“The position of Imperial Master has always been held by those of virtue and ability. Those who believe their cultivation has reached the heavens can undertake the trial, and if they pass, they can challenge the Imperial Master. If they win, they can take over the position,” someone explained to her. “Take Imperial Master Mo for example, he has successfully defended his position for thirty-seven years. Everyone in Jin Kingdom knows his prestige, and there haven’t been any challengers for many years now.”

“Wei Kingdom is different. Imperial Master Yun has only held the position for a few short years, and his health isn’t very good, so people often covet his position. The Wei King respects him but cannot prevent others from challenging him.”

Those who can hold onto their thrones are not easy opponents. “What happens if one loses the challenge?”

“Life and death are disregarded during the challenge process.”

Feng Miao Jun silently lit a candle in her heart for these people, but outwardly she looked very surprised: “That’s so cruel?”

“If there were no consequences to bear, there would be more and more challengers,” Princess Han Yue said hatefully. “With so many people going up for round-robin challenges, he would be exhausted to death.”

Feng Miao Jun nodded in agreement, secretly thinking that the princess liked the sickly type.

That noble lady gently reminded: “Princess, disciples of the Imperial Master can only marry commoners. Your status is noble…”

Princess Han Yue became even more disinterested, waving her hand: “I know. In another two years, I’ll have to marry too. Can’t I even fancy someone at this time?”

She had the highest status here, and since her expression had changed, the other noble ladies didn’t dare to chat and laugh freely. Feng Miao Jun silently picked cherries to eat while listening to fragments of conversation carried by the wind.

Not far away, that group of men was engaged in grand discussions about the state of the world. Her hearing had improved, and if the wind direction was right, she could catch about seventy or eighty percent of what was said.

The first thing she heard was phrases like “An Xia’s resurgence from the ashes.”

Since coming here, Feng Miao Jun had been basically isolated from the world, and had no attachment to the fallen country, and Mo Ti Zhun hadn’t passed any news to her either. This was the first time she had heard anyone mention An Xia Kingdom, and she couldn’t help but feel curious.

After eating seven or eight cherries, she had pieced together the general picture. An Xia was not small, occupying the northernmost position among the original seven great Kingdoms. Established nearly three hundred years ago, it has produced many outstanding figures. In the two years since its fall, many former citizens had been longing for their homeland and advocating for restoration. The most powerful faction was settled in Yan Kingdom territory, and it was said that the leader was the late An Xia King’s nephew, Fu Ling Chuan, with nearly ten thousand followers.

But just ten thousand people, with unknown numbers of elites among them – how could they restore a Kingdom? Feng Miao Jun shook her head slightly. From an observer’s perspective, these remnant people were somewhat naive. The Wei Kingdom maintained strict control over the An Xia region, otherwise, why would resistance forces wander among various Kingdoms rather than station themselves in An Xia’s homeland?

Moreover, there was another extremely important factor in this world, which was elemental power. With the Kingdom overthrown and ancestral temples destroyed, where would there be elemental power to allocate to cultivators? The existence of elemental power turned cultivators into birds of prey perching on chosen trees. How many would be interested in shedding blood and sweat to restore a fallen Kingdom?

But without cultivators as the ultimate weapon, State restoration was just empty talk, and could never be realized.

As she was lost in these thoughts, she suddenly heard someone say mysteriously: “Do you know that the An Xia Princess might not be dead?”

Feng Miao Jun was just about to eat a large cherry when she was startled by this, and the cherry suddenly got stuck in her throat.

She immediately broke into earth-shaking coughs.

The sound was a bit loud, and even the group of men turned to look at her.

Feng Miao Jun quickly turned her back, pretending to get water, while keeping her ears perked to hear what followed.

Soon, that person continued: “It’s rumored that the An Xia Princess faked her death to escape disaster, and has now been taken away by Fu Ling Chuan. They are all in Yan Kingdom.”

The audience all said: “That’s interesting.” And someone took the opportunity to ask Left Qiu Yuan for his opinion.

Hearing this, Feng Miao Jun felt her heart settle back down.

So the “An Xia Princess” had already been found and taken to the Yan Kingdom. With that target out in the open, Feng Miao Jun’s future actions could be more at ease. And since the Jin King and Mo Ti Zhun, who knew her true identity, hadn’t questioned her, they knew that person must be an imposter.

She had to take back her words about the “naive remnant people.” This supposed unfamiliar cousin Fu Ling Chuan was not a simple character either.

Turning her gaze to the center of the scene, she now learned that Left Qiu Yuan was the only son of the Director of the Imperial Observatory in Yao Kingdom, with outstanding cultivation and character, and was already viewed as the Director’s successor.

Each Kingdom loved, respected, and feared its Imperial Master. They knew the position had to be filled, yet they tried every means to constrain the holder, never allowing them to wield power. Apart from the consensus of “high position but light authority,” there was also what Princess Han Yue had mentioned earlier: the Imperial Master and his disciples could only marry commoners, which prevented further close connections between the Imperial Master and the nobility.

Additionally, each Kingdom had set up its restrictions. For example, Yao Kingdom’s Imperial Observatory was originally an agency for observing stars and calculating seasonal changes. After modifications, its leader, the Director, was only half a rank below the Imperial Master, nominally the Imperial Master’s right-hand man, but serving to monitor and constrain.

It could be said that the relationship between the Director of the Imperial Observatory and the State ruler was even closer. Left Qiu Yuan, as the successor, was naturally a hot commodity in the Yao Kingdom.

His gaze swept over several times but moved away before making eye contact with Feng Miao Jun.

Was he not taking her seriously? No, that didn’t seem right.

The strange feeling in her heart grew stronger.

Time passed neither too fast nor too slow, and the mist over the lake on the island grew thicker, not even dissipated by the strong wind. Chen Da Chang behind her stepped closer and said in a low voice: “Miss, if we don’t leave now, the fog will get even thicker.”

The island had beautifully built pavilions, and it seemed most of the nobles also planned to spend the night here, as it was said that Double Fish Island had another kind of beauty at night. However, Feng Miao Jun had no such interest. Chen Da Chang was right; if they didn’t leave now, they wouldn’t be able to leave once the sky darkened and the mist thickened further.

She immediately stood up to bid farewell to Lady Mian Hua and the Princess. Lady Mian Hua had just returned her bow when a colorful spirit bird flew in from somewhere, landing on Princess Han Yue’s shoulder and affectionately nuzzling her neck.

Princess Han Yue immediately walked toward the flower grove behind.

Feng Miao Jun thought nothing of it, said goodbye to the noble ladies, and left with the three people behind her.

Passing through the dense forest to the shore, they found that the river was covered with white mist, and visibility was already less than five hundred steps.

“Such thick fog,” she pondered.

The three quickly walked to the ferry dock. The pier was small, with dozens of boats crowded together, stretching out densely as far as the eye could see. Chen Da Chang stepped forward and said to the dozing boat captain: “Our miss wants to return now, please untie the boat.”

“Which miss?”

“From the Imperial Master’s mansion.”

Feng Miao Jun pointed to the small boat at the outermost edge: “Untie that one, it’s easier.”

“Aiya, that won’t do,” the boat captain hurriedly said. “The nobles have different ranks, and the boats they ride are all pre-assigned. Whichever boat brought you here is the one that takes you back. We can’t mess up the order, or we’ll be punished.”