The ruined stone bed chamber had become lively. Several cultivators stood in a semi-circle, facing a male cultivator clad in an ICEB uniform and a young female cultivator dressed in a luxurious red robe embroidered with intricate golden patterns.
These two—more accurately, the ICEB Enforcer—had introduced themselves as Captain Wu Zhenhai of the ICEB and Princess Shenxing of the Empire.
At the center of the semi-circle stood Gu Tianzhu, flanked by Shen Qingyu on his left and Zhao Zhi on his right. Further down, Li Ran stood beside Shen Qingyu, while Chen Zhaoyun stood beside Zhao Zhi, their expressions unreadable as they observed the unexpected visitors.
Princess Shenxing, her chin lifted high in a permanent pose of arrogance, declared, "This Princess has come here to arrest the criminals. Hand them over!"
Wu Zhenhai closed his eyes and sighed—a habit he had developed ever since being assigned as Princess Shenxing's bodyguard.
He looked at Gu Tianzhu and his allies, standing firmly in front of them, clearly blocking their path. Wu Zhenhai agreed with Gu Tianzhu and his group, but he could not show it. Otherwise, he would be guilty of 'disrespecting and humiliating' Princess Shenxing. For now, all he could do was stand his ground and ensure her safety.
Gu Tianzhu gave a slight bow. "This Zhenren apologizes to the Princess, but this Zhenren cannot allow the Princess to go further." He bowed slightly once more.
Princess Shenxing's face darkened, her cheeks flushing red with indignation. She was rarely rejected. In fact, no one had ever rejected her.
"How dare you! Do you not know who this Princess is? This Princess is the youngest daughter of the Emperor! Princess Shenxing!" Her shrill voice rang through the chamber.
Li Ran's eyebrow twitched. He despised arrogant children. His fingers curled into fists, itching to step forward and put this so-called princess in her place for disrespecting his Shizun. Before he could act, Shen Qingyu shot him a sharp sideways glare, warning him to hold his temper.
Gu Tianzhu remained unfazed. "This Zhenren knows exactly who you are, Princess. But you cannot arrest anyone here."
He raised a hand slightly, cutting off Princess Shenxing before she could shriek again. "Let this Zhenren explain."
"Princess cannot arrest anyone because there is no one to be arrested. There are no criminals here." Gu Tianzhu continued, his tone firm yet patient.
Princess Shenxing turned smug and crossed her arms. "Yes, there is! And this Princess can arrest all of you for disrespecting and humiliating this Princess!"
Wu Zhenhai sighed again. There it was. He had been wondering when the princess would whip out her trump card. He couldn't let this escalate any further. He knew Gu Tianzhu well—despite his outwardly kind demeanor, he was strict and disciplined. If he said 'cannot,' he meant it.
Leaning toward Mu Qingran, Wu Zhenhai whispered, "Princess, let's hear what they have to say first. We don't even know who we want to arrest. That's not good. Remember what Han Shengzun said? We cannot act without clarity."
Han Zhaofeng was one of only two people Mu Qingran feared. The other was her mother.
She processed Wu Zhenhai's reminder and begrudgingly acknowledged that it made sense. She shot Gu Tianzhu a glare before jerking her chin up in a commanding gesture. "Speak. Elaborate."
Zhao Zhi was about to speak. He had been silently observing, amazed by the sheer audacity of this princess. What in the world? He had no time to waste confronting this—this—this arrogant child. He had far more important matters to attend to, like checking Xuan Tian's pulse. He was just about to step forward and put an end to this farce when—
Gu Tianzhu lifted his right hand, stopping Zhao Zhi in his tracks. He understood exactly what Zhao Zhi intended to do—he felt the same. But he also knew that aggravating this spoiled princess would do them no good. Dealing with the royal family required patience and delicate maneuvering.
And he refused to let anyone else bear the brunt of her tantrum. Being a High Immortal Stage 5, Gu Tianzhu possessed a certain level of immunity within the Empire's laws. While not untouchable, cultivators of his level were rarely prosecuted unless they committed crimes of the highest severity. The Imperial Court preferred to maintain balance rather than provoke powerful immortals into rebellion.
With a flick of his hand, a set of tables and chairs appeared nearby.
"Please, Princess. Sit comfortably, and this Zhenren will answer any questions the Princess might have." Gu Tianzhu then turned to Zhao Zhi. "Doctor, you may continue tending to your patients."
Zhao Zhi gladly took his leave. Flicking his sleeves, he exited the chamber without a backward glance, heading straight to Xuan Tian's room.
Behind him, Princess Shenxing let out an outraged shriek. "He cannot leave! This Princess hasn't given permission for anyone to leave!"
Gu Tianzhu smoothly intercepted. "Princess, please excuse him. He is the only doctor here, and many victims still require his care. Allowing him to continue his duties does not harm the Princess in any way. In fact, it will only elevate the Princess's care in the Emperor's eyes."
Gu Tianzhu was truly an expert at handling royalty. His words had the desired effect.
Princess Shenxing scoffed. "Hmph! This Princess will allow it this time only!" She then flounced onto one of the chairs, her movements exuding irritation. "Now, elaborate! Do not delay!"
"Why did you say there are no criminals here?"
"This Zhenren said so because there are none. He is already dead."
"Dead?" This time, it was Wu Zhenhai who reacted.
They had come to the cavern to investigate the loud noise they heard last night. Wu Zhenhai had known there was a fight happening, but he couldn't leave the princess unattended. So when Mu Qingran declared that she wanted to investigate, he had no choice but to go along.
Now, standing amidst the ruins of the stone chamber, Wu Zhenhai's suspicions were confirmed—there had indeed been a battle here.
Gu Tianzhu studied the enforcer before speaking again. "Captain Wu, why exactly did you and Princess Shenxing come to Bai Mountain? This Zhenren is merely curious."
Wu Zhenhai glanced at Mu Qingran, who gave him a sharp nod, granting him permission to speak.
"We originally came to Baishan City for sightseeing. But while we were there, we heard rumors about regular humans forming cores."
He continued, "We had heard similar rumors in other cities, but never this intensely."
Mu Qingran interjected, "No regular human can form a core! This is an abomination!"
Wu Zhenhai, unfazed by her interruption, continued as if she hadn't spoken. "So when we heard the loud noise last night, we decided to investigate."
He turned back to Gu Tianzhu and saluted. "Please, Gu Zhenren, tell us what happened last night."
Gu Tianzhu sighed. "There was indeed an intense fight last night. Between the culprit and us."
He paused before continuing, "This Zhenren fears that the rumors are true. This Zhenren came to this city for the same reason."
Gu Tianzhu paused to gauge his audience's reaction. When he saw that they were listening, he continued, "About a week ago, this Zhenren arrived in Baishan City with this Zhenren's second disciple, Chen Zhaoyun."
Chen Zhaoyun bowed and saluted.
"We met with an Enforcer Captain, Captain Bai Xunli, and her two Enforcers. We exchanged information and went our separate ways."
"We decided to go up Bai Mountain to investigate a spirit appearing in the form of floating fire. When we got here, we encountered Doctor Zhao Zhi's team. They were traveling doctors, also investigating the core rumors."
"We soon discovered that Divine Elixir Peak of Lingxu Sect was directly involved in this crime."
Mu Qingran, though spoiled, was not entirely ignorant. Hearing that Lingxu Sect was involved, she recognized the gravity of the situation.
She turned to Wu Zhenhai. "You need to report this to Han Shengzun. He must be informed."
Wu Zhenhai agreed. "Yes, Princess. Han Shengzun needs to know, but it would be best if the report came from Captain Bai. She is the one in charge of this case."
"Then call her here. Why isn't she here yet? Shouldn't she be investigating this like we are?!"
"I am here, Princess. I apologize for the delay." Bai Xunli's voice rang out as she stepped into view."