Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

The reason for saying so much is that... many times, even without colliding with the carriage frame, there are situations where one might collide with the carriage itself. The area where Prince Zou intends to dine must be cleared out.

Normally, this process would never go wrong.

But today, neither the bronze beast that arranged the Prince's meal in advance nor the owner of the Ghost Market Restaurant actually encountered someone they couldn't touch or ask to leave.

In general, there is no one they cannot 'invite' away, given the style of the bronze beasts.

But ironically, they really couldn't defeat the cultivators sitting in the Thousand Ghosts Hall.

Mo Xun, the eldest disciple of Xu Jiujing of Baidi City, is at the peak of the Heavenly Profound Realm.

Moreover, they also had something to say: "The Prince of Xu, in terms of status, should call my master 'Uncle.' How can an uncle kick out his nephew while he's eating?"

According to the way cultivators do things, such words are like a skunk in tiger's skin farting, ugly and fake. However, Chu Xunfeng's trick worked unexpectedly well for the bronze beast.

Because they were unsure of Prince Zou's attitude, they dared not speak on behalf of their master.

If it were an ordinary martial arts practitioner, they would naturally not care about such behavior of using someone else's name to build connections. But the wonderful thing is that the bronze beast is essentially an official, and Chu Xunfeng has thoroughly figured out the intricacies of this situation.

Chu Xunfeng taught Mo Xun a single sentence that left the bronze beast utterly embarrassed, forcing it to curse its bad luck inwardly. It then stopped Lord Xie's carriage ahead of time and told him about the uninvited guests from the Thousand Ghosts Hall.

The deputy commander of the bronze beast rolled his eyes. Combining their official reason for coming to the Ghost Clan, he roughly guessed how these single-minded cultivators from White Emperor City could come up with such a plan. He stopped the carriage, asked Prince Zou for permission, and then climbed into the carriage.

"Your Highness, Chu Xunfeng has sent someone to wait for you at the Thousand Ghosts Hall." Although there was a third person present, the deputy commander, whose face was covered by a half-moon mask, did not shy away from the matter and directly pointed out the problem. "The person who came is Xu Jiujing's eldest disciple from Baidi City. He claims to be your nephew. Should we send the food from the Thousand Ghosts Hall to the post station?"

This was a small probe, a test of how Prince Zou considered the stakes involved.

The robust middle-aged man, who was leaning against the carriage frame, opened his eyes. He showed no signs of fatigue and could even be described as vigorous and powerful. After a brief moment of thought, Prince Zou suddenly laughed. “Hasn’t my nephew been quite troubled by his relationship with Baidi City lately? Now that a well-known figure in Baidi City has recognized me as his uncle, I naturally have to go and see for myself.”

"As for Chu Xunfeng..." Prince Zou smiled, "You speak highly of him, but I only know his father's generation. As for his son, isn't this a good opportunity to test his abilities?"

"I understand." Lord Xie turned around, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and climbed out. He looked at his subordinates who were still waiting for orders by the carriage. "Go and tell the manager to serve the dishes. Have them sit at the same table as Mo Xun. Bring an extra jar of Ice Dew Brew so that Mo Xun can take it with him."

"Yes, sir." The bronze beast with a demonic mask on its face turned to leave.

"Wait, one jar of Ice Dew Brew is enough. Xie San, go and get a jar of my treasured Yu Bing Wine and bring it to Mo Xun to take away."

“When an uncle meets his nephew, he should at least prepare a small gift. Let Mo Xun bring a jar of something they can buy themselves. Otherwise, it would be a loss of face for me as the uncle.”

Xie San paused, then looked at his subordinate who had stopped and was waiting for his nod.

"Go ahead, do as the Prince says."

Seeing his men rushing towards the Thousand Ghosts Hall, Xie San, holding the reins, took a deep breath, flicked the reins lightly, and urged the horse forward.

This kind of magnanimity is what makes someone worth following. Whether they are useful or not, it's best to establish a relationship first.

However, a jar of ice-like words.

His Highness the Prince has already shown great favor to Chu Xunfeng; this is simply a matter of testing his true worth...

Is he trying to see what he's capable of?

Chapter Thirty-One, Prince Zou

Mo Xun was under a lot of pressure when he went to the Thousand Ghosts Hall. After all, the words Chu Xunfeng taught him worked well with the Bronze Fang Beast, but he and Prince Zou both knew that the two of them actually had no connection.

But when Prince Zou himself arrived, he immediately struck up a conversation with Mo Xun with a beaming smile. It seemed as if the two had known each other for a long time and there was hardly any distance between them.

Prince Zou also put himself in the proper role of an elder, first inquiring about Mo Xun's life and cultivation, and then turning the topic to Xu Jiujing, occasionally commenting on the food and urging Mo Xun to drink.

It was as if they were uncle and nephew who hadn't seen each other for years, yet their relationship remained close.

But he didn't mention Chu Xunfeng at all.

Mo Xun was also a quick-witted person, and he dealt with each topic one by one. He was not in a hurry to steer the conversation toward Chu Xunfeng, and he also put his enthusiasm to the extreme. In addition, as Chu Xunfeng had instructed, he did not mention the real purpose of today's event.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the meal was almost over, so Mo Xun took the initiative to get up and say goodbye. Unexpectedly, the Prince of Zou stopped Mo Xun and presented him with a jar of wine.

"His exact words were, 'As his uncle, I haven't cared about my nephew in recent years. Seeing him today, it seems my eldest nephew is doing quite well, but it seems he has nothing to do with me anymore. It's not appropriate to bring up the past today, so I'm giving him a jar of wine as a token of my apology. Please take it with you.'"

As Mo Xun spoke, he looked at the young man sitting across the stone table who had already unsealed the wine.

"Was this specially given to me?" Chu Xunfeng sniffed the sweet, fruity aroma and raised an eyebrow slightly. "I was never sure about Prince Zou's attitude before, but today it seems his personal relationship with my father's generation is truly exceptional..."

Mo Xun didn't respond. He had already sensed that during this meal with Prince Zou, Prince Zou was less eating with him and more remotely savoring the various arrangements and tactics Chu Xunfeng had used to arrange for him to meet with him.

However, seeing Chu Xunfeng's furrowed brows and Mo Xun deep in thought, Xue Changyun, who was not very familiar with the ways of officialdom, spoke frankly, "Isn't this a good thing? Why are you so worried, Junior Brother?"

“Fundamentally, this is definitely not a good thing.” Chu Xunfeng looked up at Xue Changyun. “I now know that my father is a disciple of the Minister of Rites in the imperial court. In other words, this personal relationship is viewed negatively by the emperor…”

"The Minister of Rites' connections are gravitating toward Prince Zou. The prince in name only, but in essence the emperor's uncle, is getting so close to a powerful official in the court... Don't say our Emperor of Xu is a petty person."

“Even the most magnanimous emperor wouldn’t sit idly by and watch this happen. My junior brother’s father must have been aware of these things to be able to become a disciple of the Minister of Rites, but these things still happened…” Mo Xun smiled bitterly. “To anyone else, this looks like an act of treason.”

Previously, Mo Xun couldn't understand why the Prince of Zou was so enthusiastic, but after his junior brother mentioned their fathers' affairs, he understood.

Chu Xunfeng gently tapped the earthenware jar of Yubing wine, then remembered a question. He looked at Mo Xun, "Shouldn't Prince Zou be guarded by bronze fang beasts? How strong are they?"

"If I can't see through it, it's most likely the Life and Death Realm."

"Did Prince Zou show any reluctance towards this bronze beast?"

"No, not at all."

“Then Prince Zou is probably the second brain of the bronze beast.” Chu Xunfeng’s face curled into a slightly cold smile. “I’m going to make a bold guess now. Prince Zou has probably been dissatisfied with his nephew on the throne for a long time. I just don’t know why his affairs were exposed. In the end, a group of righteous people who had gathered around him probably stood up and helped him avoid disaster.”

“If this speculation is true, I’m afraid your family is also affected by this matter, Junior Brother…” Mo Xun pursed his lips.

"Hmm." Chu Xunfeng shook his head. "I dare not make any rash judgments now, nor can I use these as a premise to judge the Prince Zou."

"Should I make further contact?" Mo Xun asked Chu Xunfeng.

“It’s necessary to make contact again, but… let’s wait, I’ll think about it.” The “thinking” Chu Xunfeng was referring to was naturally his personal involvement, but the prerequisite was to wait.

“There’s one thing you haven’t considered, Junior Brother,” Xue Changyun suddenly spoke, interrupting Chu Xunfeng’s thoughts. “What you just said might come true, but that doesn’t explain why the Emperor of Xu is targeting you.”

“…Hmm.” Chu Xunfeng nodded, but did not offer any further analysis.

Does he really not know?

He actually had a guess: the Dark Star Pavilion approached him because he possessed a system. The existence of this [Strongest Immortal King] system in the Nine Provinces and Three Regions was not the reason for his transmigration; it was only because he transmigrated that it came knocking on his door.

And what the manager of the Seven Star Tower in the Ghost Market said, about the perilous situation that the Azure Dragon God Lord mentioned back then...

Chu Xunfeng had a premonition that the system, himself, and the people like Prince Zou, though seemingly independent and unrelated, were somehow connected by some hidden thread.

It's just that my current level of understanding and vision are not enough to find that hidden thread and connect them together.

"Let's wait a day or two. My arrangements might not only open the door to the Foreigners' Council, but could even become a stepping stone to Prince Zou's place."

After all, the Dragon Clan hasn't arrived yet. Once the Dragon Clan, as their backer, arrives, many things will proceed smoothly.

Meanwhile, at the post station where Prince Zou was staying.

Prince Zou, seated on a carved wooden chair, lowered his eyes and thoughtfully sipped his tea. After a while, the middle-aged man suddenly spoke, "Xie San, what do you think?"

"Does His Highness the Prince refer to Mo Xun or Chu Xunfeng?"

“Naturally it’s Chu Xunfeng. Mo Xun is just a proxy whose identity allows him to get close to me.” Prince Zou chuckled, then glanced at the deputy commander outside the crescent moon, whose large areas of burned flesh were exposed. “We’ve known each other for so many years, how come you still can’t get rid of your bad habits in officialdom?”

“Your Highness, please forgive me, then I will speak frankly…” Xie San paused, “Based on the clues I have gathered, Chu Xunfeng is certainly an outstanding person, but he is completely different from his father’s generation.”

“Yes, completely different.” Prince Zou sighed with some regret. “Duke Chu can be considered upright and honest. When he uses his methods, they are all aboveboard schemes. He just stands there, smiling and waiting for others to make the choice he wants.”

"But Chu Xunfeng... is different."

"Well, judging from the Longquan Sword Manor incident, all his methods, except for his forced stepping to the forefront, could have been used by someone of influence to attract attention."

“Chu Xunfeng is used to hiding in the shadows. Whether his methods are scheming or overt, they are just tools, not his true character.” Xie San nodded.

"This is also related to his past experiences..." Prince Zou sighed. "I still can't understand why Duke Chu didn't keep his promise and send Chu Xunfeng to the capital..."

Xie San shook his head silently. "Those who experienced this incident back then basically all perished. His Highness the Prince retreated to a position of power back then, and was unable to influence Chu Xunfeng... due to his distance."

“That was my mistake…” Prince Zou sighed and put down his teacup. “Never mind, I’ll make it up to him if I have the chance in the future. After all, it’s pointless to bring up what has already happened.”

Chapter Thirty-Two: Finding a New House

Hongzhu led Lao Wang back to the courtyard; it was already quite late.

Of course, there is no clear distinction between day and night in the Black Forest, but everyone present, except for Old Wang, could clearly feel the slight changes.

For Hongzhu, she was more curious about the two extra people in the courtyard.

The courtyard originally only had two side rooms and a reception room, but now it was clearly intended to house three humans and two ghosts, so obviously there wasn't enough space.

"I don't care, it's just a matter of closing my eyes and opening them after a night of meditation." Senior Sister Xue Changyun was the first to express her opinion on the room allocation issue.

Mo Xun didn't really care, but when he turned to look at Chu Xunfeng, who was frowning slightly, he didn't say anything.

"Hongzhu, could you please go again and find a suitable room? There are already five people here, and more demons will be coming later. We can't all squeeze into this small place." Chu Xunfeng glanced at Hongzhu and the large pile of unopened items in the courtyard.

"Understood, Lao Wang, come with me." Hongzhu turned and glanced at Lao Wang.

Old Wang nodded slightly, then followed Hongzhu and went out again.

After the two ghosts, Hongzhu and his companion, left the courtyard, Mo Xun turned to Chu Xunfeng and asked, "Junior Brother, those two ghosts..."

"You could say they're my people. I found them in the Ghost Clan. Old Wang is a bit special, and as for Hongzhu, she's methodical and trustworthy." Chu Xunfeng casually explained, "I might be moving tonight, so I'd appreciate it if you could come and help me out, senior brothers and sisters."

"Go on," Xue Changyun said, standing up.

"I've set up an array, and I still have some materials that need to be completely removed and moved." Chu Xunfeng raised his hand to rub his forehead. "Hopefully, I won't have to pay too much money."