Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts - Chapter 496

After leaving the palace, Wu Yanhan let out a sigh of relief.

She had truly been afraid that her father would resort to force.

If her father had insisted on keeping Shengsheng in the palace against her will, the situation would have turned disastrous. There would have been nothing she could do to resist.

Fortunately, her father had remained rational.

Or rather, after weighing the consequences, he must have realized that such an action would be extremely unwise.

“If my father had other children, things wouldn’t have been this simple,” Wu Yanhan sighed, shaking her head.

It was precisely because she was her father’s only daughter—his sole heir—that he tolerated her defiance.

Otherwise, he would have known that forcing her into something she didn’t want would only lead to severe consequences—consequences he might not be able to bear.

And it wasn’t just about her. Right now, Xu Ming was of great importance to the Wu Kingdom—not just because of his talent, but also because he was the key to the alliance between Wu and Beihai (North Sea).

Without Xu Ming, the Wu Kingdom and Beihai would never have formed ties. If anything were to happen to Xu Ming, Beihai’s relations with the Wu Kingdom would undoubtedly sour, and they might even hold a grudge, seeking revenge for him.

On one hand, forcing his daughter to comply could result in losing his only heir and possibly provoking a feud with Beihai. On the other, there was a chance to gain a half magical beast and half human army warriors.

When weighing these two outcomes, the decision was not difficult to make—because the former was certain, while the latter was only a possibility.

Upon returning to the princess’s residence and stepping into her room, Wu Yanhan immediately spotted Xu Pangda pulling up a chair beside Xu Ming, staring at him intently.

It was as if he was afraid Xu Ming would suddenly disappear.

“Lord Xu,” Wu Yanhan called out to Xu Pangda.

Startled, Xu Pangda clutched the jade pendant in his hand and turned around.

Seeing that it was Wu Yanhan, he let out a breath of relief. “Ah, it’s just the Prince Qin.”

“You needn’t be so nervous, Lord Xu. Here in my residence, there are few who would dare attempt an assassination,” Wu Yanhan said with a smile. She understood that Xu Pangda was on edge, worried that someone might take advantage of Xu Ming’s injuries to make a move against him.

Xu Pangda laughed awkwardly. “Don’t be fooled by how impressive my fifth brother seems—he’s made more enemies than I can count in court.

If I were an enemy and learned that my fifth brother was gravely injured, my first thought would be to send assassins after him.

Not to mention, we now have that Xiliang King lurking around.”

“Speaking of which, who is this young lady?” Xu Pangda turned his gaze to the girl standing beside Wu Yanhan.

He had been curious for some time.

The girl seemed deeply concerned about his fifth brother. The way she looked at Xu Ming was as if she were watching over a close family member.

“Oh, I almost forgot to introduce her,” Wu Yanhan realized.

Xu Pangda had been away on official duties for years—he hadn’t even seen Shen Shengsheng as a child, let alone recognize her now.

“Lord Xu, allow me to introduce you. This is Shen Shengsheng. As for her origins, I cannot reveal too much.

But you can consider her as Xu Ming’s sister—or rather, my sister as well.”

Then, Wu Yanhan deliberately added, “Shengsheng, Lord Xu here is Xu Ming’s third brother, Xu Pangda. He is one of the people Xu Ming trusts most. You may call him ‘Third Brother.'”

The implication was clear—Shengsheng could trust Xu Pangda.

“Greetings, Third Brother,” Shen Shengsheng said, bowing slightly. Her etiquette had become increasingly refined.

Ever since she had grown up, Wu Yanhan noticed that not only had Shengsheng become articulate, but she also carried herself like any ordinary noblewoman—perhaps even more intelligent than most.

“Sister Shen, no need to be so formal,” Xu Pangda replied, clasping his hands together and flashing a sincere smile. “Since you are the Fifth Brother’s sister, you are also my sister.”

Shen Shengsheng smiled.

She could feel that this Third Brother of her Brother Xu was not a bad person—he genuinely regarded her as family.

“Lord Xu, you may go and rest now. We will take care of things from here,” Wu Yanhan said.

Xu Pangda actually wanted to stay and wait for his Fifth Brother to wake up, but since this was the Princess’s residence, it wasn’t appropriate for him to linger too long. “Then I’ll trouble you, Prince Qin. If my Fifth Brother wakes up, please inform me.”

Wu Yanhan nodded. “Of course.”

With that, Xu Pangda left the residence.

Shen Shengsheng immediately sat by Xu Ming’s bedside again, blinking as she continued to stare at him. Her fair little hands tightly gripped Xu Ming’s larger ones.

Wu Yanhan didn’t say anything about it.

She needed to make a trip to the Jinyiwei headquarters.

Although her position as a Qianhu in the Jinyiwei meant she wasn’t directly in charge of many matters, the thousand-plus Jinyiwei Guards under her command usually acted independently or followed Yu Ping’an’s orders.

However, with Xu Ming currently unconscious, Wu Yanhan needed to show her presence at the Jinyiwei headquarters from time to time—to remind everyone that “even though the Commander is currently unconscious, the Jinyiwei is still under my control.”

Yet, as soon as she arrived at the headquarters, she noticed that the place seemed unusually busy. Jinyiwei Guards were rushing back and forth, their expressions serious and hurried.

Wu Yanhan walked straight into Yu Ping’an’s office.

On his desk, stacks of documents were piled high.

“Mr. Yu,” Wu Yanhan called.

Yu Ping’an lifted his head and, seeing the Princess enter, quickly stood up and bowed. “Your Highness.”

Wu Yanhan glanced at the documents on his desk and asked, “I’ve seen quite a few Jinyiwei Guards rushing around looking anxious. Did something happen while I was away these past few days?”

Yu Ping’an smiled and shook his head. “Nothing happened, per se. But something big is indeed underway in Wu Capital—a major event, in fact, and it was decreed by the imperial palace.”

“Hmm?” Wu Yanhan frowned in confusion.

“Your Highness, take a look at this.”

Yu Ping’an limped over to a hidden compartment, unlocked it, and retrieved an imperial edict. Holding it with both hands, he respectfully presented it to Wu Yanhan.

Wu Yanhan took the edict and read through it.

A moment later, her brows furrowed even deeper. “The Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Arts?”

“Yes,” Yu Ping’an nodded. “His Majesty has decided to hold the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Arts three months from now. At that time, every sect leader from every registered sect within Wu Kingdom must attend. And attendance is mandatory!”