Jing Yang Temple had been in charge of the Dao sects in Zhao for thousands of years, and it had infiltrated the martial arts world. The imperial family had also appointed it as the state's guardian sect.
"What a wonderful place." Zhao Yuyan sighed as she stepped into Jing Yang Temple.
One could see the scenery of Luojing, the undulating mountains, and the lingering clouds from the temple.
It truly had the aura of an immortal sect.
Liu Yue had her hand on the hilt of her sword, and she was expressionless. Zhao Ji seemed to have something on his mind, and his spirit was out of sorts.
"Crown Prince, the grandmaster refuses to meet with any outsiders." The disciple on duty bowed and informed him outside the courtyard.
"I know." Zhao Ji nodded. "I'm here to see Mr. Zhu Yunshan."
The disciple on duty was a little taken aback.
Not many people could enter Jing Yang Temple.
Even among the imperial family, only direct descendants like Zhao Ji could enter.
When Crown Prince Zhao Ji came previously, he could directly enter the courtyard after he reported himself.
However, after the eldest princess failed to visit the senior grandmaster three days ago, the temple master had given strict orders to stop any visitors.
Unfortunately, the temple master had forgotten to tell him about those who came to visit Zhu Yunshan.
Seeing how troubled the disciple on duty looked, Zhao Ji took a step forward and softly said, "I'll have to trouble you to pass this jar of Blood of the Setting Sun to Mr. Zhu Yunshan."
Pausing for a moment, he turned to look at Liu Yue and said, "Please tell Mr. Zhu that Ms. Liu Yue is here."
The disciple on duty hesitated for a moment before nodding. He took the palm-sized wine jar and carried it into the small courtyard.
A moment later, the disciple walked out and cupped his hands. "The grandmaster says that Mr. Zhu is in seclusion. When he comes out, the grandmaster will inform him of your visit."
Zhao Ji nodded in disappointment, but he heaved a sigh of relief.
He really did not know how to face Mr. Zhang.
Zhao Yuyan was a little disappointed that she could not see the legendary immortal cultivator. She turned to look at Liu Yue.
Liu Yue's expression was a little odd, though. Without a word, she turned around and left.
In the courtyard, Zhu Yunshan stood by the corridor as he rubbed his hands. A trace of anxiety flashed across his face.
"Brother Zhang, you're right. Is this technique of playing hard to get really useful?"
Zhang Li did not answer. His gaze fell on the small white porcelain jar in his hand instead.
He reached out and opened the seal, which revealed the blood-colored wine inside.
"Blood of the Setting Sun... My spirit energy and blood are boiling."
Taking a light whiff, Zhang Li closed the bottle cap and whispered, "It's rare for the human world to have such a wine that can stimulate the power of one's blood and spirit energy."
His words piqued Zhu Yunshan's curiosity. He reached out and snatched the jar of wine. Smelling the lingering scent of alcohol, his eyes lit up.
"This is great. If I drink this with Yue, wouldn't my blood boil? Ahem..."
Zhang Li shook his head and walked back to the quiet room with his hands behind his back.
In his previous life, he had gone through countless experiences with his female instructors on the eastern islands. As such, he had an extremely high resistance to women.
"Why aren't you drawing talismans?" Zhang Li's voice came from the quiet room.
Zhu Yunshan's face froze, and he walked into the side hall with a bitter face.
"Yue, wait for me. Please wait till I come out of seclusion…"
...
Crown Prince Zhao Qian was sitting in the front hall of his residence in Luojing.
The current emperor of Zhao, Emperor Yu Jing, was already over 70 years old.
His martial arts cultivation base was only in the Spirit Sensing Realm, and he had not cultivated any immortal Dao techniques. He was already considered very old for a mortal.
Fortunately, the power of the Zhao court was in the hands of Minister Dongfang Jing. Even if the emperor was old, he would not be foolish enough to mess up the country.
Crown Prince Zhao Qian, on the other hand, cultivated both civil and martial arts. His martial arts cultivation had already entered the initial stage of the Spirit Condensation Realm.
The crown prince, who was over 50 years old, had a steady aura and a spirited appearance.
However, the atmosphere in the hall was a little solemn.
"Zhao Ji... I really didn't expect Third Brother to use that kid to escape his situation," the crown prince muttered as he looked down.
The few people standing below lowered their heads slightly.
Ever since they could remember, the imperial family had been ruthless.
Even if the crown prince and Prince Yu were brothers, who would back down when it came to the fight for the throne?
When it came to such imperial family matters, even the most trusted aides and subordinates dared not answer easily.
"Tell me, Prince Yu has now accepted the task given to him by Father. How should the prince deal with it?" The Crown Prince raised his head and spoke indifferently.
As the crown prince, he needed to control everything he could.
Prince Yu's sudden move had freed him from the crown prince's control, and this angered the crown prince.
Everyone exchanged looks.
"Your Highness, it is not that easy to investigate the attack on a banished immortal cultivator." An old man in black robes standing on the far left cupped his hands and answered.
The old man's name was Gao Shishan. He was the crown prince's advisor and an aide to the manor. He was the crown prince's trusted aide.
The crown prince looked at him, and the others also raised their heads.
"I've checked the dossiers from 300 years ago and read the secret records of the imperial family. Every time the Gathering of Immortals occurs, such chaos is inevitable."
"There is the assassination of immortal cultivators, the interception of the Immortal Slaying Alliance, and the fight for the scattered martial arts experts. The various town forces, the imperial dynasty..." Gao Shishan paused for a moment and softly said, "...and the demons are out there.
"This matter is complicated."
It was highly complicated.
Every force that Gao Shishan mentioned was chaotic and powerful.
It was extremely difficult to discover the truth with these forces around.
A smile appeared on the crown prince's face, and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"We can't let our guard down either." The crown prince sat up straight.
Gao Shishan turned around and looked at the people around him.
"Manager Bai, what did the eldest princess say?"
An elder in green robes cupped his hands and looked at the crown prince. "The Mystic Moon Guards received orders from the Royal Worship Hall to be on guard above the Luo River. Based on the information they found, humans do not seem capable of such an attack."
It was not something that was possible with human strength!
Everyone in the hall was slightly shocked.
The crown prince's eyes shone brightly as he softly asked, "Was it a demon?"
If it was a demon, ordinary people would not be able to deal with it.
Gao Shishan waved his hand and looked at another middle-aged man in black martial arts robes.
"Hall Master Chu, what did you find out?"
Primal Martial Hall was an extremely powerful martial arts force in Luojing. Its hall master, Chu Yuan, was a middle-stage Spirit Condensation expert, and he had several second-class Spirit Sensing experts under him.
Primal Martial Hall was in charge of all kinds of errands in many streets of the city, and they could collect a lot of information in the city.
"I found at least 20 foreign Spirit Condensation cultivators. They're very likely from the Immortal Slaying Alliance."
He took out a piece of paper and handed it over.
"This is where they are staying."
Gao Shishan did not take the paper. He just smiled and said, "I do not want to trouble you both. Hall Master Chu, please contact these experts."
Gao Shishan handed him a pale-yellow paper and softly said, "This is information on the eight immortal cultivators living in the city."
If he handed the information to someone suspected of being from the Immortal Slaying Alliance, the result would probably be very interesting.
The crown prince smiled and nodded.
Gao Shishan's plan was simple. He wanted to create trouble for Emperor Yu.
The more chaotic it was, the better.
"Don't worry, Mr. Gao. I will definitely deliver the news."
Chu Yuan bowed before the crown prince and left the hall.
Gao Shishan turned around and looked at the two young men in gray robes. "Have you made arrangements for the families of the missing people in the city?"
The two young men nodded. "Yes, we have. They have all gone to Luojing and the City Patrol Bureau to report the case. They are going to implicate the immortal cultivators in the attack."
The more chaotic the citizens were, the more complicated the case would be.
While it seemed like Prince Yu had taken on a good task, he could also end up trapping himself.
"Mr. Gao, you have done well." The crown prince looked at Gao Shishan with a smile on his face, but his expression soon turned solemn. "What do you think of that senior grandmaster in Jing Yang Temple, Mr. Zhang?"
He was a disciple of Daoist Yu Ji in Jing Yang Temple. He had a mysterious background, and he might be an immortal cultivator. He even refused to meet the princess.
"Are you planning to subdue him, Your Highness?" Gao Shishan looked up at the crown prince.