Chapter 777: Injury Scars

　　Seeing his anxious look, Zhu Hong hurriedly said, “Young Master, calm down first. Regarding Chong Xu Cabinet… It’s a long story.”

　　Seeing Zhu Hong’s reaction, Jian Fengchi felt slightly more at ease. Perhaps things are different from what the rumors say.

　　Zhu Hong took a deep breath in. “Young Master, let’s go back first before we talk. It’s not convenient here.”

　　If they talked on the streets, anything they said could be distorted by someone with an ulterior motive.

　　Even though Jian Fengchi was anxious, he could only calm himself down. His gaze then swept past the few of them, and he slightly knitted his brows. “Where’s Hongyu?”

　　Zhu Hong pressed his lips against each other. “She’s with the few people from Chong Xu Cabinet.”

　　Jian Fengchi’s heart harshly sank!

　　Seeing his amiss expression, Zhu Hong hurriedly added, “Young Master, don’t worry first. They’re still doing well.”

　　Jian Fengchi became increasingly confused. Chu Liuyue, Mu Hongyu, and the rest didn’t return with the main team, but Zhu Hong said that they’re doing fine. What exactly happened in between?

　　Countless questions surfaced in his heart, but Jian Fengchi still pressed them down and scrutinized his fellow disciples. The few of them are injured to varying extents. Zhu Hong is still fine, but the others look like they can’t stand straight.

　　“Go back to Dragon Teeth Mountain.”

　　…

　　Dragon Teeth Mountain.

　　When the few injured people came back, they were immediately sent for treatment.

　　Only Zhu Hong was left as his body was pretty fine, and he was also the leader. Thus. he naturally had to stay.

　　After they returned to the mountain, Jian Shuye also immediately rushed over when he heard the news.

　　Zhu Hong explained the entire incident to Jian Shuye and Jian Fengchi in detail. “…This time, it’s all thanks to Ms. Chu and the others’ help that we can come back in one piece. If not… the consequences are unimaginable!”

　　Then, the room fell into silence.

　　The father-son duo looked extra grave.

　　After a while, Jian Shuye said, “So Chu Liuyue currently can’t be found, and the remaining few people are still in the Mystic Forest searching for her whereabouts?”

　　Zhu Hong nodded. “We originally wanted to stay behind and help as well, but considering that we’re all injured, we probably won’t be able to help if we stayed. We might even become their burden. Hence, we still decided to come back with the main team in the end.”

　　Jian Shuye sighed deeply. “That’s right. You should do that.”

　　Unless the person was an elite, anyone would possibly be someone else’s trouble in a place like Dahuang Swamp, let alone the few of them that were injured.

　　Jian Fengchi suddenly said, “You’re saying that from the beginning, Hongyu already went with Chu Liuyue and the rest?”

　　“Yes. Back then, the few of them first went into the forest depths and coincidentally avoided that accident. This was also why the few of them weren’t injured when we saw them again.”

　　Jian Fengchi felt very conflicted. Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue are on good terms, and it’s natural that they’d journey together. But I wonder how…

　　“Master, Young Master, don’t worry. With Qin Yi and Lei Laosi around, nothing much should happen to Hongyu and the rest.” Zhu Hong was actually worried too, but he could only place his hopes with Qin Yi and the rest now.

　　As for Chu Liuyue… He didn’t dare to mention her again. The chances of her surviving were actually very, very low.

　　Jian Shuye suddenly asked, “The Qin Yi and Lei Laosi you mentioned… Who exactly are they? They really stayed in the Mystic Forest the whole while and guarded that legendary fiend?”

　　Zhu Hong explained, “The both of them are actually very strong. Even in the entire Tianling Dynasty, they can definitely be considered as top elites. However, none of us recognize them. But they did look like they had stayed in the Mystic Forest for an extended period of time. As for the one they were guarding… To be accurate, it was a… Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant. Later, it successfully broke through and finally became a red-tailed phoenix.”

　　“Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant?” uttered the father-son duo in shock at the same time. Isn’t it the same as the fiend that Princess had once made an agreement with? If it were any other ninth-grade fiends, we definitely wouldn’t have such a big reaction. However, it was actually a Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant!

　　For a moment, the few of them didn’t speak.

　　After a while, Jian Fengchi softly muttered, “What a coincidence… Liuyue actually made an agreement with that Nine-Colored Heavenly Pheasant… Oh, no—red-tailed phoenix.”

　　Chu Liuyue originally looked like the Princess. Now that she’s made an agreement with this fiend, it makes one’s imagination run wild. It’s a pity that she’s missing now, and nobody knows if they can find her. If she really comes back in the end, she will definitely be put in a difficult spot by Shangguan Wan. Thinking of Shangguan Wan, Jian Fengchi suddenly perked up. “Oh, right, what happened to Shang… Third Princess?”

　　Zhu Hong was dazed for a moment as if he wasn’t very sure about what Jian Fengchi was asking.

　　Jian Fengchi changed his way of asking. “Is there something wrong with her body or her face?”

　　Zhu Hong shook his head. “I don’t know about this.”

　　Back then, Jiang Yucheng, Mu Qinghe, and the rest were the closest to Shangguan Wan. Additionally, she quickly covered herself tightly afterward, so even fewer people saw the wounds on her face.

　　Zhu Hong and the rest were focused on Mu Hongyu, Chu Liuyue, and the rest, so they naturally knew nothing about this.

　　Knock, knock…

　　A knocking sound was heard. “Master, the Third Princess summons the people from all the clans and aristocratic families to enter the palace and discuss important matters. The people from the palace are already waiting outside.”

　　Jian Shuye stood up. “Zhu Hong, you should go back and rest first too. As for Hongyu and the rest, don’t be overly worried about it. She’s my disciple. If anything happens to her, there’s still me as her mentor!”

　　Hearing him say this, Zhu Hong instantly heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like Master has his own plans.

　　“I’ll enter the palace to see what’s going on first. Fengchi, make a trip to Chong Xu Cabinet and tell them not to worry first. At this point, I wonder how the rumors have spread outside.”

　　Actually, Jian Fengchi wanted to enter the palace, but he changed his mind after hearing this. “I know. Don’t worry.”

　　Jian Shuye turned around to leave.

　　Not long later, Jian Fengchi went to Chong Xu Cabinet.

　　…

　　Just like Jian Shuye had said, all sorts of news had spread all across Xi Ling City in a short period of time.

　　The sudden return of Shangguan Wan and the rest had already stunned the crowd. Additionally, the series of actions after they came back was all very weird, so it attracted even more guesses.

　　The news of nobody from Chong Xu Cabinet returning seemed to have grown a pair of wings as countless people heard about it.

　　In the open and in the dark, everyone’s reactions were different.

　　When Jian Fengchi rushed to Chong Xu Cabinet, Weichi Song had already entered the palace with the staff.

　　…

　　Tianling Imperial Palace.

　　Shangguan Wan returned to Huayang Palace and chased everyone out. She took off her hood, sat in front of the copper mirror, and carefully removed her mask.

　　A face that was badly mangled and filled with injuries appeared in the mirror.

　　Shangguan Wan stared at the face in the mirror, and her blood boiled.

　　Recalling that she still had to meet those people later, she suppressed her rage and took out a box of cream from her drawer. She then meticulously applied it to her face.

　　The moment the cream touched her face, she felt a wave of scorching pain!

　　She couldn’t help but yell out in pain. “Ah!!!”