But what matter could be more important than hunting down the Wei Kingdom’s State Preceptor? Why were these Yao people rushing outward so desperately? Feng Miao Jun narrowed her eyes and didn’t rush to leave, instead finding a corner in the dense forest to crouch. This was a cliff edge where humans had to detour, with the trees blocking the view.

After a while, a single rider approached. Feng Miao Jun recognized his attire as that of a Yao army messenger and immediately leaped down from the branches like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit.

This messenger seemed to catch a glimpse of a shadow flashing past in his peripheral vision, but before he could react, his neck suffered a sharp pain and everything went black.

When he regained consciousness, he had been dragged deep into the forest, with a soldier gently patting his face: “What has happened? Why is everyone rushing outward?”

He patted slowly but rhythmically.

Though this person’s appearance was unremarkable, his gaze was profoundly deep. The messenger initially wanted to berate him, but after their eyes met, somehow his anger quickly subsided. Instead, his heart grew increasingly peaceful, his mind pleasantly foggy, as if entering a state of emptiness without consciousness or thought.

The one who had ambushed him was naturally Feng Miao Jun.

This time she used a divine technique from the Heavenly Demon Secret Scroll, the so-called “soul enslaving.” The name sounded sinister, but after understanding its principles, she felt it was similar to the hypnosis she knew from her previous life. As long as the caster’s soul strength far exceeded the subject’s, it wasn’t a difficult feat.

This was her first attempt, and she succeeded immediately.

When the messenger’s eyes became vacant, she repeated her question, and he indeed answered without reservation.

It turned out he had received orders from General Zhao Ru Shan to send a message to the troops stationed inside the southwestern gate of the city, telling them to rush immediately to support the Yao Kingdom’s ancestral temple in the north!

As for the reason, he likewise stated it plainly, but this time the person who turned pale with shock was Feng Miao Jun!

“What!”

At the main hall complex, just as the Wei State Preceptor disappeared in the thick fog, Mo Tizhun made a quick decision, forming hand seals to cast a barrier over two hundred zhang in diameter.

If Yun Ya was hiding among the crowd and tried to rush out, he would trigger the barrier.

However, this situation did not occur.

There weren’t many Yao soldiers within the barrier. They were screened in groups of thirty, and the screening was quickly completed.

This was the last measure that could be established in haste, but still, there was no trace of Yun Ya.

Miao Feng Xian frowned: “Light the signal fire.”

Someone immediately went to do it.

The main beacon tower in the city could release smoke signals as a warning. On such a clear day, the garrison troops in the distant suburbs would see it at a glance and heighten their vigilance.

At this moment, the crowd parted as a woman carrying an infant rushed toward Miao Feng Xian.

It was Princess Han Yue and her child.

Seeing her husband safe and sound, Princess Han Yue rushed straight into his embrace with her child, sobbing: “I thought we would never see the Crown Prince again!”

Miao Feng Xian embraced both mother and child, kissing her forehead. After the great battle, finding his wife and child again and enjoying a family reunion, he couldn’t help feeling as if they were worlds apart: “You’ve suffered. Are you injured? Did the Wei villains mistreat you?”

Princess Han Yue shook her head desperately: “The child caught a cold and fell ill, but thanks to State Preceptor Mo’s medicine, his fever has subsided now.”

Miao Feng Xian looked down and indeed saw that his son’s chubby little face appeared reasonably healthy, though his eyes were half-open and half-closed, showing extreme fatigue. “I must thank State Preceptor Mo later.”

Princess Han Yue handed the child to the wet nurse who had approached, then tugged at Miao Feng Xian’s sleeve and said softly: “I heard on the way that Father, that Father has passed away…?” Her voice rose at the end, full of disbelief.

This sentence brought up Miao Feng Xian’s sorrow, and the iron-willed man’s eyes reddened. His Adam’s apple moved several times as he struggled to hold back tears, nodding once.

Princess Han Yue softly exhaled, stretched out her arms to embrace his neck, and said gently: “Everything will be fine.”

After several breaths, Miao Feng Xian nodded again.

Just then, a military officer came to report: “Your Highness, General Zhao has completed the verification…”

It seemed they hadn’t found Yun Ya, otherwise the messenger’s tone wouldn’t have been so calm, nor would the scene be so peaceful. Miao Feng Xian sighed inwardly, about to persuade Princess Han Yue to go rest, as he had many matters to attend to.

But just as he was about to lower his head, a sudden sharp pain shot through the back of his neck!

The pain was extremely acute, carrying a bone-chilling coldness that penetrated from the jade pillow acupoint through his skull, straight to his brain. Miao Feng Xian let out a great roar, gripping Princess Han Yue’s shoulders and flinging her two zhang away!

With just that one move, Princess Han Yue’s shoulders were crushed, but she endured the excruciating pain and stood up, actually flashing a smile at Miao Feng Xian: “If you miss your father so much, go down and keep him company.”

This sudden change caught everyone off guard. Even Zhao Ru Shan was stunned for a moment before rushing forward to support Miao Feng Xian: “Your Highness!”

In less than half a breath’s time, Miao Feng Xian’s robust body had collapsed like a falling mountain or toppling pillar, unable even to stand steadily. Zhao Ru Shan looked at the back of his head and his eyes nearly burst with rage:

At the jade pillow acupoint on the back of his skull was a brown needle as thick as a little finger. The needle tip was curved, and the needle tail had a venom sac.

Zhao Ru Shan recognized it as the tail stinger of the scorpion-lion monster, refined into a magical weapon capable of breaking through protective energy barriers. Moreover, the venom sac could be exchanged, and the color of this one was as vivid as blood, certainly not the venom of the scorpion-lion itself.

After the great battle and reunion with his wife and child, Miao Feng Xian’s emotions were stirred, and he had let down his guard for a few breaths, allowing her to successfully ambush him. The venom was red, but his face turned ashen gray, with blood vessels rising one by one, dense as a spider’s web, looking terrifyingly ghastly.

The Yao generals surrounding them rushed forward to seize Princess Han Yue, but this woman burst into loud laughter, appearing utterly mad. Mo Tizhun grabbed her wrist and lifted it, finding it covered in fresh blood. The soldiers saw that her face, like Miao Feng Xian’s, was also marked with red lines, and realized that she had similarly pierced her own wrist’s artery with the poisonous needle.

Shortly after, her laughter stopped, and she collapsed, all signs of life gone.

She knew that her assassination attempt on the Yao Crown Prince was an unforgivable crime. If captured, she would suffer untold torment, so she chose suicide for a clean end.

After a brief examination, Mo Tizhun said gravely: “She’s dead.”

Miao Feng Xian’s cultivation was deeper than hers, allowing him to hold on a bit longer. He now grabbed Zhao Ru Shan’s arm and said with difficulty: “Cornerstone…” As the poison took effect, even his throat swelled, preventing him from saying anything more.

Zhao Ru Shan, tears streaming down his face, nodded repeatedly: “I understand, I’ll send people to the ancestral temple immediately!”

Before he finished speaking, the barrier was disturbed, immediately alerting Mo Tizhun. He flashed away and returned holding someone, whom he set down on the ground.

This was astoundingly another Princess Han Yue!

Seeing the scene before her, she was greatly shocked and rushed to Miao Feng Xian’s side, falling to her knees with a thud, embracing his shoulders and crying: “Husband!”

This was the real Princess Han Yue.