Undying Life

Chapter 215: The Wisdom of Gu Lin

Seeing Zhong Shan's display of "loyalty," Princess Qian You felt a wave of emotion and gratitude. Treat others sincerely, and they will treat you with sincerity in return. This was something Zhong Shan often said, and it even applied to himself.

Looking at Zhong Shan, Princess Qian You said, "Mr. Zhong Shan, don't worry too much about the matter with Gu Lin."

"I'm not worried," Zhong Shan replied.

"However, Gu Lin has been looking at you with some hostility recently. I'm concerned that he might do something reckless," Princess Qian You sighed, shaking her head.

"Huh?" Zhong Shan said, puzzled.

"Mr. Zhong Shan, you must be wondering why I've been so lenient with Gu Lin," Princess Qian You said with a wry smile.

"I don't understand," Zhong Shan replied, shaking his head.

"The Gu Lin you see now isn't the real Gu Lin," Princess Qian You said.

"Not the real Gu Lin?" Zhong Shan felt a sense of strangeness. Could this mean Gu Lin was a fake?

"No, he is the same person, but his wisdom is not what it used to be," Princess Qian You explained.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan was surprised.

"Zheng Yi Wang is my father, the Emperor's son, but he is not my biological father. My mother was the granddaughter of the Emperor's grandson. Later, she married a general under Zheng Yi Wang, who is my biological father. In a tragic accident, both my parents sacrificed themselves to save Zheng Yi Wang. Out of pity for me, Zheng Yi Wang took me in as his adopted daughter and named me Princess Qian You," Princess Qian You recounted.

"Really?" Zhong Shan listened attentively.

"The Great Xuan Wang is the grandson of the Emperor's grandson. Due to his exceptional talents, he was elevated to Crown Prince and later became the Great Xuan Wang. In this era of extreme differences in lifespan, hierarchy sometimes supersedes titles. Thus, the status of the Great Xuan Wang is equivalent to that of Zheng Yi Wang. However, the four Crown Princes are all formidable leaders in their own right, and they do not get along smoothly. In fact, their relationship is more of mutual checks and balances," Princess Qian You explained.

"Indeed," Zhong Shan nodded, still uncertain why Princess Qian You was telling him this.

"Gu Lin, the heir apparent, is one of the nine sons of the Great Xuan Wang. The Gu Lin you see now is not the same as he used to be. In the past, Gu Lin's intellect was so high that even I would admit inferiority," Princess Qian You said.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan was surprised.

"The Great Xuan Wang and Zheng Yi Wang were political rivals. However, when Gu Lin was sixteen, he took a liking to me. Using his special status, he managed to negotiate a marriage contract between the two princes despite their opposition. Do you think it's easy to establish a marriage contract under such hostile circumstances?" Princess Qian You asked with a smile.

"Sixteen years old? A marriage contract?" Zhong Shan was astonished. This implied that Gu Lin was extraordinarily intelligent back then.

"Yes, but Gu Lin later suffered a calamity. Otherwise, I would be his fiancée by now," Princess Qian You said.

"A calamity? What kind of calamity?" Zhong Shan asked in surprise.

"A powerful cultivator at the Royal Ultimate Realm had his physical body destroyed and forcibly tried to possess Gu Lin's body with his primordial spirit. The spirit entered Gu Lin and began a struggle with Gu Lin's consciousness in his Niwan Palace. Most of Gu Lin's consciousness entered the Niwan Palace to fight for control, leaving only a small part outside. The Niwan Palace is a sacred place for the soul. No one dares to force their way in to investigate. We can only wait for Gu Lin's consciousness to prevail," Princess Qian You said solemnly.

"Most of his consciousness is in the Niwan Palace, still fighting against that powerful spirit, and only a small part is controlling his external thoughts and actions?" Zhong Shan was shocked.

"Yes, even with just a small part of his consciousness, Gu Lin can function like a normal person. He's not crazy or stupid, and we're waiting for his primary consciousness to win," Princess Qian You confirmed.

"Win? What if he can't win?" Zhong Shan frowned.

"If unable to win, then be occupied by the stronger. If victorious, not only will the wisdom of old days be restored, but also the consciousness nourished by the essence of the stronger, perhaps even more than before. So although Gu Lin is currently idle, there are still many in the Great Luo Celestial Empire who hold expectations for him, including the emperor, including his father, King Da Xuan," Princess Qian You spoke.

Meanwhile, Zhong Shan frowned. It turned out Gu Lin wasn't a useless person but rather an unpredictable gem of the future.

"And the princess's marriage?" Zhong Shan asked again.

"Hehe, fiancée. At that time, Gu Lin's affair was widely known throughout the court, but Qian You only regarded him as a brother. There's a rule in the Great Luo Celestial Empire that as long as it's the crown prince and the princess, they can decide their own partners, regardless of outsiders, even birth fathers. Therefore, I broke off the engagement," Princess Qian You said with a bitter smile.

"These years, the princess must have suffered a lot," Zhong Shan nodded.

Indeed, Princess Qian You had no feelings for Gu Lin, but just because Gu Lin encountered such a disaster, everyone looked at Princess Qian You with different eyes. Cancel the engagement? Did she abandon Gu Lin just because he lost his intelligence?

"Hehe, Mr. Zhong understands Qian You," Princess Qian You smiled bitterly.

"Princess need not care about others' opinions," Zhong Shan said.

"Yes, why would I care about others' opinions? I only care about my own views. If Gu Lin hadn't encountered this disaster, then Qian You could have easily broken off the engagement. But now, feeling guilty towards Gu Lin, and since Gu Lin once helped Qian You, every action towards Gu Lin is handled with care," Princess Qian You said.

"Yes," Zhong Shan nodded with a furrowed brow, unsure why Princess Qian You had said so much.

Looking at Zhong Shan, Princess Qian You said, "Gu Lin's hostility towards Mr. is something Qian You didn't expect, which makes me particularly troubled. If Mr. leaves Gu Lin, it's difficult for Qian You, abandoning Gu Lin is too difficult, Qian You is troubled, luckily there is something now, I want to ask Mr. to do."

"Oh?" Zhong Shan asked puzzled.

"Seven months later, we are about to leave the Sky City. I want to ask Mr. to explore the four corners of the Sky City now, to find us a safe evacuation route. When Mr. returns, Gu Lin should have calmed down. Then Qian You won't be troubled anymore," Princess Qian You said.

Looking at Princess Qian You, Zhong Shan sighed inwardly. Princess Qian You was indeed exceptionally smart. His exploration would be more meticulous than the arrangements of the officials, and he could tailor the route according to the circumstances. Secondly, it would avoid harm from Gu Lin. Thirdly, it would dissipate Gu Lin's resentment with time. Lastly, and most importantly, it would prevent Yi Yan from contacting him again, avoiding Yi Yan's persuasion. After all, Yi Yan was too powerful, having a significant advantage in the Sky City.

"Yes," Zhong Shan agreed.

"A Da will accompany you to ensure Mr.'s safety," Princess Qian You smiled.

"Yes," Zhong Shan nodded in response—

Inside the palace, in a side hall.

Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie sat at the head, King Ju Lu sat on one side, and Yi Yan sat on the other.

"Yi Yan, why did you do that?" Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie's eyes narrowed.

On the side, King Ju Lu sneered. Yi Yan dared to disobey the imperial decree, secretly mobilizing troops to assassinate Princess Qian You and her group. Are you the lord of the universe or is the emperor the lord of the universe?

Yi Yan remained expressionless, simply saying to Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie, "I am guilty."

"Don't you repent?" Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie roared.

"Although I have disobeyed the imperial decree, I believe what I did was right. I am accountable to the late emperor and to the people of the Great Universe," Yi Yan said indifferently.

"The most important thing is that Princess Qian You not only did nothing wrong, but also shifted the blame to the Great Radiant Dynasty," King Ju Lu said sarcastically from the side. Obviously, losing a few dead soldiers made him very annoyed.

"If it weren't for you, King Ju Lu, obstructing, Your Majesty would have listened to my advice. With the assassination in the Sky City, what would prevent us from achieving our goals?" Yi Yan glared at King Ju Lu angrily.

"Yi Yan!" Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie roared.

Turning his head to Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie, Yi Yan felt a surge of anger at the emperor's furious gaze.

"Cough~~~~Cough~~~~Cough~~~~Cough~~~~"

In the midst of his anger, Yi Yan's body was stimulated again, and he began to cough violently. This time the coughing was very difficult, covering his mouth with a brocade handkerchief, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing the blood-stained handkerchief, Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie sighed lightly, and his previous anger dissipated in an instant. But King Ju Lu on the opposite side sneered.

"Alright, Crown Prince Han Jue has left. Yi Yan, do you have any new plans?" Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie sighed.

"Yes," Yi Yan nodded.

"Well, my seclusion is becoming more important now. In the future, the three of us will meet every five days, changing to every fifteen days," Emperor Na Lan Piao Xie said.

"Yes," both of them immediately responded—

Yi Yan returned to the Grand Marshal's Mansion, his face still showing traces of worry.

"Grand Marshal," Iron Blood called from a distance.

"Speak inside," Yi Yan said lightly.

"Yes," Iron Blood immediately responded, then quickly supported Yi Yan towards the Grand Marshal's Mansion.

Inside, when they reached the center pavilion of the pond, Iron Blood said, "Grand Marshal, you wanted me to monitor Zhong Shan. Early this morning, Zhong Shan left the city with A Da."

"What? Left the city?" Yi Yan frowned.

"Yes, I've already sent someone to follow them," General Iron Blood said.

"This Princess Qian You indeed arouses suspicion," Yi Yan frowned, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

"Grand Marshal, suspicion about what?" General Iron Blood asked.

"Don't worry about it. You keep an eye on Zhong Shan and A Da, see where they go and what route they take," Yi Yan pondered.

"Yes," General Iron Blood immediately responded.

"Also, where they stop and who they talk to, you record it all and report back to me at any time," Yi Yan ordered.

"Yes," General Iron Blood obeyed.