Demon, come and cultivate for me.

Chen Xiangzi hesitated about this matter. After all, he was a man from the State of Chu.

However, the Crown Prince of Yan had treated him well, so he couldn't refuse outright.

Zhou Chu, however, was different. He originally wanted to go to the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Baiyue to find cultivation techniques and investigate the reason for Fan Li's demonization.

Now that I can travel at public expense, I'm naturally happy to accept it.

It's a pity that I just bought a big house and haven't even settled in yet, but I have to leave the capital again.

"Zhou Chu, and what about you?" the Crown Prince asked, staring intently into Zhou Chu's eyes.

Zhou Chu said, "We'll just have to do as you please."

The Crown Prince then looked at Chen Xiangzi.

Chen Xiangzi hesitated for a moment, then finally clasped his hands and said, "Your subject is willing to go."

"Very well!" The Crown Prince nodded and said, "You all go back and rest well for three days. If you need anything, just tell Mr. Cheng, and he will grant your request. You will set off south after three days."

"Yes, ma'am!" the three replied in unison.

Having finished discussing business, Xu Yuan and Chen Xiangzi took their leave.

The crown prince left Zhou Chu behind and they returned to the city together in the same carriage.

On the carriage, Zhou Chu told the Crown Prince about Zhao Ji in detail.

The crown prince merely nodded without any further comment, then changed the subject and asked:

"I've heard that Miss Xie and you are in love. Is that true?"

Zhou Chu's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

What's going on? Why are you suddenly asking this?

He and Xie Ning had nothing to do with each other, so how did the Crown Prince come to say they were in love?

The crown prince's expression remained normal, as if he were having a casual chat.

Even so, Zhou Chu did not dare to answer the question rashly.

Even an ordinary person would be furious to be rumored to be having an affair with someone else's fiancée, let alone the crown prince who is second only to the emperor.

Could this be a sting operation? The moment they utter a single "yes," they'll be facing violence.

If it's not like that, then where should we begin to explain?

Tell the truth? I wasn't wearing clothes when I first met your fiancée?

For a moment, Zhou Chu was filled with countless thoughts and didn't know how to start the conversation.

Seeing that Zhou Chu remained silent, the Crown Prince smiled and said:

"Love between men and women is a natural human emotion. There's no need to belittle yourselves because of the Xie family's power. If you both return safely from your journey to Baiyue, I will ask my father to bestow upon you a title equal to that of the Xie family head, and then I will arrange your marriage..."

"The plan is that far ahead?" Zhou Chu was somewhat surprised, but at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Since the Crown Prince has said so, it must not be a sting operation.

Come to think of it, Xie Ning had said that her marriage to the Crown Prince was only mentioned casually by the Prince of Yan, and no formal betrothal had been made. In terms of etiquette, she was not yet considered a true fiancée.

Furthermore, the Crown Prince may never have even met Xie Ning, let alone developed feelings for her.

Thinking of this, Zhou Chu was no longer nervous and thanked the Crown Prince frankly.

After entering the city, the Crown Prince sent his entourage back to his residence first, taking only Mr. Cheng, the man in red, and ten soldiers with him to Zhou Chu's house.

Upon reaching the entrance, the Crown Prince instructed the man in red to accompany Zhou Chu inside, take Zhao Ji away, and tell Zhou Chu that this matter must not be made public.

Zhou Chu led the man in red into the house and into the room where Zhao Ji was imprisoned.

Before the door was even opened, Zhao Ji was heard cursing loudly in the room, using the most offensive and vulgar language imaginable, which was not at all like what a royal woman should say.

She opened the door, dispelled the formation, and rushed directly towards Zhou Chu.

Upon seeing the man in red beside Zhou Chu, Zhao Ji immediately stopped what she was doing and asked, "Where is the Crown Prince?"

"Go with him outside," Zhou Chu replied.

The man in red glanced at Zhao Ji, casually clasped his hands in a fist salute, and turned to leave.

Suddenly, Zhao Ji seemed like a different person, obediently following the man in red as they walked outside.

"Goodbye! Don't bother seeing me out."

Zhou Chu watched the two figures leave, feeling much relieved. At least he'd gotten rid of this troublesome person.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day arrived for Zhou Chu and his two companions to set off south.

Over the next three days, the Crown Prince sent Zhou Chu horses, swords, maps, and other items.

This horse is a top-quality horse purchased from the Qin state. It is entirely red, with glossy coat and a robust build.

Manager Hu said that the horse was worth at least three thousand taels of silver.

The sword was forged from fine iron, exceptionally tough and sharp, capable of cutting through a hair with a single breath. While not as powerful as the one Xie Ning held, it was clearly a fine sword.

The day before, Xie Ning, who had not shown up until now, came to see Zhou Chu and seemed very happy.

She told Zhou Chu that after returning home, her father locked her in her room and confined her to her room. Unexpectedly, after only two days, he released her and allowed her to move around freely.

Furthermore, after she returned home, her family never mentioned her marriage to the Crown Prince again.

Xie Ning felt strange, so she secretly asked her family what had happened, but most of them said they didn't know.

She didn't dare to ask her parents directly, so she could only ask her brother, Xie Qi.

After much persistent questioning, Xie Qi finally managed to get the answer out of him.

It turned out that the Crown Prince had privately told Xie Ning's father that the Prince of Yan's proposal of a marriage alliance was merely a drunken remark and should not be taken seriously. He hoped that Xie Ning's father would find another suitable husband for Xie Ning and not jeopardize his life's important matter.

After hearing this, Zhou Chu said, "Then congratulations, you are free."

Xie Ning chuckled and said, "I can come see you every day from now on."

Zhou Chu said, "I'm afraid that won't work."

"Why? Don't you welcome me?" Xie Ning asked, feigning anger.

"I'm setting off south tomorrow, and I won't be back for at least a year or two."

Zhou Chu had seen the map given to him by the Crown Prince, which marked five locations in the Hundred Thousand Mountains that appeared to contain the Imperial Seal.

If you're unlucky, it could take at least six months just to visit all the locations on the map.

Add to that the several months of travel, and the round trip would take at least a year.

"Go to Baiyue?" Xie Ning asked.

Zhou Chu nodded.

The smile that had been on Xie Ning's face since she entered the door vanished without a trace in an instant.

"Sigh." She sighed and said, "This place is fraught with danger. Without my protection, you must be careful and don't lose your life out here."

You? Protect me?

Reversing the Heavenly Stems.

Zhou Chu said confidently, "Don't worry, with my current cultivation level, I won't die easily."

Xie Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "What time do you set off tomorrow? I'll see you off."

"Let's set off as soon as it's light." Zhou Chu said, seeing that it was already late, "It's getting late, hurry home, lest your family comes to me demanding your return."

Xie Ning gave many more instructions on what to pay attention to on the road, and finally reluctantly boarded the carriage to go home.

As dawn broke, Zhou Chu packed his bags, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the south gate.

Xu Yuan and Chen Xiangzi happened to arrive at the city gate at the same time as Zhou Chu.

Just as the time for the city gates to open arrived, the three were about to set off when they heard someone behind them call out, "Wait a moment, you three."

The three turned around and saw that it was Mr. Cheng riding a horse towards them, with the Crown Prince and the red-clad men who were always by his side.

The crown prince was dressed in casual clothes and looked like a spoiled young master from a wealthy family.

He rode up to Zhou Chu and the other two and said, "I'll see you off."