The road is vague

Chapter 245 Her Royal Highness the Princess
In the mountains during Qingming Festival.

An astonishing spiritual pressure suddenly appeared in the teleportation pavilion, startling the disciples on duty there.

"Someone activated the teleportation array; it seems to be someone from Yuancheng."

"Why did they appear at this time?"

"Hasn't the mountain already been closed off? What can we do?!"

Within the shimmering teleportation array, countless forbidden runes emerged, seemingly coming to life, traversing the past, present, and future.

The celestial timekeeping device at the top of the main hall is composed of countless rings, with large rings containing smaller ones, rotating rapidly.

Two figures suddenly appeared.

The leading female cultivator was graceful and noble, wearing a mask and appearing slightly anxious.

An elderly man, hunched over and with an indifferent expression, followed closely behind.

"stop!"

The disciple on duty had barely opened his mouth when he was stunned by the terrifying spiritual pressure released by the old man. He was immediately dumbfounded, as if he were in the midst of lava and flames, and it seemed that the slightest movement would mean certain death.

Only after the two left did everyone come to their senses, their faces turning deathly pale.

After Ye Yimeng led the old man away from the teleportation pavilion, a hint of reluctance appeared in her eyes behind her mask when she saw the dilapidated and decaying scene on Qingming Mountain.

She then took out a communication talisman, whispered a few words, and then released it into the distance.

After a while.

Ye Qing hurriedly arrived near the teleportation pavilion, her face showing surprise and delight.

"Your Highness, you're back!"

"On Qingming Mountain, I am not a princess, but Ye Yimeng."

She looked at Ye Qing with a serious expression.

"The people from the Road Pass Office just reported that something has happened here, and my father has also expressed his concern, so I came over. Has it really come to this?"

Ye Qing sighed helplessly.

"Twenty years have passed, and the matter can no longer be concealed. Sima Fu will be our sect's last stand. If even he fails, then we can only follow the original agreement and have His Highness send a sect leader as a temporary leader. If our sect still hasn't produced a Nascent Soul cultivator within a hundred years, then we can only say that this is our fate."

This was the perfect plan that Master Qingling devised before his passing: to bring the princess of the empire into the sect at the cost of the sect's Heavenly Rainbow Sacred Bird.

Outsiders may not know much about this princess, but Master Qingling knows a little about her.

Unlike other bottlenecks that require immense effort to overcome, it is said that once a cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage in this world reaches the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, they will naturally break through to a higher realm and then encounter misfortune.

It was precisely because of this that the Holy Monarch Qian Yuan decided to have another offspring, thus voluntarily dispersing a portion of his cultivation.

Thus, Li Yimeng, who was showered with love and affection, was born.

The reason why Master Qingling learned of this news was not from within the Great Qian Dynasty, but from the Yu Kingdom.

Legend has it that Li Yimeng's mother was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Goddess Palace of the Yu Kingdom. Therefore, in some ways, the two countries secretly formed an alliance, which is one of the reasons why the century-long war between the Qian Kingdom and the Lu Kingdom came to an end.

It just so happened that Qingling Zhensheng had a close friend from the Goddess Palace before her death, and thus learned of this matter.

Therefore, Master Qingling spared no expense in connecting the dots and facilitating the grand plan, promising the Heavenly Rainbow Sacred Bird to the then young princess on the condition that she join the Lingmu Sect...

Given Li Yineng's status, Qingling Zhenren naturally had no need to worry about her annexing the sect.

Ye Yineng nodded and sighed as she recalled the past.

"I see."

Unlike the monks on Qingming Mountain, who only need to meditate and cultivate every day.

As a princess of the Great Qian Kingdom, Li Yineng has gradually come into contact with politics over the years. She knows that some things, if not brought to the forefront, are at most trivial, but if brought to the forefront, they are extremely serious.

Therefore, even she had to act carefully and could not do whatever she wanted.

At this time.

Upon learning of the chaos that had occurred, the newly appointed Hall Master of the Dharma Protectorate, Lu Qi, rushed to the Teleportation Pavilion. His gaze turned serious as he looked at Ye Qing, Ye Yimeng, and the old man behind her.

He stopped.

He now knows Ye Yineng's true identity.

"Meet Hall Master Lu."

Ye Yimeng actually took the initiative to bow.

Lu Qi nodded slightly and then looked at Ye Qing.

"Master Ye, since we have important guests, please do your best to be a good host and explain the situation of the sect to them."

"it is good."

After Ye Qing agreed, Lu Qi said no more and immediately turned and left.

Unlike many youngsters who are ignorant of their own limitations, he, as the head of the Dharma Protector Hall, had traveled to many places and knew the unfathomable nature of the Great Qian Kingdom's royal family. He did not want to get involved in karma.

The royal family of the Great Qian Kingdom is not limited to the blood relatives of the Qian Yuan Holy Emperor, but refers to the descendants of the original Six Arts School.

After the Holy Lord Qian Yuan disbanded the Six Arts Sect, the members of the Six Arts Sect became so-called members of the royal family. They were merely cultivators who possessed their own special inheritance and carried out the will of the Holy Lord Qian Yuan.

These members of the royal family do not enter the sect, the court, or the secular world; they only appear when carrying out the royal will.

……

a few days later.

Ye Yimeng opened up a cave dwelling on the back mountain of Lingmu Gate.

She plans to practice here for a period of time, in preparation for any eventuality.

The old man who was originally following behind her was arranged by Ye Yineng to stay in a temporary cave in the back mountain.

this day.

As an ordinary Foundation Establishment disciple of the Lingmu Sect, Ye Yimeng wandered among the ruins of various halls, watching the lower-level disciples working enthusiastically for the generous mission rewards.

For a while.

Everyone seemed to have become a disciple of the Supervisor's Hall.

Throughout Qingming Mountain, only some core buildings protected by rune restrictions remained relatively intact. Because Qingming Mountain was under martial law and closed to the public, everyone's expressions were unusually stern. Ye Yimeng had a special affection for this place, and seeing this scene, she couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia, involuntarily recalling the three years of idyllic, pastoral life she had spent there.

The world has changed dramatically, and things and people are no longer the same.

"The public memorial service has begun. I wonder if I know any of the many dead and injured people on the back mountain."

Ye Yimeng's eyes dimmed slightly as she walked to the back mountain area.

This is a newly built cemetery with seven or eight hundred graves, all of standard size. People come to offer sacrifices and prayers, and many shed tears.

She walked past each of the graves, and she could feel the deep sorrow that filled the place.

It seems that the Lingmu Sect intends to bury both aristocratic and independent disciples here, and people come to mourn in an endless stream.

After a while.

Ye Yineng stopped in her tracks; she finally saw someone familiar.

"The tomb of Lü Shun, the fat guy who liked to brew wine?"

Then she looked at the woman in front of the grave.

This person was Lü Cuicui. She was squatting in front of the grave, crying and whispering her pain. She looked pitiful.

"She looks a bit older; she probably hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet."

For Ye Yineng, the last time she saw Lü Cuicui was ten years ago.

In her memory, she was a petite, youthful, and lovely female disciple. The reason she remembered Lü Cuicui so vividly was because Ye Qing had told her her story. But now she seemed to have the appearance of a woman. At the age of thirty, for a Qi Refining disciple, life is almost half over.

At this time.

A person is walking towards us from a distance.

Ye Yimeng turned her head and looked over, her eyes behind the mask momentarily freezing.

The newcomer was Li Mo, who quietly walked to Lü Cuicui's side.

In the past few days, she had heard people talk about Li Mo many times. He had shone brightly in this civil war and had become one of the most untouchable people in the eyes of many Foundation Establishment disciples. Moreover, since Lu Qi had become the head of the Dharma Protector Hall, Li Mo, as Lu Qi's favorite disciple, had also risen in status and was almost becoming one of the designated true disciples.

"He is still young and handsome, low-key and refined. I remember that I was secretly attracted to him back then."

She smiled to herself, a hint of sweetness appearing on her face beneath the mask, but not towards Li Mo, but rather towards her own youthful, innocent memories.

She also had a vivid memory of Li Mo.

During the final assessment, he revealed his identity as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and defeated Jiang Sheng with a single sword strike. This left her dazed and disoriented when she returned to Yuan City, feeling a great sense of defeat.

"Cui Cui."

After paying respects at the graves of several acquaintances, Li Mo arrived here.

In the past few days, he has repeatedly asked to see Lü Cuicui, but she has refused each time.

As a disciple of the Dharma Protector Hall at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, Lü Cuicui was fortunate enough to survive, but her brother and mother died in the war.

When she learned that her best cousin, Lü Tong, had almost been killed by Li Mo with a single sword strike, and that her brother had been killed by Li Mo's own hands, she simply could not accept this fact. This caused her already extremely painful heart to almost collapse.

Lü Cuicui did not respond to Li Mo; she remained kneeling before the grave, sobbing softly.

Li Mo wanted to explain, but felt it was empty and powerless. In the end, all his words turned into an apology.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to."

"That's not what Lü Tong said!"

Lü Cuicui turned her head, her eyes red and teary, and looked at Li Mo.

She suddenly felt that the person in front of her was completely unfamiliar. The sweet words, vows, affection, and sweet memories of the past now felt like sharp knives piercing her heart.

"She said she was certain you wanted to kill her. She was my best friend! My brother also died at your hands. How can I believe you? Why did you do this?!"

Li Mo gritted his teeth and spoke.

“The situation was too chaotic at the time. I was surrounded and chased by many people. You saw his body. For some reason, Lü Shun disguised himself that day, so I didn’t realize it was him at all.”

Lü Cuicui burst into tears.

"The Qi River has its banks, the marshland has its boundaries, a broken mirror cannot be mended, spilled water cannot be gathered up again, the Jin River flows on and on, a final farewell to you!"

She immediately got up and left.

Li Mo stared blankly at Lü Cuicui's departing figure, wanting to speak several times, but unable to utter a word. He stood there in a daze for a long time until she completely disappeared from sight.

"The strong do not need to be understood."

Li Mo muttered to himself, trying to hide the pain in his heart.

He gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, solemnly paid his respects to Lü Shun, and then left with his head bowed and no words in his voice.

Ye Yineng, who was not far away, watched this scene quietly.

She overheard their conversation and realized that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

She felt like she had returned to her days at the continuing education center, surrounded by all sorts of frictions and endless emotional entanglements and disputes between people.

"People in the palace fight against fate every day, but those who leave the palace and live a more humane life in the countryside are truly living. Is my sadness because I missed out on this kind of life, or because I missed out on him?"

Ye Yimeng's eyes, hidden behind her mask, gazed at the departing, lonely figure.

Only after Li Mo disappeared from sight did she arrive at Lü Shun's grave and offer a bouquet of flowers.

After doing all this, Ye Yineng strolled around the cemetery for a while, looking somewhat lost. The old man slowly opened his eyes and noticed that the princess, who had grown up under her nose since childhood, seemed a little unhappy today.

"Your Highness, has something happened?"

"kindness."

Ye Yineng sighed.

"Some of the acquaintances I knew here have died, some haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage, some have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and some are still top geniuses, even more dazzling than before. I've disappeared for so many years, what do they think of me?"

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled slightly.

“Your Highness, you are not only a cultivator of Qingming Mountain, but also the daughter of the Holy Lord Qian Yuan and a princess of the Great Qian Kingdom. This place is just a memory for you. One day in the future, you will eventually follow the Holy Lord to unify the Central Plains and save the people from suffering. Therefore, it does not matter what image you have in their eyes. The strong only need to live according to their own beliefs and ways, instead of accommodating others.”

Ye Yimeng nodded thoughtfully.

(End of this chapter)