Meanwhile...

Since the last time where Hong Mingyue and Hong Yulang met with each other outside the Tai Yi School, the young girl had specifically spared some time to return home for a visit.

Without surprise, most of the third house(Hong Fangs group) was elated over Hong Mingyue's growth.

'Oh Mingyue, its such a pity that your grandfather is currently in closed door training. If he can see how you've grown, he will no doubt be overjoyed like us.'

Due to her husband still being outside at the palace, Zhu Gerou can only dine ahead with her children. No matter, whether or not her man was around was of no importance here today, all it mattered to the woman was her precious daughter right now.

With a beaming smile, she couldn't stop moving those chopsticks and before she knew it, she had filled her daughters bowl with a mountain of food. This naturally left her other two children popping in their eyes.

In this home, as long as there was Hong Mingyue around, anyone else was nothing more than a showcase. In fact, if the girl was a boy instead, the inheritance matter wouldn't even involve Hong Yulang or any cousin sired by Hong Fang's brothers and cousins.

'Mother, compared with grandfather and father, I can hardly be a match. Please Mother, you eat the food, its the least I should do when I'm not around to care about the family.' Slightly embarrassed by her mothers excessive boasting, the girl attempts to calm the mood before it gets out of a hand.

Unlike her elder sister, Hong Mingyue was more conscious of what it means to respect ones elder. Though her siblings are many leagues below herself in many things, she knew she can't shine too brightly while in their presence, otherwise it will only warrant jealousy and hatred.

She had to rescue her brother, 4th Prince and some city nobles from injury by the Ghost Emperor before he followed a masked woman into a hidden chamber in Tai Yi School. Yulang asked for her help in retrieving valuable treasures before the school seals up again because Ghost Emperor beat them all up good and toyed with them in the process. She agreed, but she never imagined the trouble it nearly cost them.

While she cannot argue that such untouched treasures cannot remain untouched forever, the fact was they have little time left before they're doomed prisoners forever.

So they were able to bring home treasure without him and his company losing face, though Yulang laments that ancient herb field that nobody can ever have as when plucked, they wilt immediately when they could have been useful for cultivation for free than spend a ransom. He was upset about it that the stuff they have, while still valuable, was merely 'second prize' to him as he deems the herbs more valuable. If refined by an alchemist as cultivational aids, he would have been like Mingyue afterward!

'Now now dear, once we obtain some goods, you will surely become Reincarnation Realm like your sister too.' Zhu Gerou consoled her upset son who came home injured after being bullied by Ghost Emperor that he and 4th Prince along with Marquis An were injured. An Mingxia's ending however, was a horrifying thing that her mother, Cui Shi wailed in grief when Marquis An brought home their deceased, half-transformed daughter for burial and they had no idea how she ended up that way after getting separated. Granted, those ancient herbs would have been a treasure, but they were there for so long that they adapted too well that being uprooted causes them to die immediately.

Too bad too.

But resources are tough to come by, even Zhu Gerou knows that, but she'll still find a way somehow for her son.

Right now, her husband is dealing with a crisis.

There was corruption with hardcore physical evidence and it linked to all members of their Noble Faction. The Dowager found a number of things were done as its Alchemist VS Alchemist. A lot of people complained to the Alchemist Association who got furious and locked up until the matter was dealt with immediately and Master Longyue appealed to the Dowager who somehow obtained undeniable evidence.

Their supporters were all fired in disgrace and some even imprisoned for years based on findings. The alchemists set up, sabotaged or framed for crimes they didn't do, were re-evaluated and brought back to work after compensation and since then, its now Master Longyue and select Senior Officials who decides who joins the Royal Hospital to ensure there is no corruption in health facilities again.

And now Consort Luo, is in trouble while 4th Prince was out as there was evidence linking to her having a hand in the deaths of the other consorts ten years back, using the hospital. The Palace was in an uproar and the punishment that the 4th Prince got home to, was his mother deposed from her status as Imperial Consort, her cultivation abolished and put to death with those involved in murders of other consorts!

She was their strongest supporter and now 4th Prince's status is shaky as plans all depended on that stupid boy her husband groomed as his tutor.

Everything was made public. This was all the more horrifying.

Why did those MORONS keep evidence on themselves in the first place?! Imbeciles!

But what's done is done. They may have to start over.

xxx

'Well, at least we don't have to worry about miscarriage poisons sent your way soon. That dowager is so scary~' Lingyue chuckled as she leaned on the wall, armfolding in the Queen's mansion.

'Hopefully the next physicians this time are trustworthy.' said the Queen anxiously as Lockdown was finally lifted. Due to the corruption found, the Alchemist Association was livid with what their fellows were doing that they locked up until further notice, until the dowagers deems things OK again after a thorough sweep.

The Alchemist Association prided themselves in Neutrality. They will sell and refine for you if you can pay. 'Be thou for the people' is their credo last they checked and 'not for exclusive VIPs last they checked'. They never committed any crime either!

'But this is not yet over. Its only one Consort Luo and 1/4 of the hospital.' said Lingyue. 'There are more but at least we took down a crucial corrupt support and her majesty's name is finally clear from all Consort Luo's claims, now that the truth that she herself did it all is exposed.'

'But that's not changing back what happened years ago.' said Houqi glumly. His siblings hated him, he ended up killing one by accident and he was alienated.

'That's fine. The truth is out and that's what matters. But the rest is up to you, the offended innocent in this mess.' Lingyue told him. 'You were hated for what her majesty never did. Its up to you.' Houqi looked bitter as he recalled memories of his past before he went insane.

'As far as I'm concerned, only mother is my family now.' said Houqi with a sad smile. 'Father abandoned us in our tough years yet when mother got beautiful again thanks to you, he's suddenly the good husband to her and father to me again?' he laughed bitterly. 'Its hard to be around him most days. And things with grandmother is awkward. They praise the miracle of phoenixes yet they never lifted a finger for us any more when the hospital deemed me hopeless.'

'Well, when you become King one day, you got the stellar example...and you know what to never do as a father and as a husband.' said Lingyue. 'Giving up on family for selfish, shallow things is the worst thing one can do.'

'Teacher...about that...' Houqi croaked out. His teacher would teach about family yet her own circumstances were iffy. 'About the Hong Family...'

'...they threw me and mother out as we weren't tools and assets.' Lingyue sneered. 'Family.' she scoffed. 'They're more like an organization. Children there are never children. Just tools refined and forged to be another asset to build and reinforce the self-proclaimed castle called Hong House under the rule of its Headmaster. They learned the fine art of brown-nosing, spying, sabotage and social climbing to gain that family more prestige. They were never human. They were denied their humanity...the chance to be children and be a human growing up. My little siblings are tragic as they were made that way. Conditioned to be that way. But as they are now, they are a threat to this country's stability, aiding their elders like trained agents in seizing power through a puppet future king. That's treasonous acts all their lives.'

'Thrown out we are, but in the end, we're luckier.' Lingyue chuckled darkly. 'I grew up somewhat happy with mother. We had each other and our nanny. We were happy despite being isolated. I am a human, a child with warmth and care growing up, not a brainwashed tool.'

'When you put it that way...indeed, you're luckier.' the queen shuddered. While Lingyue pities her siblings, they're still treasonous and a threat. 'But how do we put this to light?'

'It's not yet time. They must slip first in public. Public impressions last.' said Lingyue. 'They must be caught in the act. What I did to the hospital, will not work on them. In the meantime, I'll destroy the Sha Sect, Hong Qingyun's shadows that commit crimes to dispose inconveniences to the Hong Clan. I'll weaken them little by little.'

'Aww...'

'And 6th Prince...stay home for your pregnant mother's sake that you can skip school. Given the truth...things will be turbulent in the Royal Family in the next coming days.'

xxx

Lockdown was lifted and too many shocking things came to light and it was all people can talk about.

At school, such things were in discussion too when Lingyue spied in school, and she put Yanche to task in assassination. For now, for EXP points, he'll start with the weakest ones. His body may be fortified with food, pills, tonics and training, but as he is now, until the poison is ready, he is still no match for a cultivator. So this will also train his patience and timing skills.

She knows he would succeed. His training is different, unlike the children. She had equipped him with tools and items he needs. He would act at night of course...

xxx

'I see, so 6th Prince would understandably, not be around.' the Headmaster listened to Ling Yue why her pupil will not come to school. The social atmosphere in school is awkward and conflicted, and a lot of people are harassing former Royal Hospital apprentices due to their exposed crimes that parents had to pull them out for their own good. They're ruined and their social status plunged to less than zero. Associates dropped them and future prospects gone.

'Yes. His other tutors are informed in advance as well.' said Lingyue. 'I just wonder how the stuff that came out will affect even us commoners.'

'That's the thing.' the headmaster shook his head. 'When things happen to nobles, we're sometimes, affected by the fallouts. Its best to take care of yourself and yours at times like these.'

'True.'

xxx

Alchemist Association...

'Phew, finally, the hospital is clean...we're thinking of who to send to that hospital that's influence-free, now that we have control in who to send there. No more noble influence.'

'Yes, but there's also the Civilian Faction in court, Master...a faction that hopes for commoners such as us to be fairly-given our merits for our accomplishments and the opportunity for talents to bloom. They're butting heads with the Noble Faction for years.' said Lingyue, dumping a lot of information on the table. 'The Civilian Faction is headed by Marquis Wu, and the Noble Faction is led by four nobles...Marquis Zhenyuan, Marquis Angou, Marquis Weimeng and Marquis Changping. They'll bug us soon for pressuring us into recommending THEIR agents to the hospital using us soon!' and a number of papers of who's who under which family.

'Like hell!' another elder boomed angrily. 'They're not our members, why should we?!'

'And if we DID recommend them, we'll be accused of corruption eventually even if we hadn't done wrong!' said another.

'We should deal with these smarmy little bastards. Question is, how?'

'We will maintain our lockdown status to the public when in reality, we're secretly funneling our people into the hospital.' said Longyue. 'By the time we're done, too late for them!' he cackled. 'Not enough room, sorry!' the elders all laughed at what he had in mind.

'Masters are feeling mischievous again!' a younger man exclaimed.

'Of course sonny-boy, don't forget what we stand for! We work for who can pay, we're neutral and we don't side with anybody unless we as a whole, is threatened! Then we will make our side clear for our dignity!'

'We will appoint four leaders...the north wing will be headed by Li Long. The south wing will be headed by Jin Ping. The west wing will be headed by Sha Rou. And the east wing will be headed by Ka You. Central Station will be headed by Lingyue in public eye when in reality, her true job is Observer. Anyone acting funny or anyone threatening our own, inform her, and she deals with the mess.'

'Yes, sir!' the five mentioned spoke as one.

'You will move as soon as your subordinates are all chosen. Lingyue is still hospital-employed so she can go ahead to her station. It helps that his majesty titled her Princess Yue for ahem, fixing his little problem so she can easily come and go.'

'Elder!' Lingyue whined, red-faced as the assembly snickered good-naturedly. She was famous for 'that' and it was the organization's funny history moment and they didn't let her forget it. Then again, she knows things they don't...

xxx

Dowager's Chambers...

'Is that right...with your abilities why don't you join the Censorate?' the Dowager wondered as she got the Association's decision based on Lingyue's incredible intel-gathering skills.

'I'm best anonymous. Nobody'd ever suspect a cute bunny with a cute face to be capable of being an Inspector.' Lingyue smiled and the Dowager looked utterly deadpan at her words. Lingyue was 5'4 tall, and beautiful with a sweet personality in public...but dear lord, does the Dowager know how cold she can be, when put by her dear friend to task and capable of behaving like an agent.

'The shadows don't know who's shadowing them and making them disappear. I'm best where I am now.'

'Very well.' the dowager nodded. Indeed, anonymity is invaluable to this princess. 'I'll have maids clean up the hospital before the new alchemists move in. Things were a mess when we raided the hospital after all.'

'Yes. the blue pills made by the noble faction members are in the association as well.' said Lingyue. 'The masters looked at it all and they weren't worth true blue pills they wasted herbs on...they were only made with enough effort to make them look blue, and lacking the quality it should have, leading to records you've read by now...after the sentencing, they angrily destroyed those shams for pills that swindled many people for years.'

'I see...so as of now, we have no medicine in stock.' the dowager sighed. She can only imagine her longtime friend's anger as he took business seriously that it was his pushing that got her punishing harshly.

'And that's why I'm sent ahead.' Lingyue said wryly. 'Sick employees can come to me in Central Wing until the Elders decide who to send that has no unwanted shadow behind them. They will remain in lockdown status until the full roster is ready and we will not allow the Noble Faction to pressure us into sneaking their own in.'

'If the hospital is already corrupt, I wonder about the court itself.' the dowager grumbled. 'I want you to investigate all departments, one at a time. You unearthed so much dirt they can never escape what's coming it's amazing.'

'Yes, your majesty.' Lingyue can only obey, can she? Besides, it benefits her too.

This world and these people have no idea how dangerous she can truly be, armed with modern-day knowledge. Trained by Reborn, Fon, and Lal, she's DANGEROUS.

And she's making her own subordinates just-as-dangerous as herself, Yanche being the deadliest of all out of the orphans she took.

'How is the 6th Prince? Since his miraculous recovery, you were hired by the Queen to watch him while teaching him.' the dowager asked Lingyue anxiously.

'Since everything came out about Consort Luo, he's become very bitter...and I found out that his siblings suddenly hated him yet they wouldn't tell him why. They even tried to drown him in a lotus pond once, months before he became insane, most likely from poisoning so her son will be Crown Prince after getting rid of him.' the dowager remember such incidents happening, before Houqi went insane.

'He flatly told the queen that for all that's happened and done, his mother is his only family in this world after everyone unfairly and unjustly hated, shunned and abandoned them for things never their fault all these years, but in fact, Consort Luo's fault all along.' the dowager winced horribly. 'He's not in a forgiving mood anytime soon. He will regain his status as Crown Prince, and be a better man and parent, was his resolve...all within my hearing range. He also resents his majesty for abandonment as well yet when phoenixes restored his mother, he acted as if his abandonment of them was swept under the rug that all that's missing was banishing them to the Cold Palace, if Phoenixes hadn't heard his mother's prayers.'

'I-I see...' the old granny looked pained at her words. 'I'll talk to my son about this. My poor grandson...so when we were trying to reconnect, they don't like it all along...' the dowager can remember that in conversations, things were awkward, forced and strained.

Its not that easy, Lingyue thought. Years of damage can't be swept away like that so easily. Life isn't a fantasy.

'What of the four princesses though? They were allowed to live by Consort Luo as they're not a threat to her son's chances for the throne. Their brothers are systematically killed off and one driven crazy before his recovery this year...and for ten years, they blamed my student for their mother's deaths.'

'...I'll call them over too. At times of turbulence, we have to be united as a family.' said the dowager. 'That conniving snake Consort Luo!' she growled and put her hand on her head as if nursing a headache. 'For now, given what's happened, we will not include Houhong in this meeting for now as we know not if he knows of his mother's treachery or he cooperated with her for the throne. Focus on your missions from Longyue and my task.'

'Understood.' now, with this, while Houhong's power in court is diminished by his mother's crimes and later alienating by family, the problem was if the family will try to reach out to Houqi again. He's now the Crown Prince in all but name now, that 4th Prince's reputation was damaged with his mother's crimes. Anyone with a brain would know that by now.

xxx

Yanche felt great.

He can finally be useful even as a non-cultivator until his training is ready.

His mentor trained him in many things: Dirty Close-Combat to survive cultivators. Assassination. Stealth. Tracking. Concealing his existence. Soundless Movements. Espionage. Field Medicine Self-Treatment. Intel-Gathering the hard way. Combat Trickery. Parkour and Acrobatics. And using the science of Force and Motion to utilize his formidable weapons to compensate. She forged for him armor she got from Tai Yi school as well as formidable weapons that can protect him from Ki attacks and pierce a cultivator's body. Being an assassin, he has daggers and was taught ambidexterity-wielding. Until he acquires Poison-Training, he cannot use the martial arts she taught everyone yet.

He's done a lot. But assassinating is very easy if they can't sense you.

Lacking ki is a great asset here. But his trait is a double-edged sword. If he's caught, he must act fast. That is the teachings taught to him.

In one night, with his milady's information, he killed twenty men.

Twenty. Humm, 3980 more to go. And he is to keep this up until he reaches his limits. By then, the poison is ready. Missy found powerful herbs in Tai Yi School and is cultivating them for his use.

By then...3326 remains.

Not bad. Some of them were Lower Celestials yet stupid enough to lower their guard, banking on their name and fame.

Arrogant fools are easy to catch with a little ingenuity whether or not they can bite after they bark. The ones to truly fear, are those who will take you seriously no matter who you are.

xxx

Lingyue's Spirit Space...

'It's ready.' said Lingyue as she and Madam Lai worked on brewing a tub of poison enough for a man Yanche's size to sit on. Lingyue crafted a tough tub with shackles, just so Yanche won't move around much. 'This tub is poison we matured for ten years in this space, given how this dimension works.' Lingyue told Yanche. 'You will train here that three days outside, is three years here and you will feel those three years in this dimension.' Yanche gulped audibly. 'Your heart is prepared through our nurturing, consoling and reassurance...but take comfort that once you're done...you'll instantly catch up with the kids.'

'How strong will I be after this?' Yanche asked his lady anxiously.

'You'll gain the strength of a level 1 Reincarnation Realm expert.' Lingyue told him. 'Thanks to the ancient lost herbs in Tai Yi school, they exceeded the Poison Manual's Dan Realm expectation.' this gave great comfort and consolation to Yanche that his suffering, will pay off! 'Let's begin. Strip naked, and swallow this pill to protect your body fluids for three years, and your bone marrows with this second one.' Yanche took the pill before going into the tub and stripped himself, before the ladies poured the poison in...

And Yanche howled in suffering that got the women wincing.

'Good thing it's only three days for real outside.' said Madam Lai with a wince at Yanche's screams of tortured pain and as he suffers, he has to form a poison dan otherwise, it'll be all for nothing.

'Yeah...thank goodness for this spirit space's cheat code.' Lingyue whimpered. 'It's real-time three days in our world.'

xxx

The Hospital...

Lingyue, Mei and Madam Lai came early morning after packing up breakfast cooked by Chi Lian in lunch boxes.

The Central Wing, her Headquarters was basically, an Admin Station where Manager Chou and Deputy Manager Meng used to work as well as some flunkies. With permission from her superiors, she roped in Alchemist Mei and Madam Lai as her assistants. Alchemist Mei was a victim of Nangong Qinglin and Alchemist Xue's machinations, and the Treasure Cave authorities can vouch for Madam Lai's identity and background...as a Poison Specialist.

'Ohhh I love this, Lingyue!' Alchemist Mei cackled in delight while they all ate lunch together and drinking wine. 'Those smarmy-little-bastards fired and now I have Chou's job post once your mission is over! Karma at it's finest!' and that's why right now, Lingyue is her boss as she has two powerful backers. To EARN her status when Lingyue leaves hospital, she has to study everything Lingyue dumped on her to be worthy of being Manager Mei when she leaves. Knowledge of herbs for diseases, poisons and counter-poisons, recipes for those, knowledge about diseases and how to diagnose a patient through touching the body so she'd know what to give...and acupuncture treatment, cupping and massage therapy. It was a lot of work for her. Thank goodness this world knows surgery at least.

'Just don't get hyper-focused again OK? They exploited that legal loophole other than your allegiance.' Lingyue warned her. 'I'll think of pills everyone must make per month so all illnesses from minor to major are covered. When I was here snooping for corruption, everything was disorganized, supplies included as well as paperwork!' she fumed. 'Even record books are disorganized! I asked the Dowager for a shit-ton of paper, bookmaking supplies and ink just to put everything to order after hunting everything down so my supplies should be here soon.'

'Well, if you're a corrupt organization you have to hide trail by all means necessary and they did just that.' said Madam Lai dryly with a smirk and armfold. Her boss fumed at the logic before moping in defeat.

A Mafia Boss hates ALL FORMS OF PAPERWORK.

'Urrrgh...well, it's just us until our roster is full. You all have your assignments, so let's open up Central Wing Clinic!'

And it began in their...almost-empty clinic. Central Wing answers to Consultations and Physical Therapy for recovering injured. Lingyue is in charge of Physical Therapy, Alchemist Mei in Consultation and Madam Lai in dispensing medication on her instructions. When the hospital was raided, the patients within were startled and stressed, and was stuck in bed with the help of palace maids who do the basics for them until new doctors come.

In these days, Lingyue got infamous among the injured soldiers. Fame as Titled Princess aside, she has the beauty and sweetness of one, and a much-more capable doctor. Their only issue to the local eye-candy, was her baggy fashion.

'It's cold because it's winter so I wear baggy on purpose.' she would say. 'It's warmer this way.' her patients who were several years older than her pouted.

Then Dao Nu strode in.

'Princess, it's young master, he relapsed again!' even Dao Nu began calling her princess now! 'And Dao Nu, whatever happened to 'missy'?!'

'Master insisted on the name change!'

But...not really!

Feng Shen just used his infamous condition as an excuse just to have her over to her disbelief in his room. As soon as she got near his bed, he snatched her and pulled her close to him.

'Wah!'

'Got you~' Feng Shen purred, happy that he got her. 'You're having a day off right now by spending the day with me, you workaholic.'

'You're unbelievable.' Lingyue sputtered, but he only wanted to see her, so...nothing wrong with that, right?

'We sent a heap of letters back home.' said Feng Shen, cuddling her. 'Teacher and I spent a lot of effort in endorsing you and the Emperor back home is considering.' he said happily.

'Er, what about politics?' Lingyue croaked out. That, had been her toughest enemy that she was considering burying all she had of him to protect herself.

'Well, considering I'm a Medicine Pot who can die any time, nobody back home wanted anything to do with me so unlike noblemen my age, I can freely choose who I want to marry and I'd rather have the girl I love most than some spoiled gold-digging brat.' Feng Shen grinned. 'Elder and I maintained such a situation...naturally they don't know I can cultivate thanks to you otherwise this wouldn't be possible!' he chuckled. 'By the time they find out...it's too late. You'll be my only wife and I'll never take in concubines.'

That, would be a good enough reason to make Lingyue run away.

'Well...you still have something to do.'

'Hm?'

'Face grandfather.' said Lingyue weakly. 'Grandfather never forgave 13 years ago so he's wary of my marriage prospects...he'll do anything to make you give me up if only to protect me from heartbreak since he's had a bad impression of rich boys marrying girls like me.'

"Fat chance of that happening." the two personalities within thought.

Feng Shen also kept Lingyue here, as the royal physicians will strike Hong Fang tonight with Dao Nu as witness to get his blood and she has to be here for a blood test to prove her lineage.

They talked together in his room, until there was a polite knock on the door.

'Young master, princess, you OK?'

'What the heck grandpa, nothing happened!' Lingyue squawked out, wide-eyed and red-faced. Feng Shen was laughing as Elder Mu came in with two royal physicians.

For some reason, Elder Mu was carrying a mirror

'Well, you and young master are young and there are follies of youth...'

'GRANDPA!'

'So you are Princess Ye Lingyue.' the left one spoke. They are aware that she was bestowed a title for 'doing the impossible' for Daxia's Emperor and a talented pharmacist at her age, achieving Yellow-Grade Refining ability at thirteen for the sake of the young master whose poison adapted to her blue pills, working hard for his sake and made his life easier. They checked her background in Qiufeng Town and her records in Xia City to confirm everything Feng Shen told home, and checked the cookbook she gave the maids considering she put in spirit herbs...to be on the safe side.

Understandably, she hated the idea of being Titled as when they investigated her, combine that with her alias, it would lead to hilarious memory recall as while the public doesn't know of the 'critical illness', she told Feng Shen and her other friend and in Alchemist Association here, they good-naturedly tease her. But thankfully, her real name is much nicer on paper and girl-appropriate.

'We harvested Hong Fang's blood on guise of assassination attempt.' said the right one, holding a syringe with a knife for a needle. 'And now we will perform the blood test.' Lingyue got off the bed and pulled up her sleeves so they can draw blood from her, and mixed two blood sources in a bowl, no doubt with a tonic inside. 'Should you match, both blood samples should merge and semble the shape of a ball. But if it scattered and turned the bowl red, you don't match.'

The blood formed a ball.

/So its true.../ a new voice spoke. /She indeed is of noble blood./

'Yes.' Feng Shen confirmed. 'I can have Lingyue legally and nobody in court raising petty issues about it any more. But given the situation, they're not invited in our future wedding, for her sake.'

/Very well. Young lady?/

'Yes sir!' Lingyue went ten-hut on her seat nervously.

/I have heard wonderful things about you. Mostly praises about your personality, wife-worthy traits and how you truly care for Feng Shen. But I am also appalled as how you came to be, yet you grew up gentle and caring in spite of it all./ said a man's gentle voice. /That he made up his mind./

'I was terrified for obvious reasons, your majesty.' said Lingyue softly, squirming in her seat. 'I guess this is one time that heartless beast is useful for something. Not that he'll ever know anyway.' she snorted. 'But in the end, I don't owe that monster anything.'

/Final question...how strong are you?/ Lingyue looked at Feng Shen warily.

'It's OK, Beiqing doesn't have that nonsense unlike here.' Feng Shen reassured her. Comforted by his words, she said what she was, and showed it. The physicians were stunned.

/Two-element Master at age thirteen...you're very lucky, Feng Shen./ came the amazement of the king. /What talent! No noblewomen her age or older have achieved such feat as of yet here even if we have so many experts capable of refining a Reincarnation Pill easily available for sale. Things will indeed be alright./

'Then...!' Feng Shen lit up like his birthday came early while Lingyue looked stunned in shock, as if her world just got tipped over.

/Yes. You can marry Princess Ye Lingyue. I'll feel better with her by your side. I'll make arrangements on my end, you'll have to make things official in Daxia now./ and the mirror stopped glowing.

'T-that really...happened...' Lingyue croaked out shakily before fainting.

'Lingyue!' Feng Shen quickly caught his now fiancee while she was halfway falling. She got the acknowledgment of his emperor and she still couldn't believe it. He held her dearly in his arms.

'Well, princess has nothing more to fear any more.' Elder Mu smiled. 'Her past fears will no longer shackle her any more. History of her mother and her sire will not repeat, if its you two for sure.'

'Yeah. I'll keep my promise no matter what.' Feng Shen promised, happily having Lingyue in his arms. 'She'll be my furen and only wife. Now I just have one last hurdle...her grandfather.' he said. 'Ye Headmaster would be protective of Lingyue given history so I have to earn his trust too. I'll see him when Winter is over.'