Chapter 39

If Jiang Chen had said something else, with Princess Gouyu's proud character, she would definitely not have turned back.

However, what Jiang Chen said was precisely the most sensitive, most concerning, and most troubling matter in her heart at the moment!

Indeed, she had been stuck at the Ten Pulse True Qi stage for a full three years. Since the age of eighteen, the flourishing Princess Gouyu had broken through the Nine Pulse True Qi barrier, advancing to the Ten Pulse True Qi stage, becoming the youngest True Qi Master in the entire kingdom.

From that moment on, Princess Gouyu had firmly set her life's belief in martial arts cultivation.

For three years, she had been striving for this goal, even delegating the tasks given to her by her brother, Prince Dongfang Lu, to Du Ruhai.

This was also the reason why Du Ruhai could wield such influence in the Qianlong Examination, as she had given him too much power.

However, no matter how hard she tried, whether it was through external trials or traveling far and wide, she could never find the opportunity to break through to the Eleven Pulse True Qi stage.

That moment of advancement had been delayed for too long.

For three years, she had worked hard, struggled, and even gone mad, secretly crying at night when no one was around.

However, the path of martial arts seemed to be locked, and she could not find the way to the Eleven Pulse True Qi realm.

She almost began to doubt whether she had overestimated herself.

Was it possible that her potential was limited to the Ten Pulse True Qi stage?

This period of returning to the capital was also the time when Princess Gouyu felt the weakest and most disappointed in her life.

Her cold forehead relaxed slightly, and her eyes, like autumn water, flickered with unhidden excitement. However, this expression quickly passed.

Immediately, Princess Gouyu returned to her previous cold demeanor.

"Martial arts matters, you are too young to guess about."

"Is it really just guessing?" Jiang Chen smiled calmly. "You probably don't even realize that your anxiety about not being able to break through to the Eleven Pulse True Qi stage is written all over your face."

"You probably haven't realized that if you continue like this, not only will you not break through, but you will also be close to going mad with rage."

"You can't deny that every sunset, your mood becomes extremely agitated, as if a raging fire is about to consume you entirely."

"You can deny it, but I still have to say this, just to repay your previous kindness. Whether you listen or not is up to you."

Jiang Chen smiled kindly, and the smile of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy was the most radiant, the most sunny, and the easiest to dispel the gloom.

Indeed, this kind smile made the competitive Princess Gouyu, surprisingly, not leave or refute, but instead look at him with a complex gaze.

Looking at this boy she was increasingly unable to understand.

"Your talent and the cultivation method you practice are sufficient to break through to the Eleven Pulse True Qi stage. Even more, you have the potential to reach the Spirit Dao realm."

"Unfortunately, your overly competitive and strong-willed character affects your mental state."

"So what?" Princess Gouyu was somewhat不服气 (unconvinced), but also hoped Jiang Chen would continue.

"Very simple, four words—calm and composed." Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Your heart fire is too strong, leading to an excess of yang energy in your body, which in turn causes an imbalance of yin and yang, affecting the circulation of your meridians. Combined with your restless and impatient nature, your control over your meridians naturally becomes weaker."

"Is it really that simple?" Princess Gouyu was somewhat skeptical.

"Simple if you say it's simple. Not simple if you say it's not. Martial arts cultivation is not like reading and writing. To achieve calm and composed, to drive away the heart demon, is no easy task. With your character, I think it will be quite difficult. And haven't you noticed that you are getting closer to going mad with rage?"

Princess Gouyu was moved, and a hint of sadness flashed across her beautiful face. She wanted to deny it, but her intuition told her that it was true.

Suddenly, her slightly furrowed brows lifted, and she blurted out, "Jiang Chen, do you have any methods?"

Asking this question, Princess Gouyu felt as if she had drained all her strength. She even felt weak and childish, wondering why she would ask him for help. If he said he didn't know, how embarrassing would that be?

For a moment, Princess Gouyu's mood was complex, and she didn't even have the courage to look into Jiang Chen's eyes. This boy's eyes seemed to be able to see through everything, reaching into her inner world.

"I said, this is to repay your kindness." Jiang Chen smiled. "I'm going to see Princess Zhiruo. Do you want to come along?"

Princess Gouyu stomped her foot, but her steps involuntarily followed.

Princess Zhiruo, upon seeing Jiang Chen, was overjoyed, as if she were about to fly. Her eyes shone with immense happiness.

"Brother Jiang Chen, didn't you say you would come once a month? Could it be that you missed Zhiruo?"

The little girl, though young, spoke without much reserve.

"I couldn't come and see you without worrying. What if they mistreated you and didn't follow my instructions? If anything happened to you, I would have to take the blame and be executed with you." Jiang Chen acted carefree in front of Princess Zhiruo.

The two of them chatted and laughed, with no barriers between them.

Princess Gouyu, who had just arrived, felt a bit strange seeing this. She envied how they could chat so intimately.

But she also felt that it might not be appropriate.

However, in the end, she said nothing.

"Auntie, you came to see me too. That's great. Today, I've seen the two people I love the most, and I'm so happy."

"Zhiruo, go get some paper and a pen. I have something to write for your auntie." Jiang Chen acted like a lord, and in the entire kingdom, only he dared to command Dongfang Zhiruo like this.

Even Dongfang Lu wouldn't treat his daughter like a servant.

But the little girl really did follow Jiang Chen's command, going happily as if she had been rewarded with a piece of candy, full of motivation.

It seemed that doing things for Jiang Chen made her feel honored.

After getting the paper and pen, Jiang Chen held the pen and thought for a moment before starting to write.

Soon, he wrote two lists.

"The first list is a set of breathing techniques. Take it back and study it; it will definitely help you calm your mind. The second list is a prescription. You can take it back and prepare the medicine yourself." Jiang Chen handed these two lists to Princess Gouyu.

Princess Gouyu mechanically took them.

"You must be thinking, 'This little brat is just trying to fool me with this stuff,' right?" Jiang Chen smiled. "You can choose to believe it or not. I've repaid my debt."

"By the way, if you don't believe it, you can take the prescription to the Alchemist Hall for auction. It might earn you three to five million silver coins."

Jiang Chen said a few more words and began to wander around Princess Zhiruo's room.

The Woyang stones had been arranged as he instructed, but currently, they were still just objects, not forming a communication or array effect.

However, Jiang Chen could only do so much with his current cultivation. Manipulating an array was clearly beyond his current capabilities.

For now, it could only be a form, and if it could achieve even ten percent of its potential, it would be considered good.

"Alright, you two can chat. I have something to do, so I'll leave first. Little girl, don't be naughty and don't forget the things I told you."

Jiang Chen felt the atmosphere was a bit strange and decided to leave.

Dongfang Zhiruo was a bit depressed. "Brother Jiang Chen, you just came and are leaving already? Don't worry, Zhiruo will live well for Brother Jiang Chen. I won't let you take the blame for me."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen was speechless and left the room.

Princess Gouyu stared at Jiang Chen's departing back and muttered, "This guy, he's always so full of himself."

"Hehe, Auntie, it's not nice to say bad things about people behind their backs." The little girl smiled mischievously. "It seems that someone just benefited from his 'full of himself' attitude."

"You little brat, are you turning against me?" Princess Gouyu had a very good relationship with her niece, and the two of them usually got along like sisters.

They laughed and played, and for a moment, the courtyard was filled with joy and laughter.

...

Leaving the palace, Jiang Chen's mind calmed down, and he was summarizing the gains and losses of the day when a group of people suddenly appeared on the street.

The leader, fully armored, was Jiang Ying, the head of the Jiang family's Iron Guard.

"Little Lord, Lord Jiang has ordered me to come and escort you." Jiang Ying dismounted, his movements swift and efficient, his eyes alert as he observed the surroundings.

"Uncle Ying, why are you here?" Jiang Chen's heart stirred, and he realized something.

"Please come back to the mansion first, and we'll talk there." As Jiang Ying spoke, the Iron Guard had already formed a protective circle around Jiang Chen, escorting him back to the mansion.

"Is something wrong?" Jiang Chen asked in a low voice.

"Earlier, Lord Jiang was about to leave the mansion when he was ambushed at the gate. The capital is in chaos, so Lord Jiang ordered me to come and escort you."

"What? Was my father injured?" Jiang Chen's face darkened, realizing he had underestimated the chaotic situation in the capital.

"He was slightly injured but will recover in a few days." Jiang Ying answered, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk, highly alert.

"Who attacked him? Do you have any leads?" Jiang Chen's mood stabilized upon hearing that his father was not seriously injured. Honestly, the first person he felt a connection to in this world was his adorable father.

"I haven't had time to investigate yet." Jiang Ying answered briefly.

"Hmph, it seems that since they couldn't obtain our Jiang family's semi-spirit land through cunning, they are now resorting to force." Jiang Chen could easily guess that this was another move by Longzhao Feng, the Dragon Ascension Marquis.

Jiang Chen had been blocked in the three basic assessments, Du Ruhai had been the vanguard, and now his father had been attacked at the gate. Clearly, these were all interconnected attacks.

Jiang Chen was truly angry, deeply angry.

Since coming to this world, the provocations he had encountered before seemed like minor skirmishes to him. He had always viewed them with a detached attitude.

But now, the bloody reality was right in front of him. This was not a minor skirmish but a life-or-death battle.

"Longzhao Feng..." Jiang Chen silently repeated the name, and for the first time, a strong desire to kill surged in his heart.