A damp, humid air, carried by the wind, rushed towards us. Before we knew it, a torrential downpour had begun outside, and the boat was rocking much more violently than before.

Such heavy rain at this time of year is rare, but given the unpredictable weather at sea, it's not impossible. Zhong Muyu looked at the pitch-black sky when suddenly a bolt of lightning struck.

Lightning struck the ship's mast, causing a moment of panic. Just then, someone shouted, "Looks like a storm is coming!"

The man standing nearby flew into a rage, grabbed the man, and yelled, "What nonsense are you spouting? If you keep making noise, I'll throw you down!"

Upon hearing this, the crew members cowered and dared not utter a sound. At that moment, Zhong Muyu was clinging tightly to the door frame. The ship was rocking violently, and she had to do her best to maintain her balance.

"Your Highness, it's dangerous outside. You should go back. If something happens, you'll be the one who suffers."

Zhong Muyu glanced at him: "Just like that, you think you're safe hiding in the house?"

Just as she was speaking, a huge wave crashed over her, splashing water that soaked her skirt again.

The man guarding her said nothing more. After a while, the situation seemed to worsen, and the man was also called away. Amid the noise, she only heard them say: "This storm came strangely."

Strange? The situation at sea is ever-changing, and she doesn't understand much else. However, Zhong Muyu could also see that, under the fierce storm, the ship had deviated from its original course and was heading into the depths of the sea.

Zhong Muyu wasn't sure if there were any spare escape boats on the ship, but given the current storm, launching one wouldn't help. She quickly returned to the house, intending to find Chi Xuanzhu and escape from here.

Just then, a huge wave crashed over, and the sound of breaking wood filled the air. A torrent of water rushed into the small room, and Zhong Muyu choked on some water. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself completely submerged in the water.

The ship sank?

This was what Zhong Muyu thought of instantly, but at this moment she had no time to care about anything else, she just swam towards the surface of the water with all her might.

"Warning: Consciousness space has been invaded."

The warning voice of 4601 suddenly flashed through her mind. Seeing that she didn't react, 4601 repeated it. Zhong Muyu thought for a moment, then immediately opened the space. A flash of white light appeared, and she fell into it.

...

Not long after, the storm subsided, the ship was smashed to pieces, and several people on board were killed. The remaining people survived by taking a spare ship.

They were rescued by passing fishermen and eventually made their way back to Yuanjing.

Inside the hall, Lu Zifeng stared at the row of disheveled people on the ground, his expression one of utter shock and disbelief: "Dead?"

"Your Highness, the storm was so fierce that I barely escaped with my life. I didn't see Princess Ling at the time; she may already be..."

"Didn't I tell you to risk your lives to protect her? A bunch of good-for-nothings! You still have the nerve to come back!"

Lu Zifeng was furious. He had never intended to kill Zhong Muyu, but now that Zhong Muyu had fallen into the sea and drowned, it was somehow related to him. If Lu Ziyuan found out about this, everything would be over.

Thinking of this, Lu Ziyuan waved his hand: "You guys go to jail to receive your punishment first."

Those people felt as if they had been granted a pardon and retreated one after another. After all, they were Lu Zifeng's confidants and highly skilled in martial arts, so Lu Zifeng would not easily kill them.

Lu Zifeng calmed himself down. He had botched the whole thing quietly, and even if Lu Ziyuan investigated, he wouldn't be able to trace it back to him.

...

In Lingqing, after searching for several days without success, the anxious Lu Ziyuan finally remembered that there was someone named Chi Xuanzhu.

He possesses extraordinary skills, and Zhong Muyu has received his help many times. Finding him will definitely not be a problem!

Thinking of this, Lu Ziyuan could no longer sit still and immediately ordered his men to prepare horses and head to Qingshui Village.

Without hesitation, Lu Ziyuan and his group hurriedly arrived at Qingshui Village, startling the village chief who quickly led people to greet them. His village was too small; if the Prince of Ling came with such a grand entourage every time, his heart couldn't take it.

Upon seeing them, Lu Ziyuan immediately interrupted their pleasantries: "Let's not talk about that for now. I'd like to ask you, is the Crimson Bamboo from your village still around?"

"Mr. Chi, it's been a while since I've seen him. He's the schoolteacher in our village, and it's really strange that we haven't seen him for the past few days."

Seeing that the village chief didn't seem to be lying, Lu Ziyuan asked again, "How long has he been missing?"

"About five or six days."

"Five or six days..."

Lu Ziyuan thought about it carefully and realized that it happened around the same time as Zhong Muyu's disappearance.

There aren't that many coincidences in the world, not to mention all those supernatural and bizarre things. Lu Ziyuan was convinced that he must know something.

Where did he go when you last saw him?

"this……"

The village chief was in a dilemma. Who would be so idle as to keep an eye on someone all the time? Chi Xuanzhu had only told him that he was going out on business and would be back in a few days. Who knew where he had gone?

He looked around at the people around him, and they looked at each other. But seeing that Lu Ziyuan was determined not to give up until he found someone, finally, a farmer in the crowd stepped forward.

"Your Highness, I saw him. I was tilling the land on the mountain when I saw Mr. Chi walking alone into the deep forest."

The mountains and forests of Qingshui Village are quite large. Finding someone in such a vast area is like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially since so many days have passed and the person may still be in the mountains.

Seeing that Lu Ziyuan remained silent, Chengfeng said, "Your Highness, we should at least look around. Why don't we search the mountains?"

"Search! I will personally lead the search."

After Lu Ziyuan finished speaking, he ordered his men to go back and lead the troops, while he led the rest of his men to search ahead.

...

Lu Ziyuan moved quickly, and the noise in the mountains alerted Chi Xuanzhu's maids, who stood guard outside the cave but dared not go in.

The maid was pacing anxiously: "How much longer will Master be in seclusion? Those people will be searching soon. What if they trigger the barrier?"

"Our master is the mountain god, he naturally has a way. We don't need to worry, they won't be able to find this place for a while."

The maids chatted and comforted each other. After a while, the stone cave door opened wide, and Chi Xuanzhu came out.

"Why are you making such a fuss? What happened?"

"Ah, Master, you've finally come out."

The maids surrounded Chi Xuanzhu and told him the truth about what was happening in the mountains.

To everyone's surprise, Chi Xuanzhu was not surprised at all. He simply nodded and said, "I understand. You all go about your business. Oh, and prepare the food. I'm going to host a guest."

Seeing Chi Xuanzhu's composure, the maids were reassured. After they withdrew, Chi Xuanzhu silently walked to the edge of the mountain forest.

He sensed Zhong Muyu's plea for help, but before he could act, the members of the Spirit Clan beat him to it. Now that Zhong Muyu is on Spirit Island, although her life is not in danger, the Spirit Clan members who finally obtained her will not easily hand her over.