# Chapter 154: The Truth
"Princess Cang Yue… she is… Princess Cang Yue…" Yun Che murmured, somewhat dazed. As a subject of the Cang Feng Empire, Yun Che naturally knew the name Princess Cang Yue. The current emperor of Cang Feng, Cang Wanhe, had seven sons and one daughter. The crown prince was "Cang Long Crown Prince" Cang Lin, and the only daughter was "Cang Yue Princess" Cang Yue. When he was young, the emperor and princess were legendary figures. Though he and Xiao Lingxi often fantasized about what the emperor and princess might be like, they never imagined they would have a chance to encounter them.
As a boy, he always had a special fantasy about "princesses," because the title "princess" symbolized nobility, elegance, and beauty—the most perfect and honorable women in the world. Yun Che never imagined that Lan Xueruo was actually the Cang Yue Princess he, like many other men, had yearned for and fantasized about countless times in his youth.
He had been certain that Lan Xueruo's status was extraordinarily noble, but he never associated her with the identity of "princess." Because a princess came from the imperial family and was the emperor's only daughter, she would inevitably carry a strong sense of pampered arrogance and domineering nature. But he found none of these traits in Lan Xueruo—only gentleness and kindness. She was friendly to everyone, never showed signs of willfulness, never discriminated against or looked down on anyone. When she saw others in trouble, she would immediately want to help… These traits were completely different from the image he had of Princess Cang Yue in his mind. She was even more approachable and gentle than ordinary daughters of officials.
She was Princess Cang Yue… and he was just a wanderer from the small Liuyun City, without background, without power, without family. Why had she treated him so well back then?
"Since she is Princess Cang Yue, why was she in New Moon City at that time?" Yun Che asked, still dazed.
Qin Wuyou did not answer directly. Instead, he asked back, "Yun Che, do you know the current state of the Cang Feng Imperial Clan?"
Yun Che thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "I know a little. Senior Brother Sikong briefly mentioned it before. It seems the emperor is gravely ill, and Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo are secretly preparing to compete for the next emperor's throne, and they have allied with the Xiao Sect and Fen Tian Gate respectively."
Speaking of this, Yun Che's heart tightened. The emperor was gravely ill… No wonder there was always such deep sorrow hidden in the depths of her eyes. So that was the reason.
"Exactly." Qin Wuyou nodded, then began to narrate in detail.
"About three years ago, the emperor suddenly fell violently ill and could not get out of bed. The imperial physicians were helpless. Later, we invited the recognized first divine physician of our Cang Feng Empire, Gu Qiuhong, to treat the emperor. His conclusion was that the emperor had overworked himself over the years, accumulating hidden ailments throughout his body. That time, he caught a cold, which triggered all the hidden ailments to erupt simultaneously, damaging his life pulse. His vitality became extremely weak. Since the life pulse was damaged, there was no cure; only nourishing supplements could be taken day and night. There was no other way."
"Years of hidden ailments? Damaged life pulse?" Yun Che frowned. Such an illness?
"Later, several dozen famous physicians from various regions were summoned, and their conclusions were all the same: the emperor had no illness at all, merely inexplicable physical weakness. These conclusions all pointed to the truth of Divine Physician Gu Qiuhong's diagnosis. Gu Qiuhong also said that a damaged life pulse was incurable. If properly nurtured, the emperor could live at most five more years. As the leading divine physician of the Cang Feng Empire, Gu Qiuhong has never spoken falsely in medicine. Now, three years have passed. That means the emperor's remaining lifespan is at most only two years. Last month, my elder brother went to the palace to see the emperor and reported that the emperor's complexion was extremely poor and his breathing weak. It's hard to say whether he can last even a year, let alone two."
Yun Che: "…"
"Since the emperor's life pulse was damaged and he became bedridden, clouds of smoke have arisen everywhere in the imperial family. Crown Prince Cang Lin began to hint that the emperor should pass the throne to him early, while Third Prince Cang Shuo had long coveted the throne. At first, it was just covert struggles between them, but as the conflict escalated, it turned into open fights known to everyone in the Cangfeng Imperial City. The crown prince has the support of the second and seventh princes, while the third prince is backed by the fourth, fifth, and sixth princes. Both sides use various means to win over court factions, even gradually encroaching on the emperor's core power. They have always been evenly matched, with neither able to completely overpower the other."
"Originally, such struggles for the throne are normal within the imperial family. Almost every new emperor goes through such a prelude before ascending. The emperor had been letting things take their course. But what no one expected was that Crown Prince Cang Lin, in order to suppress Third Prince Cang Shuo's faction, actually enlisted the help of the Xiao Sect. In response, Third Prince Cang Shuo enlisted the help of Fen Tian Gate to counterbalance."
"Alas." Qin Wuyou let out a long sigh. "All along, the Xiao Sect and Fen Tian Gate have harbored ambitions, coveting the power to control the world. Over the years, the imperial family has carefully maneuvered against them. Additionally, with the imperial family maintaining good relations with Tian Jian Villa and the Villa's constraint, the Xiao Sect and Fen Tian Gate dared not forcibly seize imperial power. But them taking the initiative to seize power is a completely different concept from the imperial family actively borrowing their power. In the latter case, they can gradually infiltrate their power into the imperial family through Cang Lin or Cang Shuo. By then, even if the imperial family still bears the surname Cang, sovereignty would be controlled by the Xiao Sect or Fen Tian Gate. Even Tian Jian Villa would have nothing to say."
"If so, it's more likely that the Xiao Sect and Fen Tian Gate actively lured Cang Lin and Cang Shuo," Yun Che said calmly.
"Exactly," Qin Wuyou nodded. "When the emperor learned all this, he was furious, but it was too late. By then, both Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo had their forces spread throughout the imperial court. Even though he was their father, he could no longer forcefully shake them, not to mention that the Xiao Sect and Fen Tian Gate were secretly aiding each side. In fact, if not for the emperor's remaining deep-rooted core power and the protection of Tian Jian Villa, Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo might have already forced him off the throne."
Speaking of this, Qin Wuyou was full of indignation. After calming himself, a pained expression appeared on his face: "In recent years, Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo have become the main actors in the imperial family, while the emperor has been lying in his bedchamber for years, almost forgotten. Among the emperor's seven sons and one daughter, the only one who truly cares for him and stays by his side is his only daughter, Princess Cang Yue. Alas… These three years have really been hard on her. Fortunately, she is just a girl, without any power or threat; otherwise, she might have already been secretly persecuted by the crown prince or the third prince. Alas."
"She wanted to stop the crown prince and third prince from inviting wolves into the house?" Yun Che asked with a frown.
"She tried, but gave up, because it was impossible for her to stop it." Qin Wuyou shook his head sadly. "In this struggle, our Cangfeng Mystic Palace has taken a neutral stance, loyal only to the emperor. At the same time, it has become the only support for Princess Cang Yue. But the will of the disciples is beyond our control. Among the hundred inner palace disciples, more than half have already been recruited by Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo, including Feng Bufan, ranked second on the inner palace Heavenly Xuan List, and Fang Feilong, ranked third."
"Knowing her power was too weak to stop the ambitions of the crown prince and third prince, Princess Cang Yue stayed by the emperor's side. Two years ago, in order to fulfill one of the emperor's regrets, she joined the Cangfeng Mystic Palace under the alias 'Lan Xueruo.' She left a month later, then traveled outside the imperial city, visiting various branch mystic palaces across the empire, searching for someone who could help her father achieve his wish."
Speaking to this point, Qin Wuyou fixed his gaze on Yun Che.
"I am the person she found?" Yun Che said, his face expressionless. "What is her father's wish? Why choose me? Why does she think I can help her father achieve that wish?"
"The Cang Feng Ranking War," Qin Wuyou said five words softly.
Those five words made Yun Che's heart jolt. He blurted out, "Could it be…"
"Alas~~" Qin Wuyou sighed once more. Mentioning the "Cang Feng Ranking War" seemed to darken his expression. He stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked to the bamboo window, speaking slowly: "Speaking of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace, everyone knows it was established by the Cang Feng Imperial Clan. It is the largest mystic palace in the entire Cang Feng Empire, a dreamland for countless young profound practitioners. But the Cang Feng Empire is filled with numerous sects and countless powerful practitioners. In the eyes of those major sects, our Cangfeng Mystic Palace is nothing but a joke."
"The Cang Feng Ranking War was originally held once every ten years, then shortened to every five years, and a hundred years ago, it was shortened to every three years. From the first Cang Feng Ranking War to now, ninety-nine sessions have passed. As the core of the nation's political power, the Cang Feng Imperial Clan naturally receives an invitation every time. But after ninety-nine sessions, not once has anyone from the Cang Feng Imperial Clan ever managed to enter the top one hundred—not once! What a joke and humiliation this is. When the current emperor ascended the throne, his greatest wish was to see the Cang Feng Imperial Clan break into the top one hundred of the Cang Feng Ranking War during his reign… But after nearly twenty years on the throne and experiencing six sessions of the Cang Feng Ranking War, this wish has never been fulfilled. Now that his lifespan is running out, this has become his lifelong regret. Princess Cang Yue, in order to help him fulfill this wish before he departs, left the imperial family to search for a talented profound practitioner who could represent the imperial family and win a place in the top one hundred. After two years, she chose you."
"…I see."
Why had Lan Xueruo been so good to him, even risking great danger to save him? This doubt was finally resolved. Upon learning the truth, he couldn't tell how he felt.
"The Cang Feng Imperial Clan possesses a special profound art called the 'Emperor's Heart Art.' Only those with the imperial bloodline and a pure heart can cultivate it. Among the seven princes and one princess, Princess Cang Yue is the only one who has successfully cultivated the 'Emperor's Heart Art.' With the 'Emperor's Heart Art,' one can, to a certain extent, glimpse a person's fate and fortune. Princess Cang Yue must have seen extraordinary fate and fortune in you through the 'Emperor's Heart Art,' combined with your astonishing performance at New Moon Mystic Palace. Therefore, she chose you without hesitation."
Yun Che: "…"
"Now, do you understand what I meant by 'awareness'?" Qin Wuyou turned around and said meaningfully.
"Basically, I understand. At the very least, I need to represent the imperial family in the Cang Feng Ranking War for her sake." Yun Che's expression was calm, as if lost in thought.
"No, just that is not enough to be called awareness. After all, participating in the Cang Feng Ranking War only brings success or failure, not life or death." Qin Wuyou continued, "Two years ago, Princess Cang Yue left the imperial city. Finding a suitable person was only one reason. The more important reason was… to escape a terrifying person."
"Who?" Yun Che raised his head slightly.
"Fourth place in the last Cang Feng Ranking War—the eldest son of Fen Tian Gate's Gate Master Fen Duanhun, and also the young master of Fen Tian Gate—Fen Juecheng!"
[ps: Fen Duanhun's three sons: Fen Juecheng (22 years old), Fen Juebi (19 years old), Fen Juechen (17 years old)]