Mu Yunjin immediately nodded. “I remember!”

Qiuye, listening to the conversation between master and disciple, frowned with an angry expression. He had observed from hiding for a long time, making sure Mu Yunjin was truly alone before revealing himself.

Now, he hadn’t expected Feng Xuan to suddenly appear as well.

With both Feng Xuan and Mu Yunjin present, he no longer had much confidence.

Before, he might have risked a fight, but now, knowing Mu Yunjin’s identity as a Phoenix Maiden who could summon the Red Phoenix at any time, he dared not underestimate her.

Qin Muyue also secretly sighed, wondering if Mu Yunjin’s luck was ridiculously good, as rescuers kept appearing for her.

At this moment, a figure quickly approached from the direction of the Meditation Court.

“Amitabha, this is sacred Buddhist ground; fighting and killing are not permitted.” Master Huaiyuan had hurriedly left the Meditation Court when he sensed powerful true energy in the surroundings.

Now approaching and seeing the scene before him, his heart tightened.

…

…

After stopping, Master Huaiyuan bowed slightly to Chu Qing and Qin Muyue. “Greetings to Prince Chen and Princess Consort Chen.”

“Abbot need not stand on ceremony,” Chu Qing smiled slightly.

“Thank you, Prince Chen.” Master Huaiyuan expressed his gratitude, then looked toward Qiuye and Feng Xuan. “What misunderstanding might there be between you two Daoists?”

Daoist Feng Xuan shrugged. “Nothing, just a minor squabble.”

Hearing this, Master Huaiyuan turned to look at Qiuye.

“Hmph!” Qiuye snorted loudly, then with a wave of his sleeve, strode away.

Seeing Qiuye leave, Qin Muyue quickly followed, leaving only Chu Qing still standing there. He gave them all a deeply meaningful smile before slowly walking away from the front of the Buddha Hall.

After the three left, Mu Yunjin took a sharp breath. “Such bad luck, running into them even here.”

“Princess Consort Ning, why are you here?” Master Huaiyuan asked with surprise.

Mu Yunjin was startled, then quickly said, “I came to take care of something.”

She then looked toward Daoist Feng Xuan. “Master, why don’t you accompany Abbot Huaiyuan for a game of chess? I’ll come find you after I finish my business!”

As Mu Yunjin finished speaking, she ran off.

Behind her, Daoist Feng Xuan and Master Huaiyuan exchanged a glance before walking toward the Meditation Court.

…

Mu Yunjin took a long detour, and only after making sure no one was following her did she run toward the hidden chamber.

This visit to the hidden chamber was different from previous times. Mu Yunjin’s heart was racing, and the deeper she went, the slower her pace became.

When she reached the end of the hidden passage, Mu Yunjin deliberately lit a wooden torch she had prepared. As the light illuminated the surroundings, Mu Yunjin saw an iron door in the hidden chamber for the first time.

Approaching the iron door, Mu Yunjin took a deep breath and gently knocked.

In the quiet darkness, apart from the knocking sound on the iron door, there was no other noise.

Mu Yunjin heard no response, so she knocked again and softly called out, “Consort Rong…”

“Creeeeak—” The iron door suddenly opened on its own, with a sliver of light shining out from within.

Mu Yunjin extinguished her torch, pushed the door open, and walked inside.

All along, she had been curious about how Consort Rong had lived in the hidden chamber before. Now stepping through the iron door, she saw a small courtyard.

The courtyard wasn’t large, with a small house inside. The house was built in the same style as Master Huaiyuan’s meditation quarters. A few flowers and plants were grown around it, making it look like a small rural courtyard at first glance.

At this moment, a figure was sitting on a small wooden chair in the courtyard, resting with eyes closed.

After surveying the surroundings, Mu Yunjin couldn’t help but marvel—this Shuiyun Temple truly had hidden mysteries everywhere.

“Why have you come?” Consort Rong opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping toward Mu Yunjin with displeasure.

Mu Yunjin sat down, curling her lips. “Naturally, I have something to discuss with you. Why else would I come?”

Consort Rong pursed her lips, not answering.

The weather was a bit cold. Sitting in the courtyard, Mu Yunjin felt waves of coldness. She wrapped her arms around herself and casually asked, “You and the Emperor of South Imperial, have you had no children in all these years?”

After speaking, Mu Yunjin turned her head to closely observe Consort Rong’s expression.

Consort Rong’s body stiffened. She then turned to glare at Mu Yunjin. “What does that have to do with you? Did you come today specifically to mock me?”

“Western Empire’s Consort Rong and South Imperial’s Moon Consort were both named around the same time. How could you guarantee that the child born was the Western Emperor’s?”

“And all these years, you’ve had no children in South Imperial, yet Yun Guangyao still dotes on you greatly. It seems he truly likes you. Having pleased him for so long, how could you not conceive Yun Guangyao’s child? Could it be that you took some special measures?”

Mu Yunjin raised her doubts and questions.

“Mu Yunjin, what exactly are you trying to say?” Consort Rong’s face was full of anger, her hands clenched into fists, as if she might lose control and strike Mu Yunjin at any moment.

Mu Yunjin sighed slightly. “Yun Guangyao, does he have the magpie blindness?”

Consort Rong’s breath caught, her face instantly turning pale. Her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Answer me!” Mu Yunjin suddenly raised her voice, a cold shout filled with imposing presence.

“Yun’er, what are you saying? How would I know whether Yun Guangyao has magpie blindness or not?” Consort Rong’s tone suddenly changed, and she unexpectedly smiled at Mu Yunjin, her voice light.

Consort Rong’s abnormal attitude almost confirmed Mu Yunjin’s suspicions.

“Yun Lianqing has already begun to suspect Chu Li. The secret you’ve kept in your heart for so many years may soon spread throughout the entire Canghua Continent.”

Mu Yunjin spoke slowly, then took out the Divine Command Token she carried close to her body, examining it in her palm. “Is this the reason you’ve been so obsessed with the Divine Command Token?”

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong finally could not hold back. She covered her face and began to sob. Gradually, her quiet weeping turned into loud, painful crying.

Mu Yunjin sat quietly beside her, not knowing what to say.

After a while, Consort Rong showed no signs of stopping her tears. Mu Yunjin took out a silk handkerchief she carried and offered it. “Wipe your tears. Don’t cry anymore.”

Consort Rong was startled. She took Mu Yunjin’s handkerchief and wiped the tear stains on her face. Her gaze was fixed on a point in space, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

A moment later, as dusk passed, the sky gradually darkened.

“When I was five years old, my parents died unexpectedly. I spent all of our family’s savings to give them a proper burial. But with no savings left and being only five years old with no way to earn money, I wandered the streets, begging…”

Consort Rong suddenly began softly speaking, recounting her past.

“One day, I was surrounded and beaten by some noble young ladies and gentlemen on the street. When I thought I was about to die, a master appeared and rescued me.”

“That master was Feng Ting, the brother of Feng Cang, the leader of Fenghua Sect. He established his sect called Zhuting, and from then on, I became a disciple of his Zhuting Sect.”

“At that time, the two sects were on good terms. I gradually became acquainted with Feng Xuan, Qiuye, and the others, though they were already top-level experts who could stand on their own, while I was still just a young girl.”

Hearing Consort Rong speak of her childhood, Mu Yunjin frowned. “What happened after that?”

Among the many sects in the martial arts world, there was a martial arts competition every two years to select the Alliance Leader. But every year, as long as Master Feng Cang was there, my master Feng Ting could never obtain the position of Alliance Leader. Gradually, resentment built in his heart. Later, until the year I turned fifteen, my master once again lost to Master Feng Cang, which infuriated him. Soon after, he learned of the Divine Command Token in the world and sent us disciples down the mountain to secretly search for it…”

“After descending the mountain, I first went to South Imperial, and it was because I went there that I met Yun Guangyao.”

At this point, Consort Rong paused and looked at Mu Yunjin. “Didn’t I previously only tell you that I had saved Kong Shi?”

“Yes,” Mu Yunjin nodded.

“When I first entered South Imperial, not only did I save Kong Shi, but I also saved Yun Guangyao.”

“And then you were made Moon Consort?” Mu Yunjin asked.

Consort Rong nodded. “It was a coincidence. After staying in South Imperial for some time and not detecting the aura of the Divine Command Token, with my master pressuring me, I made an excuse to return home to visit relatives, and Yun Guangyao approved.”

“Later, I returned to the Western Empire, wanting to check the national treasury to see if there was any trace of the Divine Command Token. At that time, Kong Shi brought me to Shuiyun Temple and informed me that people from the palace would come to offer incense and pray for blessings on the fifteenth of each month, giving me a chance to sneak into the palace.”

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips, now understanding roughly why Consort Rong had moved between the two countries. However, there was still one thing she was most curious about. “But why, when it was your master who was obsessed with the Divine Command Token, did it later become you?”

“In my second year in the palace, Master Feng Ting died from a qigong deviation while practicing…”

“At that time, I truly no longer thought about the Divine Command Token. But that year, I became pregnant, and it was diagnosed in the Western Empire. Chu Jin was overjoyed and directly named me a consort, though I had not yet held that position. But my heart was uneasy because I wasn’t certain…”

At this point, Consort Rong laughed self-mockingly. “Serving two husbands, I don’t even know why I would do such an outrageous thing.”

“I originally thought I could live my days in secrecy, but until Li’er was three years old, I suddenly discovered he couldn’t see at night—a sign of magpie blindness.”

“From then on, I lived each day in fear, always on edge. Until I remembered the Divine Command Token. After that, I frantically searched everywhere for the whereabouts of the Divine Command Token, fearing that if the truth were revealed one day, my son and I would be ridiculed by everyone in the world. Fearing that at that time, no one would protect our mother and son, I could only rely on the legendary death spirits and death soldiers to comfort myself…”

“Yun’er, I didn’t want to hurt you, didn’t want to hurt Li’er. I was just afraid, so afraid…” As Consort Rong said this, the tears that had been held back in her eyes once again spilled out.

Mu Yunjin’s eyes were distant. At this moment, it felt as if a mountain had been placed on her back, making her suddenly unable to breathe.

Chu Li was Yun Guangyao’s son…

This fact truly exceeded her expectations.

If this matter were to be revealed, the consequences would be unimaginable, bringing unprecedented disaster and trouble to Chu Li.

Mu Yunjin clutched the Divine Command Token tightly in her palm, her expression tense and her tone firm: “I won’t let anything happen to Chu Li.”