Murim's Weakest Princess

Chapter 315: Sentiments

In just a few days, business was back to usual in the Imperial Palace. However, Anji and Yihao worked overtime in the Ancestral Hall.

"I still don’t feel like letting you go alone," he concluded after the fifth purification ritual. "If they can kidnap someone as smart as Mingshen, they’re going to kidnap you as well."

Humming in agreement, Anji did not dismiss Yihao’s concerns. In fact, she agreed with him.

"It’s why we need to finish purifying the interior of this ancestral hall. The moment I can isolate the corruption, I can place a trap, and you can defeat the kidnapper with Noble Consort Liu. Godmother will save brother Mingshen, and we’ll all go home after the war."

It was overly idealistic, even to Anji’s ears. However, Yihao chose to believe it even if his heart screamed in concern.

Purifying the ancestral hall was a daunting process. Apart from eating and sleeping a lot to replenish his depleted yang energy, Yihao was always charging energy gemstones. He watched as his sister painstakingly carved each gemstone he charged with complicated spells and decorated the ancestral hall with it. Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be working well.

After several days and a few hundred gemstones, Hong Nian Niang visited the palace in the dead of the night. Even without words, Yihao knew his sister was leaving tonight for the Crystal Lake Pavilion. With the Vermillion Bird Sect Master making arrangements, Anji was in safe hands. However, as an older brother, Yihao continued to worry.

"I’ll be back before you know it," Anji promised. "Remember, never act alone. If they can capture brother Mingshen easily, they can also get to you. The Ancestral Hall is the safest place in the palace, and if something goes wrong, remember to tear the scroll I gave you. It’s used to tell my shifu something bad has happened. She will come to rescue me. Do not leave the palace. Someone has to guard it, or we will lose this war, and there will be no home to return to."

No home to return to... Yihao clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Even after so many years of hellish training, he was still so helpless.

"I’ll listen to you," he promised. "But if you are in trouble, I’ll come and find you. I’ll protect both of you because I’m the strongest of us three, and we’ll go home together."

Smiling, Anji gave her brother a brief hug before pulling her hood up and following Hong Nian Niang. Tonight, they leave for the Tong Pass route. It would take at least a week by carriage to get there and a few more days to a small, quaint town near the Crystal Lake.

It was a real race against time, but Anji managed to set up a sealing spell in the Ancestral Hall to stabilise the corrupted golden scale. Yihao would continue purifying it in her absence to weaken Song Min’s control of the four guardian barriers. In her luggage, Anji packed her white veiled hat. Her teacher had already been notified that there was a possibility she was meeting with Pu Jianming at the Crystal Lake Pavilion. Yan Ping was already on the move, but it would take her much longer to travel from the Mystical Qilin Sect to Luoyang. Anji could only buy time.

Once they were safely out of Yihao’s earshot, Anji asked if Hong Nian Niang succeeded in finding out more or rescuing her second brother. However, the defeated look in her godmother’s eyes told Anji everything she needed to know.

"We confirmed he was relatively unharmed. However, he is held in a room that suppresses his cultivation completely. My spies could not enter due to strong security and the spells worked on them too. Mingshen seemed to be poisoned by something, he’s sick but not in life threatening danger. The reported he was mostly bed ridden and did not finish the meals he was given."

Sick? Anji frowned.

Even before getting kidnapped, Mingshen was not in a great condition. Anji had seen his meridians and they were in a terrible shape. Now that his cultivation level had been forcefully suppressed by some spell, his body must have collapsed without his cultivation holding it together. Song Min was holding him captive and Anji could not turn a blind eye to her brother’s condition. There was a likelihood she would soon become a willing hostage now that she learned of Mingshen’s condition. Without timely medical care, her second brother might lose the battle against his own health. The paranoid and cautious Gentleman Club founder would most likely reject any medicine and food out of suspicion in captivity. Anji and Hong Nian Niang knew this very well.

"Shifu will arrive soon after my meeting. If I get kidnapped, don’t rescue me first. Tell shifu to help me resolve the corruption of the royal artifact, I will figure something out myself with Brother Mingshen."

Hong Nian Niang always suspected Anji would use herself as bait. However, hearing the confirmation made matters worse.

"I can’t leave you and your brother there as hostages," she insisted. "Your shifu can deal with the artifact but you’re not stopping me from burning the cult down."

As expected of the Vermillion Bird Sect Leader. Anji smiled and shook her head gently.

"Godmother, there is something else I need you to help me with. Forget rescuing us, we’ll be safe for a while. Gather all the four guardian sect leaders. You’ll be visited by the real mythical guardians of Chang’an. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird will gather to purge the evil in the capital and all four guardians are needed as my shifu cleanses the corruption. I’ll be fine."

Torn between listening to the prophet’s vision and fulfilling her duty as a godmother, Hong Nian Niang hesitated. However, Anji’s serene smile made it difficult to refuse. Zhao Mingfeng raised great children, and it hurt to watch them grow up.

"I understand," she sighed in defeat, holding onto Anji’s hand tighter as they walked with only the glow of a lantern in the dark underground passage. "I’ll do as you say. But know that Godmother and many other people will drop everything to protect you and your brothers. Scream for help, and we’ll be there."

Anji nodded but made no verbal promises. She appreciated their sentiment, and that was more than enough for her. Like the adults, she had people she wanted to protect with her life on the line.

It was time to end the thousand-year grudge.