Eastern Qin imperial ship, Xuanyuan Zhaoxi had only just woken up. With two top-tier masters guarding Xuanyuan Lige day and night these past days, she had been sleeping without a single worry.

“Princess, Lady Yanzi sent word by falcon, reminding you that today is already the seventh day. She asks that you lock the secret chamber and send the key along,” a maid said respectfully.

“The seventh day already! So soon it’s Han Ziqing’s final hour, ha! Come, let’s go see my brother first!”

Xuanyuan Zhaoxi, in excellent spirits, took her time dressing herself carefully before heading toward the prison cell!

Xuanyuan Lige had not only been bound hand and foot, but was also confined in a cell guarded around the clock by two top-tier masters, taking turns day and night.

Exactly seven days now without sleep—only exhausted to the very edge did he manage to doze off briefly, only to wake again almost immediately!

He remembered clearly—today was the seventh day.

A dagger, secretly clutched in his hand, he watched Xuanyuan Zhaoxi approach with cold eyes, a bloodthirsty malice hidden deep within them. His hatred for Xuanyuan Zhaoxi, his hatred for their mother the empress, had existed since childhood.

Yet he had never once hated them enough to wish them dead.

The only thing he’d ever allowed himself to do was to fight with everything he had to restore Great Qin, to silence their cruel tongues once and for all!

But this time, he had truly conceived murderous intent.

Yanzi and the black-clad man’s departure, with Xuanyuan Zhaoxi taking over in their stead, was entirely beyond his expectations—he had no way at all to delay the process of the Gu cultivation.

Still three days’ journey from Yaoshun Island—distant help could not save him from this immediate crisis!

There was only one way: kill Xuanyuan Zhaoxi. Even if the servants aboard this ship were highly capable, chaos would surely follow—and only then could he buy himself time!

With this thought, Xuanyuan Lige tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand, watching Xuanyuan Zhaoxi draw closer step by step in silence!

At last, she stopped and ordered the iron cell door opened.

“Brother, do you know what day it is today?” Xuanyuan Zhaoxi asked with a smile.

“Send Han Ziqing into the secret chamber, and you’re not afraid the poisonous miasma on her body will disfigure you too?” Xuanyuan Lige scoffed coldly, his hand behind his back slowly, slowly drawing out the dagger.

“Don’t try to scare me. Yanzi explained everything clearly. She even said that once the woman’s locked in, if I’m curious about cultivating a human Gu, I can ask you for guidance!” Xuanyuan Zhaoxi said with a smile.

“There’s a secret to cultivating a human Gu that Yanzi surely never told you,” Xuanyuan Lige said in a low voice, deliberately mysterious.

Xuanyuan Zhaoxi had always been rather wary of Nanzhao’s arcane practices to begin with, and seeing the look on Xuanyuan Lige’s face, suspicion crept into her unconsciously. She hesitated a moment, then feigned nonchalance. “Cultivating a human Gu has no shortage of secrets already—I don’t know which one you mean.”

Xuanyuan Lige smiled coldly and said softly, “Come closer.”

Xuanyuan Zhaoxi grew somewhat suspicious, hesitated a moment, but genuinely believed him and slowly leaned in. Xuanyuan Lige’s cold eyes narrowed, and just as the dagger was about to strike—suddenly, a sailor came running up, shouting, “Princess! Princess, there’s something ahead!”

Xuanyuan Zhaoxi immediately stepped back, turning with furrowed brows. “What’s all this fuss about so early in the morning?”

“Princess, two ships have been spotted not far ahead—one large, one small!” the sailor said urgently.

“So what if there are ships, why the panic!” Xuanyuan Zhaoxi still hadn’t grasped the problem, while Xuanyuan Lige’s grip on the dagger suddenly tightened, nearly crushing it in his hand!

They were already quite close to Yaoshun Island now—ordinary fishermen would absolutely never venture into these waters, especially not the waters just ahead, and it certainly couldn’t be another Eastern Qin imperial ship!

There was only one possible explanation!

“Princess, that’s a Da Zhou ship!” the sailor explained anxiously!