Mu Mu truly could not understand it — why would the black-clad man willingly give up his own life just to kill them?

Even if he were carrying out a mission, there was no need to throw away his life in the process.

Moreover, this man was clearly not a death warrior. He was obviously a person of full and ordinary feeling and emotion.

Then why was he raging like a man gone mad?

A momentary lapse in focus — and the overwhelming internal force broke through and entered his body.

With a muffled sound, another mouthful of blood surged up. His vision began to blur, a sharp pain jolted through his heart, and his physical strength began to give out.

Beside him, Jiuqing was gritting his teeth — and his pair of clear, bright eyes had gradually begun to take on a crimson tinge.

He stepped forward, his tall and powerful frame planting itself directly before Mu Mu. His long hair was tossed in all directions by the force of the palm strikes around him, and those crimson eyes, beneath the moonlight, grew more turbid with each passing moment.

Another crash — the black-clad man was driven back several steps, the blood seeping from his chest flowing like water, ceaseless and unending.

And Jiuqing… this was bad. He was going into qi deviation.

Mu Mu tried to go and stop him, but the moment he moved, the black-clad man’s palm force drove him back again.

Jiuqing’s eyes had completely turned crimson. His true energy continued to gather in his palms, growing and building without end. The solid, unyielding internal energy that had been his all his life was now gradually mingling with a wild and chaotic force that threatened to plunge heaven and earth into utter disorder.

Pressed relentlessly by the black-clad man’s true energy, he suddenly let out a thunderous roar, and unleashed a single ferocious palm strike with all his might.

The sound was like a clap of thunder. The uncontrolled and frenzied palm force completely lost all restraint — in the night, one could plainly see a great dragon conjured from pure true energy, surging directly toward the black-clad man.

Feng Li’s eyes narrowed sharply, and he let out a great roar like the cry of a phoenix.

The two forces of true energy collided — and then Feng Li suddenly released all resistance. He was blasted into the air by the force of the palm strike.

In midair, a silhouette swept past on a slant and caught him in her arms.

She did not linger. The tip of her foot found purchase on a shattered tree trunk, and with a single light touch she retreated several zhang in an instant. After that she swept away at full speed, carrying Feng Li’s fallen form, and vanished entirely into the night.

Mu Mu had no time to give chase. He turned to find the tall figure that had stood braced against the wind on the rooftop pitching forward and collapsing straight down.

His heart lurched. He suppressed the churning blood energy within him, leapt up, and caught him in his arms.

Beneath the moonlight, Jiuqing’s eyes were shut tight. His face and chest were covered in crimson blood. He had long since fallen into unconsciousness.

“Elder Brother…” Had it not been for his determination to protect Mu Mu’s life, there would have been no reason for him to place himself in front of him and absorb at least half of the other man’s palm force with his own body.

Now he was not only wounded by the black-clad man’s strikes — his true energy had also reversed course within him. He had gone into qi deviation.

Though he had unleashed every last bit of his latent potential, in doing so he had damaged his own heart meridian.

“Elder Brother, hold on. I’ll find you a physician.”

Mu Mu’s heart ached deeply. He steadied his own surging blood energy, held Jiuqing firmly in his arms, stood, and made his way at full speed toward the other end of the street.

A qi deviation this severe would inevitably cause tremendous damage to his vital essence.

And with Jiu’er nowhere near them, there was no one to administer acupuncture and seal his vital points. Whether Jiuqing’s injuries could be healed — that was still entirely uncertain.

Jiu’er. Where on earth are you right now?

Everyone needs you. Where are you?

“Ninth Imperial Uncle!”

Feng Jiu’er snapped her eyes open, jolted upright in bed, her entire body drenched in sweat.

“Jiu’er, you’re awake?” Feng Qiongcang was sitting right at the bedside. The moment he saw her stir, he immediately picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from her face.

But Feng Jiu’er only stared at him, and for a moment could not remember at all who he was.

“Why do you look at your Emperor Father with such eyes?” Feng Qiongcang’s brow furrowed.

“Father… Emperor?” Her mind was in complete disarray. Since when did she have an Emperor Father?

If she had an Emperor Father, then what was her identity?

Why was it that waking from sleep felt as though she had slept for an entire century — a slumber that stretched on without end? So much felt like it had happened in another lifetime entirely.

Ninth Imperial Uncle… who was the Ninth Imperial Uncle? Why had she been calling his name all along?

“Yanu!” Feng Qiongcang turned and called out.

Yanu came at once. “Princess Jiu’er, do you still remember me?”

“Yanu…” Jiu’er rubbed her temples, and at last, her senses gradually returned.

Looking at Feng Qiongcang, she quickly said, “Father Emperor, what happened?”

Why was everyone looking at her with such an odd expression? What had she done? Right — hadn’t she been with Third Imperial Brother before?

“Where is Third Imperial Brother?”

Feng Qiongcang said nothing. Yanu hesitated a moment, then said, “The Third Prince has gone back to rest.”

But Jiu’er had a vague sense of unease that she couldn’t shake. Why did Yanu’s expression look so strange?

“Father Emperor, you… you haven’t punished Third Imperial Brother again, have you?”

“He failed to protect you. He deserves to be punished.” Feng Qiongcang’s face was dark.

“Father Emperor, he is your own flesh and blood!” Jiu’er was frightened. She hurried to throw back the covers.

“Where are you going?” Feng Qiongcang’s expression was still not pleasant.

“I’m going to see Third Imperial Brother. He was already injured before — his body can’t take any more punishment. Wound on top of wound — it will hurt him to death!”

Feng Jiu’er was genuinely frantic. What did any of this have to do with Third Imperial Brother?

“It was my own body that gave out and caused me to faint. Third Imperial Brother was only sitting nearby having a meal at the time — he did nothing wrong. Father Emperor, why would you punish him for that?”

“You care this much for Feng Jiang?” Feng Qiongcang narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold and unreadable, his thoughts impossible to decipher.

“He is my Third Imperial Brother — of course I care for him!” On this point, Jiu’er was genuinely angry.

Third Imperial Brother was Father Emperor’s own son. Why could Father Emperor be so cold and unfeeling?

“Father Emperor, please stop beating Third Imperial Brother. He has always been dragged into trouble on my account. If you want to beat someone, beat me!”

“Your Highness!” Yanu was genuinely afraid the Emperor would be provoked to anger, and quickly said, “Your Majesty, the Princess is young and does not know better — it was thoughtless of her to speak so boldly to you…”

“Feng Jiang is in the dungeon. If you care for him so much, take Our verbal decree and bring him out.”

“Yes!” Feng Jiu’er leapt down from the bed, and without another word, dashed straight out the door.

But wait — where exactly was the dungeon? Would the eunuchs know?

Yanu watched her retreating figure, then quietly glanced at Feng Qiongcang, his unease as deep as ever.

He said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, Princess Jiu’er has a kind heart. She…”

“She seems particularly fond of Feng Jiang.”

“Your Majesty…” Yanu looked at him carefully, and found he could not make out what he was thinking at all.

He had initially expected the Emperor to be displeased. But looking at him now — he did not seem even slightly displeased.

On the contrary, the gleam in the depths of his eyes was… somehow difficult to read.

“Since this girl is so fond of Feng Jiang, let them spend more time together.”

Feng Qiongcang shook out his long sleeve with a flick of his wrist, and a young eunuch immediately came in to tidy the bedchamber.

He looked out at the night, and the smile at the corner of his lips remained utterly inscrutable.

“Go guide her along the way. This girl is not yet familiar with anything inside the palace.”

Yanu had no choice but to nod in resignation. “Yes.”

He simply could not work out what the Emperor had meant by those words. Let Jiu’er and Feng Jiang spend more time together?

Why was it that the more he turned those words over, the more they felt… somehow wrong?

What exactly was he scheming?