Chapter 1954: Worries

No wonder Ah Zu suddenly asked me some very strange questions a few days ago, such as, "If he and your father were in danger at the same time, whom would you save first?" or "Would you be willing to abandon everything and elope with him?"

At the time, she felt his questions were too childish, and she was preoccupied with the conflict between the Meng clan and the Empress, so she casually dismissed them and didn't take them to heart.

Now that she thought about it, Ah Zu's questions at the time were likely pointed.

"It's over, it's over. So many Meng clan masters, even Earth Immortals, have been wiped out. If he seeks revenge, won't we just be waiting for death?" Bi Zi'ang grew more timid the more he thought about it, unable to resist complaining, "Father, why did you get involved in such a matter, needlessly incurring such a powerful enemy?"

Bi Qi was already irritable. Hearing this, his expression changed drastically. "Bastard, was this something I could control? Besides, who knew such a monstrous genius would emerge from those remnants?"

Scolded by his father, Bi Zi'ang dared not retort.

He also knew his father was speaking the truth. Under normal circumstances, it was already good enough for remnants of the former imperial family to merely survive. Many even changed their names and surnames to stay alive, never wanting to be associated with the former dynasty their entire lives.

Who knew such an anomaly like Zu An would appear? Without the protection of a powerful clan, without being trained by renowned masters from a young age, and without the resources accumulated by an entire family, he actually cultivated to such a level at a young age. Could the legendary "Phoenix Nirvana Scripture" truly be so miraculous?

At this moment, Bi Linglong took a deep breath and calmed herself slightly, before finally asking, "Father, what exactly did you do back then? If you merely followed orders, perhaps the enmity wouldn't be impossible to resolve."

Bi Qi's face twitched. He finally shook his head: "Back then, most of the imperial princes and grandchildren in the former dynasty's palace didn't live to adulthood, and many concubines were secretly dealt with as well. Do you think this hatred can be resolved?"

Bi Linglong's heart turned completely cold. This was an endless, irreconcilable hatred; how could it possibly be resolved?

Bi Qi sighed: "Now, we can only hope Zu An isn't a grandson of the former dynasty. Linglong, you have easy access to the Embroidered Uniform Emissaries in the palace; have them relay the latest information to you during their investigation. Furthermore, even if it's found that he truly is a former imperial grandson, we must not admit it. This should also align with the current imperial family's interests."

Such a powerful former imperial grandson would also be a formidable enemy to the Zhao clan, potentially even endangering their imperial authority.

Bi Linglong gave a bitter laugh. Under normal circumstances, her father's suggestion would indeed be the safest and most thorough approach.

Unfortunately, how could this be kept secret? The Grand Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Emissaries was none other than Ah Zu himself!

She opened her mouth, but ultimately did not reveal Zu An's identity.

Bi Zi'ang's eyes suddenly lit up: "That's right! Whether he's an imperial grandson or not is still in the hands of the court. If we say he is, he is; if we say he isn't, he isn't!"

The tense string that had been pulled taut finally loosened completely, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Rong Mo, waiting idly outside the courtyard, suddenly saw Bi Linglong emerge. She hurried forward with a smile: "Mi... Miss?"

She was completely bewildered. Hadn't her miss been cheerful just a moment ago? Why was her face so pale now, and her eyes seemingly devoid of spirit?

Bi Linglong was somewhat disconsolate at this moment. Her father and brother still seemed to be fantasizing that Zu An was not an imperial prince, unaware of the secrets of that year. However, based on Ah Zu's strange behavior earlier, he most likely already knew.

In the end, she did not tell her father and brother. After all, there was no point in telling them; it would serve no purpose other than to make them live in constant fear and apprehension.

Let me bear all the pressure.

"Miss, Miss, please don't scare me! What on earth happened?" Seeing her like this, Rong Mo became flustered.

"To Mount Yuquan," Bi Linglong said gravely. She felt there were some things she still needed to make clear to Ah Zu.

"Ah, again? Miss just spent nearly two hours there, which has already drawn some criticism. And now again..." Rong Mo was thinking, *Is that fellow Zu really so good, that Miss can't get enough of him?* But halfway through her words, the other party gave her a cold glance.

At that instant, she felt a chill in her heart, and dared not babble further. "Yes!"

Soon, the Crown Princess's carriage set off towards Mount Yuquan again.

Halfway there, Bi Linglong's voice came from inside the carriage: "Not going anymore. Return to the palace."

Although Rong Mo was puzzled, she could see that the Crown Princess was deeply troubled, and dared not disturb her further. She silently relayed the order for the convoy to turn back.

Meanwhile, at the Bi family residence, Bi Qi watched Bi Linglong's departing figure, his expression dark and inscrutable.

Bi Zi'ang was about to leave. He had been thoroughly terrified today and needed to find a few friends to relax properly.

"Stop right there! Are you just leaving like that?" Bi Qi glared at him, somewhat angry at his lack of ambition. Originally, he had been quite satisfied with this son; whether in conduct or cultivation realm, he was a first-rate figure among his peers.

But ever since Zu An's sudden emergence, he found his own son increasingly displeasing no matter how he looked at him.

Zu An was also a peer, even a bit younger than him, yet the achievements he had attained were probably something Zi'ang couldn't hope to catch up to in his lifetime.

Compared to him, his son, of whom he was usually so proud, was simply unremarkable.

"Didn't the matter get resolved?" Bi Zi'ang didn't understand why his father was so furious.

"It's not that simple," Bi Qi snorted coldly. "Didn't you see your sister's behavior just now?"

"What's the problem?" Bi Zi'ang was taken aback. His emotions had been on a roller coaster just now, so he hadn't paid attention to her.

Seeing his reaction, Bi Qi felt a surge of anger welling up inside him. He finally managed to suppress it with difficulty. "Hmph, Linglong's reaction just now was somewhat strange. She hesitated several times as if wanting to speak but holding back. Clearly, she withheld something from us in the end."

Bi Zi'ang was puzzled: "That doesn't make sense. Linglong and our Bi family rise and fall together. She wouldn't be unaware of this principle, so why would she hide something?"

Moreover, she usually had a good relationship with Father and even with me, her elder brother. It's not like her family had mistreated her, causing her to harbor resentment.

"When I worked with Zu An for a period on Mount Zi, he had quite a way with women," Bi Qi's eyes flickered. "On Mount Zi, Chu Chuyan was one thing, as she was already his wife. But Xie Daoyun and Daoist Sect's Pei Mianman also seemed to have an unusual closeness with him. Even Yan Xuehen of White Jade Capital, who usually showed no courtesy to anyone and even disregarded Zhao Hao, seemed to treat him somewhat differently."

Bi Zi'ang: "..."

He could understand the regret and envy in his father's voice when he said this.

When Chu Chuyan came to the capital back then, she truly captivated countless princes and noblemen. He was also one of them. People even said she might replicate Yu Yanluo's miracle of yesteryear.

It was a pity that she later didn't want to get involved in the succession struggle, and hastily married a scoundrel. When this news first broke, countless people in the capital sighed in regret.

As for Yan Xuehen, to his father's generation, she was truly everyone's "white moonlight."

"That pretty boy certainly knows how to charm women," Bi Zi'ang said resentfully, "though I don't think he's all that handsome."

"Not handsome? Is that what you're focused on?" Bi Qi couldn't help but kick his son. "For a grown man, the most important thing is his capability! What's looks got to do with anything? If you could easily kill an Earth Immortal, you'd also have countless beautiful women around you."

Bi Zi'ang mumbled, "I also have many beautiful women around me now..."

"Are any of them comparable to the ones around him?" Bi Qi looked at him with cold eyes.

Bi Zi'ang was somewhat speechless. He indeed had many beautiful women around him, but they were merely playthings, lacking the status and ability of those exceptional women. There was indeed a world of difference.

He finally reacted: "Father, you're telling me all this, are you suspecting Linglong might..."

"At least you're not too stupid!" Bi Qi felt a little relieved. "You're aware of the Crown Prince's situation. Linglong has always been proud and naturally looks down on him. They are merely husband and wife in name. If no accidents occurred, her life would probably continue this way. But that fellow Zu is no ordinary man; he's not only young and handsome, but also has world-shaking cultivation, and methods of charming women we don't know about. The two have also been in contact for a long time in the Eastern Palace. If I were a woman, I'd probably find it hard to resist his charm."

An image of his father in women's clothing appeared in Bi Zi'ang's mind, instantly sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly banished the thought: "Father, do you mean Linglong would side with Zu An? Given Linglong's character, she shouldn't do anything to harm the Bi family, right...?"

"I also hope she wouldn't," Bi Qi's eyes flickered, as if he was contemplating something, "but we cannot place all our hopes on her."

"If not on her, then what can we do? That fellow Zu can even kill Earth Immortals; can we possibly defeat him?" Bi Zi'ang was somewhat dispirited. "In my opinion, we might as well actively facilitate a match between Linglong and Zu An, so that in the future, he'll spare us for Linglong's sake."

"Nonsense! How could such a deep-seated blood feud be abandoned for the sake of one woman?" Bi Qi rebuked. "And how have I taught you since childhood? Placing hope on others' pity is a notion only weaklings entertain."

"As for Zu An, his cultivation is indeed very high, but who said we have to confront him head-on?"

"Father, don't act recklessly. The Meng clan's past mistake is a recent lesson." Bi Zi'ang was startled and quickly advised.

"Don't worry. That old fox Meng Yi simply didn't know Zu An's true strength, and one wrong step led to many. Now that I have all the information, I naturally won't repeat his mistakes." Bi Qi's expression gradually calmed, and the corners of his mouth subtly curled upwards.

Seeing him like this, Bi Zi'ang's heart sank. This was his father's usual expression after making a decision. He could only hope he was reliable and wouldn't ruin the Bi family.

Meanwhile, at Red Sleeves Pavilion in the capital, a slovenly middle-aged man was drinking by the window. A girl tried to approach him, but he impatiently drove her away.

"Hmph, coming here just to drink and not order a girl, what a lunatic!" The girl grumbled and walked away.

Ji Dengtu, however, couldn't be bothered with her. He thought to himself, *How could you flesh-and-blood people be as interesting as the women in little Zu's books?*

He couldn't help but reach into his bosom for the booklet, but quickly put it back. Instead, he looked worriedly towards the city gate: "Several days have passed since the agreed date. Why hasn't Xiao Xi returned? Nothing could have happened, could it?"