Chapter 526 6: The Cause
The Crown Prince of the Chu Country was a handsome young man, no older than his twenties, yet he lacked the vibrant energy of youth. He gave off an impression of solemnity and caution.
This was something he had learned as a child!
Just as he was coming of age, his father ascended the throne. His world was turned upside down overnight. Yet his life didn't improve; on the contrary, he lost even more of his freedom.
From then on, people would even correct the way he walked. Over time, he became sensitive and overly concerned with the thoughts and opinions of others. He held himself to the standards of the Saints described in his tutors' books—or so he believed.
When he entered the wooden building's main hall, the busy clerks all rose at once to bow. In the mortal world, a Crown Prince commanded more prestige than a Cultivator.
He declined all offers to be led, climbing the stairs to the second floor and walking down the empty hallway by himself.
The empty, quiet room made the handsome young man slightly uncomfortable. Ever since he was old enough to understand, he had always been surrounded by people, even when sleeping or using the privy.
"Junior Liu Yi pays his respects to Senior."
Regardless of whether he could adapt to such an environment, his first instinct upon noticing Zuo Xuan's gaze was to cup his fist, bow, and announce his name loudly before performing the grand kneeling salute of a junior.
This was something his tutors had specifically instructed him to do before he came.
"Rise."
Zuo Xuan felt nothing special about this boy's prostration. In her eyes, he was first a descendant of Liu Shuang, and only second the Crown Prince of the Chu Country.
Liu Yi rose respectfully, his heart thumping uncontrollably. He had never been this nervous before.
It was an unsettling feeling, as if his very life were in someone else's hands. He was helpless, yet he didn't resist. The word 'resist' simply wasn't in the vocabulary of habits he'd formed since childhood.
"Why are you nervous?"
"T-To answer Senior, I am not nervous!"
"…"
'Although this Crown Prince appeared solemn and cautious on the surface, he was just an empty shell. His mentality was no different from a child's. Perhaps this was the result of a compromise between all parties—they all needed an obedient puppet.'
"Looking at you, I can see that your father has had a hard time as Emperor!"
Liu Yi subconsciously cupped his fist and bowed. He didn't know how to respond, so he could only maintain a respectful posture and wait for her to continue.
"Meow~"
The Calico Cat let out a lazy cry.
Zuo Xuan glanced at the yawning cat by the window and said, "If I remember correctly, your father only just reached Foundation Establishment. He hasn't even succeeded in implanting a Spirit Vein. How does he plan to achieve his breakthrough? As an Artifact Cultivator? With a Star God Core? Or a Demon Soldier?"
She cut straight to the point.
Liu Yi lowered his head and replied, "To answer Senior, this abdication was a sudden matter. My father, the Emperor, was originally in robust health. But three days ago, while practicing Qi Cultivation in meditation, he was likely distracted by matters of the court. This caused his Qi Sea to collapse. He has only just managed to recover these past two days, but his Qi Sea is already more than half destroyed. His only option is to try and merge with a Demon Soldier, attempting to use the breakthrough process to repair his Qi Sea."
"A last-minute decision?"
"Yes!"
"Why wasn't I informed beforehand?"
"This morning, Chief Zhi Gong personally examined the Emperor's condition and gave us this suggestion. She even promised to personally act as a Guardian for his advancement."
Faced with Zuo Xuan's questioning, Liu Yi felt a powerful force suddenly press down on his shoulders, forcing him to his knees once more.
"Get up! As the Crown Prince of a nation, a model for the entire world, how can you be so weak!"
Zuo Xuan's tone was severe. She rose from the Grandmaster's Chair, fixed her gaze on Liu Yi, and said, "You just agreed to Daoist Zhi Gong's suggestion like that? Do you have any idea where your throne comes from?"
Her words were rather blunt.
Liu Yi said nothing more, merely kneeling and kowtowing heavily twice.
"I am not the one you should be kowtowing to."
Zuo Xuan waved her hand dismissively and rebuked him. "Leave. You have two months. You'd better come up with a convincing explanation. Otherwise, even if your father dies on the throne, don't even think about holding an abdication ceremony."
"This junior takes his leave!"
Liu Yi kowtowed heavily one more time. After rising, he fled the empty room as if escaping, not daring to dwell on Zuo Xuan's words. But just two steps after leaving, her words echoed in his mind, and a cold sweat broke out all over his body.
He froze in place for a moment, then his pace quickened involuntarily.
The Qi Cultivator at the door watched Liu Yi's departing figure with curiosity. Just as his mind began to wander, he heard Zuo Xuan's voice transmission. He quickly composed himself and turned to enter the room.
"I need to return to the sect. If there's an emergency, send a message back with an Immortal Crane. Remember, while I'm gone, do not agree to anything in the chief's council. Otherwise, you'll be charged with treason."
"Yes!"
As the Qi Cultivator replied, Zuo Xuan tossed her identification token into the air. It transformed into a streak of light and shot toward Qianmu Mountain.
Outside the palace at the center of the artificial lake, which was encircled by seven wooden towers, two Cultivators spotted the identification token beneath the clouds. They immediately turned and walked toward the palace gate.
「An hour and a half later.」
Zuo Xuan appeared over Changwen Prefecture. The Qianmu Temple's Entry-level Disciples stationed in Changwen Prefecture City immediately rose below the clouds to bow, watching as Zuo Xuan flew on toward Qianmu Mountain.
「Half an hour later.」
Zuo Xuan's figure emerged from a formation of Magical Artifacts. With the Calico Cat in tow, she slowly descended into the Front Hall Square of Qianmu Mountain.
"Greetings, Ancestral Master Zuo Xuan!"
Zhao Qian came out to greet her with two disciples.
Zuo Xuan nodded and asked, "Is Daoist Yu Cheng at the rear mountain Dao Field?"
"He is!"
Just then, an Immortal Crane descended from the sky, landing in the pond behind the front hall that was specially used for raising them.
Zuo Xuan paid Zhao Qian no more mind and walked straight toward the path leading to the rear mountain.
After the mountains of Qianmu Temple were expanded by Earth Vein Cultivators, the distance from the front hall to the rear mountain Dao Field was at least a half-hour walk. So, after leaving the front hall, Zuo Xuan summoned a cloud and flew at a low altitude along the mountainside toward the rear mountain Dao Field.
Just as she spotted a familiar pagoda tree, the sound of something tearing through the air came from the sky. It was a Gold Cultivator—Zhao Qian from the front hall. His destination was also the rear mountain Dao Field. 'For him to disregard etiquette like this, he must have important news.'
Zuo Xuan couldn't help but speed up as well, arriving at the gate of Yu Cheng Taoist's small courtyard just as Zhao Qian was landing beside the pagoda tree.
Yu Cheng Taoist was playing chess and chatting with Yuan Zheng Taoist. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.
"Ah, Zuo Xuan. Come in."
Yu Cheng Taoist greeted her first, inviting Zuo Xuan in with a cheerful smile.
Zuo Xuan had just stepped through the courtyard gate when Zhao Qian came over, cupped his fist, and bowed. "Ancestral Master, there's news from the Internal Affairs Disciples in the Liangjiang Region. Daoist Zi Luan has decided to return to the Six Heart Sect in half a month!"
Hearing this, Yu Cheng Taoist and Yuan Zheng Taoist immediately looked up from the chessboard to Zhao Qian. Zuo Xuan's face was also filled with curiosity.