Chapter 1374, Might Not Be a Bad Thing for You; Ordering the Entire Country to Capture the Princess

Translator: Fate

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

“Father…” Jiang Weiyang trembled delicately, her bright eyes welling with tears. Her vision had gone grey and dull, making the world seem devoid of colour. Nevertheless, she could see the determination and solemnity in her Father’s expression at this moment.

 

If even the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty and the Righteous Alliance were not safe, where could she possibly escape in the vast Boundless Expanse?

 

She did not know the identity of the formidable enemy her Father mentioned, but the other party must not be an ordinary person given their terrifying abilities. There was a possibility that she would never see her Father again once she left the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty, especially since he might be contaminated by Dark Concentrate.

 

“This is a brocade bag that I prepared for you in advance, so bring it with you. You must leave the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty quickly, while there is still time. When tomorrow comes, I will send men to capture you. Do not dwell on the past, and just do your best to escape. You must flee at all costs, regardless of the price.” Jiang Yun’s voice regained its usual cold majesty. With a wave of his hand, Jiang Weiyang was sent outside the Main Happiness Palace.

 

The simple but exquisite brocade bag landed directly in her hands, and the doors of the palace simultaneously slammed shut in her face with a loud bang.

 

“Father…” Jiang Weiyang’s expression was dark and gloomy. Her voice sounded slightly choked with emotion.

 

The news of the impending marriage alliance between the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty and the Imperial South Kingdom soon spread like wildfire, causing a huge stir throughout the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty.

 

It was said that the Main Happiness Emperor intended to betroth his Daughter to Imperial South Kingdom’s Ninth Prince, Ye Wudao.

 

Countless people engaged in heated discussions over the topic. They were extremely agitated by the revelation.

 

On the other hand, the young and talented prodigies from the various Forces had difficulty accepting the news. Feeling as though they had been struck by lightning, they were stunned and heartbroken.

 

Was the Jewel of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty truly going to be taken away by a Prince from a Kingdom?

 

The entire Celestial Dynasty was thrown into turmoil. Upon learning the news, various Forces from outside were similarly shocked and stunned. They could not believe that the news about the Main Happiness Emperor’s intent to search for a Husband for his Daughter had been true.

 

In such a sensitive and turbulent situation, many speculated that the Main Happiness Emperor had ulterior motives. Be that as it may, he genuinely seemed sincere in wanting to marry his precious Daughter to the Ninth Prince of the Imperial South Kingdom.

 

His behaviour naturally shocked the people as they originally believed such an outcome to be impossible.

 

Could it be that he really intended to join Forces with the Imperial South Kingdom to collectively address the current chaotic situation? In terms of status and talent, the Ninth Prince of the Imperial South Kingdom, Ye Wudao, was certainly worthy of Princess Weiyang. It was just that the Main Happiness Emperor had never indicated any interest in this regard.

 

The outside world was in an uproar, swept by waves of speculation among countless cultivators.

 

Afterwards, the news was confirmed by the officials in the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty. the Main Happiness Emperor had already mentioned the possibility to them by announcing his intent to choose an auspicious date for his Daughter, Princess Weiyang, to become engaged to the Ninth Prince of the Imperial South Kingdom.

 

On that same day, several high-ranking officials also witnessed the Main Happiness Emperor summon the Ninth Prince of the Imperial South Kingdom, Ye Wudao. The two of them seemed to have shared a delightful conversation, which resulted in the Main Happiness Emperor expressing his satisfaction with Ye Wudao.

 

Words of these scenes further validated the announcement from before, indicating that the news was most likely true.

 

As a result, the young prodigies of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty became despondent. They were practically unwilling to accept the situation, feeling as though a precious jewel had been stolen from them.

 

Despite watching Princess Weiyang marry another person, they were powerless to change anything.

 

“His Majesty is a far-sighted man. Under the current circumstances, he knows that we can only establish ourselves in the increasingly chaotic and turbulent future by joining forces with others.”

 

“That is the case with the Righteous Alliance. It is only natural for the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty to follow suit, hence the marriage alliance with the Imperial South Kingdom. Such a powerful partnership will surely intimidate the world.”

 

Many of the officials in the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty speculated and wondered about the Main Happiness Emperor’s intentions. Some of the officials also began to flatter and curry favour with the Ninth Prince of the Imperial South Kingdom, Ye Wudao. They already regarded him as the future Son-in-law of the Main Happiness Emperor.

 

On the other hand, those in the younger generation were extremely envious of Ye Wudao. It was just that they were powerless to change anything.

 

As for Ye Wudao himself, he was proud and delighted by his success. He was pleasantly surprised at how effortlessly he had managed to obtain the hand of such a beautiful woman. Therefore, he immediately sent word to the Imperial South Kingdom and informed his Father to prepare numerous betrothal gifts.

 

That night, he remained in high spirits as he hosted a banquet for everybody at the Wind Flower Snow Moon Pavilion located in the capital of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty.

 

The Moon hung high in the depths of the sky, casting a bright silvery glow that was as cold as falling snowflakes upon the land. Palaces and pavilions that resembled celestial palaces stood tall with great majesty.

 

The scenery was hazy, shrouded in a layer of Celestial Mist that concealed the buildings.

 

Many beautiful women flitted about with trays of refreshments and spirit fruits. Their movements were smooth and graceful, almost as though they were dancing elegantly. The melody from various string instruments filled the air. Soft and enchanting, the heavenly music lingered in the surroundings.

 

Inside the pavilion, the sound of cups clinking together could be heard. Everybody was congratulating Ye Wudao for obtaining the hand of a such a beautiful lady.

 

Not to mention, the marriage would elevate his position greatly by making him the Son in-law to the Emperor of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty. It was truly an enviable achievement.

 

The banquet was extremely lively. Most of the prominent figures in the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty were in attendance, which certainly gave Ye Wudao the respect he deserved. It could only be described as a joyous occasion for all.

 

The young prodigy who once clashed with Ye Wudao could only stew in his jealousy and resentment, drowning his sorrows in drink to alleviate his bitter feelings.

 

Many like him originally harboured dissatisfaction towards Ye Wudao, so they wanted to confront him in a contest in hopes of humiliating in front of the others. However, they were so disheartened and disappointed by the news that they lost all desire for further conflict.

 

…

 

At the same time, somewhere deep within the palace, Jiang Yun silently stood outside the grand hall with his hands clasped behind his back and stared into the void in the distance. He seemed to be lost in thought.

 

“Weiyang, I once paid a heavy price to deduce your destiny. You possess great fortune and blessings, so escaping the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty may not necessarily be a bad thing for you.” He murmured to himself. Then, his expression became cold and profound. Turning around with a swish of his robes, he entered the palace once more.

 

Just as Jiang Yun withdrew his gaze, a simple and unadorned carriage pulled by three black Pegasi ascended from one of the palaces and raced away into the void. The carriage was skilfully driven by a young man wearing a conical bamboo hat and the casual clothes of a coachman.

 

“Father…” Inside the carriage, Jiang Weiyang clutched the brocade bag tightly. Her expression, which was initially filled with great reluctance, eventually transformed into determination and sobriety instead.

 

Beside Jiang Weiyang were the three maids who had been serving her since childhood. They were silent too.

 

Nobody could have imagined that Jiang Weiyang would choose to take such drastic action and flee from her marriage when the news of the proposed alliance between the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty and the Imperial South Kingdom was announced.

 

However, they had already received the Main Happiness Emperor’s command to protect Jiang Weiyang at all costs. That was why they continued to stay by Jiang Weiyang’s side and escaped the palace together.

 

As for the young man driving the carriage, he was the Grandson of the Great Deity General, Zhu Fuyi. This renowned prodigy, who was famous throughout the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty, had willingly taken on the role of a coachman to help the Princess escape from her marriage.

 

His heartfelt commitment and resolve deeply impressed the three maids. After all, he would be seen as a traitor from now on. That was because helping Princess Weiyang escape her marriage was considered a grave crime.

 

Even his Grandfather, the Great Deity General, would not be able to protect him.

 

…

 

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Wind Flower Snow Moon Pavilion remained festive and lively.

 

Ye Wudao was merrily drinking with several prominent figures when he suddenly felt an ominous foreboding blooming in his heart. There was a vague feeling of an unseen karmic connection rapidly separating from him.

 

The sensation was extremely familiar to him, so his expression immediately changed drastically. Ignoring the puzzled expressions of the people around him, he waved his hand and summoned a stone disc that was shrouded in a hazy layer of Chaos Qi.

 

“Show me!” Ye Wudao shouted. A vast and surging burst of golden light erupted from him and transformed into Grand Runes that swirled around his body and flared with intense brilliance.

 

The light was so dazzling that the people in the surroundings could barely keep their eyes open. He resembled a War God in golden armour.

 

With a blink of his eyes, rays of Divine Light shot out like lightning strikes. The void became twisted and distorted with a horrifying aura that permeated the air. At the same time, the stone disc shrouded in Chaos Qi suddenly underwent a drastic change. Images began to appear on the surface that was originally rough and blurry.

 

Onlookers could not help gasping in amazement at the incredible phenomenon. They were astonished by Ye Wudao’s prowess. He was indeed the Ninth Prince of the Imperial South Kingdom, renowned for his myriad techniques and unfathomable abilities.

 

On the other hand, numerous prominent figures recognised the stone disc in his hands. Their expressions immediately shifted with shock.

 

“The Karmic Treasure! I can’t believe the Ninth Prince has such a rare exotic treasure!”

 

“The Dao of Karma is profound and mysterious, much like the ebb and flow of Fortuity and fate. It is absolutely unfathomable, and one’s own karmic fate is even more so. Like the Moon reflected in the mirror or the mist shrouding the forest, the karma and fate is hazy and unclear…”

 

While they were marvelling over the treasure, they noticed images rapidly taking shape on the surface of the stone disc. It was like watching an ancient and dusty scroll slowly unfurl, shedding the dust on the surface to reveal unparallelled clarity.

 

The image depicted a carriage pulled by three Pegasi that penetrated the void and disappeared into the distance. A Spacetime portal emerged in the void.

 

The inside of the Spacetime portal, which swirled and shifted erratically, was extremely mesmerising and elusive. Then, the Spacetime portal in the void quickly closed and vanished without a trace.

 

In the next moment, a dense layer of mist materialised and rapidly obscured the scenes within the stone disc. Everything became indistinct once more.

 

The people watching the scene were taken aback for a moment. After a while, they became confused. They could not understand what they were seeing, but they could not help thinking that the palace structures in the area where the carriage came from seemed rather familiar.

 

Ye Wudao was similarly stunned. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply into a frown as he pondered over the meaning of the scene.

 

“Isn’t that the palace built for Princess Weiyang by the Emperor? No wonder it looked so familiar.” Remarked a young prodigy. His eyes shone with realisation, then he suddenly fell into deep thought.

 

His words caused a stir in everybody else, and many soon began to grasp the implications of what they had seen.

 

Ye Wudao abruptly snapped back to reality at that moment. The joy and delight on his face had vanished without a trace. His triumphant demeanour from before was gone, replaced by unspeakable fury instead.

 

Nevertheless, he was not an ordinary man. The incident might have embarrassed him, but he would never direct his anger at Princess Weiyang. It was only natural since the status and position of the Princess Weiyang was a well-known fact in the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty.

 

He shook his head slightly. Putting the stone disc aside, he finished his wine in a single gulp. When he spoke again, his voice was nonchalant. He had regained his previous confident and unruly demeanour. “Princess Weiyang sure is mischievous.”

 

“I can’t believe the Princess Weiyang fled her marriage at such a critical juncture…” A prominent figure observed with a deeply meaningful look in his eyes. He seemed slightly surprised, and then he glanced at Ye Wudao with some amusement.

 

Judging by the scene from earlier, anybody could guess what had happened.

 

Aside from the Princess Weiyang escaping her marriage, they could not think of another explanation for the situation. Be that as it may, they never imagined that the usually calm and graceful Princess Weiyang would actually take such drastic action to flee her marriage.

 

After all, her marriage was the Will of the Emperor. It was shocking that she had actually defied his intent. On this point alone, her actions had truly exceeded their expectations.

 

There were a variety of expressions on the faces of those in the Wind Flower Snow Moon Pavilion. In particular, the group of young prodigies were relieved. Princess Weiyang had chosen to flee her marriage. Wouldn’t that mean she was dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by the Emperor? Was she expressing her protest against the marriage? Did they still have a chance?

 

Just as everybody was lost in their respective thoughts and speculations, a golden ray of light burst forth from deep within the palace. A decree flew out and sliced through the universe, swiftly spreading to various areas. Then, it transformed into a soft yet imposing voice that resounded throughout the Capital of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty.

 

“Princess Jiang Weiyang has defied my Will and escaped from her marriage. By decree of the Emperor, from this night onward, the entire the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty is to capture and return her without fail. There will be a hefty reward for those who capture and return her.” As the voice faded, millions of golden light rays swiftly vanished into the depths of the sky and rapidly spread to various places like a burst of meteor shower. They penetrated countless universes to convey the Main Happiness Emperor’s decree.

 

The entire the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty was thrown into chaos by the sudden decree that came out of nowhere.

 

Those who remained unaware of the Princess’ escape were stunned. They could barely believe their ears at this moment.

 

To think that the day would come when the Jewel of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty would actually enrage the Main Happiness Emperor. Her actions even compelled the Main Happiness Emperor to issue a decree to the entire the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty so that she would be captured and brought back immediately.

 

This was simply absurd and unbelievable.

 

On the other hand, Ye Wudao and the others in the Wind Flower Snow Moon Pavilion were surprised by how fast the news arrived. They had only just learned about the Princess Weiyang’s escape, but the Main Happiness Emperor had already issued a decree to capture her.

 

It could be seen that she had truly angered the Main Happiness Emperor.

 

The Main Happiness Emperor probably never imagined that the Princess Weiyang would flee her marriage, and that was why she managed to escape in the first place. Otherwise, how could any disturbance within the territory of the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty have gone unnoticed by the Emperor?

 

Ye Wudao was originally puzzled by the situation. There was a niggling feeling at the back of his mind that told him something was amiss, but he could not be bothered to give further thought to that matter.

 

“Princess Weiyang is my fiancée, so I naturally have the right to bring her back myself.” Laughing heartily, he excused himself and transformed into a beam of Divine Light that vanished into the distance. He was brimming with unshakeable confidence, as though he was certain that he could bring Princess Weiyang back.

 

Having lost interest in the banquet, the others in the Wind Flower Snow Moon Pavilion quickly took their leave as well.

 

Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful for the entire the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty. Needless to say, some wondered whether the Main Happiness Emperor issued the decree out of genuine anger or a momentary impulse. Was he really willing to treat his Daughter in such a manner?

 

“What could possibly be the reason for the Emperor to agree to marry his Daughter to the Imperial South Kingdom?”

 

“With the Main Happiness Celestial Dynasty’s heritage, there should be no reason for him to do such a thing.”

 

The current situation caused more and more people to speculate and worry that something significant might have occurred. Why else would the Main Happiness Emperor agree to the marriage, much less be so angry over the incident?

 

…

 

“How can that be?! Fuyi helped Princess Weiyang escape her marriage!?”

 

In the Great Deity General Residence, Zhu Cangning was equally shocked. It never occurred to him that the situation would develop in such a manner.

 

He had instructed Zhu Fuyi to stay beside Princess Weiyang in hopes of giving Zhu Fuyi the opportunity to win Princess Weiyang’s heart. However, he never imagined that Zhu Fuyi would help Princess Weiyang flee her marriage. Furthermore, he even acted as her coachman during the escape!

 

His forehead turned slick with a layer of cold sweat as he sweated profusely. The situation had completely exceeded his expectations at this point, and the Emperor would surely demand for an explanation from him once the situation was discovered.

 

At that moment, an elderly man with a youthful appearance suddenly appeared with a smile. He was dressed in long robes and a hooded hat. His attire was completely white, except for his rather rosy complexion.

 

“Master Xing Ming?” Zhu Cangning hastily bowed, showing great respect to the other party.

 

He knew that the mysterious Imperial Preceptor had many connections with the Main Happiness Emperor. It had to be said that the Imperial Preceptor played a significant role in helping the Main Happiness Emperor establish such a powerful foundation.

 

“There is no need for such formality, General. I came here to help you. After all, your Grandson, Zhu Fuyi, assisted the Princess in escaping her marriage. If the Zhu Family does not wish to be implicated in the matter, it would be best to immediately sever all contact with him.” Master Xing Ming suggested with a compassionate expression.

 

Zhu Cangning hesitated. “I did not expect Fuyi to do such a thing, but he is part of my Family. How can I sever my connections with him just like that? If His Majesty blames the Zhu Family for Fuyi’s actions, the Zhu Family will dutifully bear the consequences.”

 

Master Xing Ming’s expression became slightly conflicted when he heard those words, but he maintained his benign smile. “I have always admired and respected honest and righteous men like you, General. If you wish to prevent the Zhu Family from being further implicated in the matter, you should heed my advice. Otherwise, great misfortune will befall the Zhu Family.”

 

Zhu Cangning continued to hesitate.

 

“That is all I have to say. I hope you will make a decision soon.” Master Xing Ming remained smiling kindly. After he finished speaking, he did not say anything else again. He simply reached out his hand and lightly patted Zhu Cangning on the shoulder.

 

“I need a personal item that contains the aura of Zhu Fuyi.”

 

Zhu Cangning was taken aback by the sudden statement, but he quickly realised that Master Xing Ming had not spoken out loud. The voice had bypassed his Knowledge Sea and ears to resound directly in his heart.