That sounded reasonable. Feng Wu gave Chaoge a nod, then went back home.

Mr Duan wasn’t alone. He was followed by three other people: his wife, Duan Chaoyue, and Duan Chaoyin.

Duan Chaoyin had been eliminated after the written exam.

As for Duan Chaoyue… Well, she did get into the physical tryout, but she didn’t seem to have left an impression on anyone.

Chaoge glanced at the screen.

The system had consolidated everyone’s scores from both exams and the latest rankings were already out.

One glance and Chaoge knew that Duan Chaoyue didn’t make it.

She laughed inwardly. These two sisters had been so pleased with themselves before. Well, it was Chaoge’s turn to be pleased now.

Chaoge smirked a little. “Were you talking to me?”

Mr Duan gave Chaoge a disgruntled look. “You’re my daughter. Who else am I supposed to be talking to?”

Chaoge smiled. “So, I’m your daughter now? Wasn’t it only the other day that you abandoned me to a burglar?”

“Is that how you speak to your father?” Mr Duan feigned a displeased tone.

Chaoge ignored him and turned to Mrs Duan instead. “Gosh, you look awful. Are you not feeling well? Right, my eldest sister didn’t pass the written exam. How about your other daughter? Did she pass the physical tryout?”

Mrs Duan blanched with anger!

Quit acting already!

Chaoge had looked at the rankings, and she hadn’t exactly been subtle about it! She had done it right in front of them! She knew perfectly well that Chaoyue didn’t get in. Why did she even ask?!

“Duan Chaoge, you —”

However, before Mrs Duan could say another word, Mr Duan cast a stern look at her. “You can’t talk to Chaoge like that! Shut up!”

Mrs Duan stared at Mr Duan in disbelief.

Before all this…

She used to be able to scold and punish Chaoge however she liked, and so could her two daughters… But now, she couldn’t even say a few harsh words to the girl?

Mrs Duan wouldn’t accept it.

Chaoge snorted inwardly and went on asking, “Did my sister get in? She’s so knowledgeable and she’s a better cultivator than I am. She had access to 100 times more resources than I did. She can’t have failed when I got in myself. If that’s the case, what a waste of our family’s resources.”

“You —”

Hearing Chaoge’s sarcastic tone, Mrs Duan was so frustrated.

“Chaoge, let’s go home, where we can talk more comfortably,” Mr Duan said to Chaoge in his nicest voice.

She had gotten into Imperial College; very few parents could enjoy that privilege! The Duan family was going to prosper!

Chaoge shook her head. “Nope, that home is the last place I want to be at the moment. I’ll never forget how you people used to treat me!”

The only thing that home reminded Chaoge of was five years of painful memories.

She would never forgive them for that.

“Where are you going?!” Mr Duan’s face darkened when Chaoge turned to leave.

“I’m going to Xiao Wu, of course. Did you think I could get into Imperial College all by myself?” Chaoge sneered at Mr Duan, then promptly left the family of four.

Watching Chaoge leave, Duan Chaoyin snorted. “Feng Wu? She’s not going to be around for long.”

Duan Chaoyue frowned. “I heard that Feng Wu got her ability back, and she used to be such a genius…”

“Heh —” Duan Chaoyin smirked. “You were taking the exam and don’t know what happened. So what if she got her ability back? She’s going to be in so much trouble.”

“Trouble? What trouble?” Duan Chaoyue was confused.

Duan Chaoyin gloated. “Because… she offended His Royal Highness. Well, not only His Royal Highness, but the entire royal family as well. What do you think will happen to the woman that just offended the crown prince, the golden boy of the empire?”

“Why? What did she do?”

“Well, she…” Duan Chaoyin then described what she had seen on the screen.

“What?!” Duan Chaoyue covered her mouth in astonishment. “Feng Wu did that to His Royal Highness in front of so many people? Oh god. I would kill myself if I were her…”

“You don’t say. That was so humiliating.”

“Oh god… His Royal Highness is such a neat freak. He’s so going to kill Feng Wu when he finds out!”

“That was why Mu Yaoyao chose to run away. No one will go after her head after His Royal Highness kills Feng Wu.”

…

Feng Wu heard none of the gossip. She hurried back home as quickly as she could.

Because she was worried about her family.

Qiuling and the others wanted to come out and welcome Feng Wu, but Fallen Star Yard was surrounded by guards, and they couldn’t get out.

Qiuling was furious. She pointed at the guards. “You have no right to keep us here! Move!”

However, the guards kept silent and only stared at them with solemn and intimidating looks on their faces!

They didn’t reply. Instead, they closed the door and locked it from the outside.

Qiuling was astonished!

“What’s this about? Are we criminals now?!”

However, no matter how loudly she yelled, the guards were silent and remained where they were.

Qiuling wouldn’t have it. She climbed onto the wall, ready to jump out.

However, before she could do that, she saw that the yard was surrounded by highly capable guards.

They were everywhere…

It would be impossible for her to get out.

Lady Xuanji had been kept out of it, but it was impossible to not disturb her, with all the noise.

She blanched and took Qiuling’s hand. “Xiao Ling, is Xiao Wu in danger?”

That was the question on everyone’s mind.

Feng Yanfeng would never do such a thing to them if something hadn’t happened to Feng Wu.

And the guards had announced that they were here at the command of the head of the clan. No one was to disobey.

Quiling tried to calm Lady Xuanji down. “It’s okay. I’m sure it’s nothing. Miss Wu is so smart. Nothing can happen to her.”

But Lady Xuanji wasn’t convinced.

Granny Zhao chimed in, “Miss Wu isn’t what they think she is. She’s a proper cultivator now, and a very impressive one. Right?”

“Yes. Miss Wu is already an outstanding cultivator among those in her generation.” Uncle Qiu joined the conversation. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

Granny Zhao didn’t want to upset Lady Xuanji, so she took her hand to comfort her. “What we need to do now is wait here quietly for Miss Wu to come back.”

By then, Feng Wu had just stepped into the Feng manor.

The guards’ eyes flickered when they spotted Feng Wu.

One of them ran into the manor immediately!

Feng Wu frowned. What was that about?

In the imperial palace —

Jun Linyuan was carried straight into Cining Palace.

The empress dowager burst into tears as soon as she set her eyes on Jun Linyuan.

“My Baby Jun… How do you feel? Are you in pain?” The empress dowager’s hands trembled as she took one of Jun Linyuan’s hands in her own.

Master Chu had already been waiting, and he gave the empress dowager a wry smile when he saw how tightly she was holding the teenager. “Your Majesty, His Royal Highness needs to be treated now, so —”

“Yes, of course —”

The empress dowager rose to her feet with Lady Northern Feng’s help and moved aside. However, she kept her gaze on Jun Linyuan’s face so that she wouldn’t miss a thing.

Jun Linyuan was still unconscious.

Master Chu had thought about asking the old lady to leave the room, but eventually shook his head when he saw the look on her face.

He then moved on to check the crown prince’s pulse.

The look on his face was grave at first, but gradually, it relaxed.

The empress dowager had kept her eyes on Master Chu from the moment he started studying Jun Linyuan’s pulse. She needed to see the look on the doctor’s face.

Master Chu drew back his hand after five minutes and let out a breath of relief.

“How is the crown prince? Speak!” the empress dowager prompted.

Wiping away the sweat that had covered his forehead, Master Chu nodded. “His Royal Highness didn’t fight that Frosty Night Beast just once, but three times.”

“Three?!”

Emperor Wu had filled his mother in on how ferocious that beast was, and the old lady was astonished. “Is the crown prince badly hurt?”

Master Chu was treating a member of the royal family and he had to make it sound very serious even if it wasn’t, just in case he couldn’t cure the patient in the end.

He said, “It was life-threatening at some point, but luckily, someone already treated the crown prince and cleared out some of the poison. I think His Royal Highness is safe for now.”

“So, you’re saying that Feng Wu saved the crown prince.” Lady Northern Feng chimed in at the right moment as she spoke up for Feng Wu.

Master Chu nodded. “That’s right. If Miss Feng Wu hadn’t cleared out the toxin in his system, His Royal Highness would probably have… left us by now. More importantly, Miss Feng is an exceptional doctor. I don’t think I’m her match.”

Lady Northern Feng stole a glance at the empress dowager. See? The crown prince would be dead if it wasn’t for little Feng Wu!

Little Feng Wu saved the day!

But the old lady acted as if she didn’t hear it, and she asked without looking at Master Chu, “So, you’re telling me that the crown prince is alright now.”

Master Chu left some room for unexpected developments, and he chose his words carefully. “He should be, if everything goes as planned.”

“Good, good…” Patting her chest, the empress dowager let out a breath of relief.

“Actually…” After some hesitation, Master Chu suggested, “Miss Feng Wu and His Royal Highness went through this together, and she treated him first. So… I think our safest choice is to invite her here to treat His Royal Highness.”

However, the empress dowager turned him down right away. “Master Chu, you’re our safest choice; that girl was just a temporary fix. Now that you’re here, why do we need her?”

She was furious whenever she recalled how roughly Feng Wu had handled Jun Linyuan, and the fact that she had chosen to dig out the Heart of Frost Essence and absorb the spiritual essence instead of taking care of her Baby Jun. The old lady wanted to slap Feng Wu.

Master Chu shook his head with a wry smile.

He had made the suggestion because he was worried that something would go wrong now that he was Jun Linyuan’s doctor…

He realized that Feng Wu was unbelievably good with acupuncture after studying only half of the acupoints that Feng Wu had stuck her needles into. That girl was unparalleled in her medical skills.

The empress dowager snorted. “I don’t want to hear that name ever again!

“And, she’s not to see the crown prince or set foot in the imperial palace! I’ll have her killed if she doesn’t obey!” The empress dowager glared at Lady Northern Feng. “You, go tell Feng Wu that! Now!”

Lady Northern Feng was conflicted…

The empress dowager had been a capricious old lady for years, but she hadn’t always been this awful…

What did Xiao Wu do?

She had saved the crown prince twice, and she only took that heart and spiritual essence in between treating him.

But Jun Linyuan hadn’t needed her at the time, and her actions hadn’t harmed the crown prince. Why couldn’t the empress dowager be reasonable?

Lady Northern Feng wanted to speak up for little Feng Wu, but she had tried several times and the empress dowager wasn’t buying any of it. If she tried to explain to the old lady now… she would be hated alongside Feng Wu.

At that thought, Lady Northern Feng stared at Emperor Wu helplessly.

She believed that Emperor Wu was reasonable. She could talk to him.

Emperor Wu shrugged at Lady Northern Feng. He understood what Feng Wu had done, but she had disrespected the crown prince and the royal family.

Lady Northern Feng was speechless.

So, her Xiao Wu was hated even after saving the crown prince twice, just because she had been a little rough? Feng Wu couldn’t be any more innocent…

Slowly, Lady Northern Feng rose to her feet and began to walk toward the door.

How she hoped that the empress dowager would stop her.

But —

The old lady didn’t even look at her. She kept her gaze on Jun Linyuan the entire time.

Lady Northern Feng turned and noticed that Jun Linyuan’s eyelashes were quivering.

Wait, was the crown prince awake?

Just then —

“Retch —”

He began to convulse and foam at the mouth!

The empress dowager was almost scared to death!

“What’s happening? What’s wrong with the crown prince? Help him!” The empress dowager panicked and she pushed Master Chu toward the bed.

Master Chu’s eyes widened!

What was going on?

The crown prince’s pulse had been weak but steady and smooth. How… where did this violent reaction come from?!

Soon, Jun Linyuan’s face was tinged with a gray hue…

The poison had activated!

Hadn’t the remaining poison been suppressed? Master Chu had been planning to gradually extract the toxin from Jun Linyuan’s system a little at a time, but —

Master Chu sat down, took a deep breath, and calmed down before he checked Jun Linyuan’s pulse again.

What he found baffled him.

The empress dowager stared at Master Chu, so nervous that she thought her heart was going to jump out of her throat!

“What? How’s the crown prince now?!” she asked hastily.

Master Chu couldn’t understand it. This type of reaction shouldn’t be happening in the first place. Why? Everything had been fine!

Unless, the crown prince had activated the toxin himself.

But… why would the crown prince do that? It wasn’t possible. Master Chu ruled out the possibility.

However, he couldn’t think of another one.

Master Chu racked his brain but still couldn’t figure it out.

Master Chu shook his head. “It’s an unexpected reaction from the toxin. The most important thing now is to suppress it.”

“So suppress it! Do it now!” The empress dowager was anxious.

Master Chu nodded, then took out some silver needles to treat Jun Linyuan.

However, Jun Linyuan’s muscles had stiffened under the effect of the toxin, and the needles wouldn’t go in.

Master Chu was speechless.

He had to try a different method, and switched to the green light.

It was a skill only mastered by Supreme Level medicine refiners.

However —

To everyone’s surprise —

The pale green light only floated over the crown prince and wouldn’t sink into his body.

The empress dowager almost fainted.

“Why is this happening? Why? Didn’t Feng Wu use the green light to treat him before? Why can hers work, but not yours? Why?!”

She spoke fast and loudly in an accusing tone.

Master Chu was equally baffled. He had no idea why this was happening.

The only reason he could think of was that the crown prince was actively refusing his treatment. But… that wasn’t possible.

Master Chu was utterly dumbfounded.

He had never experienced something this unusual in all his years working as a doctor.

“What now? Is the crown prince going to die?!” The empress dowager was almost in tears.

Master Chu said, “His Royal Highness is suffering from a most unusual injury and I only understand half of it. I’m afraid that I can’t figure out the other half.”

The empress dowager bellowed, “If you can’t do it, who else can?!”

The same name came to everyone’s mind.

“Feng Wu?!”

Emperor Wu, the empress dowager, and Lady Northern Feng, who hadn’t left yet, cried out in unison.

Master Chu nodded. “I’m afraid Miss Feng Wu is our only hope. Otherwise…”

He went on despite the empress dowager’s glare. “Otherwise, we may lose His Royal Highness forever…”

The empress dowager shuddered. “But you told me the crown prince was alright!”

Master Chu gave her a wry smile. “This is… unexpected.”

The old lady glared at him. “What are we waiting for, then? Summon Feng Wu to court! Send her an imperial edict! No, that’ll take too long. My verbal command will do.”

She nudged Lady Northern Feng as she spoke.

Lady Northern Feng was bewildered. “Huh?”

The empress dowager cast a stern look at her. “Don’t just stand there! Go to the Feng manor and bring Feng Wu here! Quickly! Move!”

Lady Northern Feng sighed inwardly.

Just minutes ago, the old lady had announced that Feng Wu was never to set foot in the imperial palace nor meet the crown prince again…

Now that the boy’s life was in danger, the old lady had forgotten everything she had said?

Although, Lady Northern Feng was glad how things had turned out.

The empress dowager had practically slapped herself in the face.

“Sure, I’ll go get Feng Wu now.” Lady Northern Feng left happily.

Meanwhile —

Feng Wu had no idea what was happening in court, for she was standing right outside her Fallen Star Yard.

And the entrance was blocked by a row of guards.

Not only was the entrance blocked, guards were also lined up under the walls.

All of Fallen Star Yard was surrounded, and no one was allowed to come out.

Feng Wu’s face darkened.

She knew what was going on.

People were messing with her family, the thing she valued the most!

“Move.” Feng Wu stared at the guards.

However, determined to carry out Feng Yanfeng’s order, the guards only held their ground and looked coldly at Feng Wu.

“I said, move.” Feng Wu’s eyes glinted like cold blades.

But the guards still wouldn’t move. They acted as if they didn’t hear Feng Wu at all.

Feng Wu smirked. “I won’t repeat myself again.”

Her actions would speak for her.

Thud!

Feng Wu raised her foot.

Thump!

She kicked the guard in front of her, and he hit the door behind him.

The loud noise caught the attention of the people inside.

Lady Xuanji had always been as skittish as a bunny, and she jumped at the loud bang.

“What happened? What happened?” Qiuling rushed out of her room to find Feng Wu standing at the entrance to the yard.

And Qiuling would never forget that scene.

The arrogant guards were all rolling around and moaning on the ground.

And there were more of them than Qiuling expected; it seemed that they included those who had been standing along the walls.

Qiuling savored the sight and was thrilled to see Feng Wu again. “Miss Wu! You’re back! Sob —”

She rushed to Feng Wu’s side, wrapped her arms around the latter, and burst into tears.

Feng Wu asked, “Where’s my mum? Are you alright?”

The guards were still moaning, but it was only background noise to Qiuling. She explained to Feng Wu as she led her to the bedroom, “Your mother is fine. She’s just a little shaken by everything that’s happened, and she’s resting inside. I’m so glad that you got back in time. Otherwise…”

“What happened?” Feng Wu asked Qiuling in bewilderment.

Qiuling stared back at her with an equally puzzled look. “Miss, you don’t know what happened?”

Feng Wu said, “I don’t. What is this all about?”