Regardless of the details, the islanders were unaware of the specifics, but their desire to keep Zhong Muyu was genuine. Dongshan Yi wanted to say something more, but Master Wen stopped him: "Alright, I told you not to interfere, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened. Considering she still has feelings for the Spirit Clan, don't push your luck."

You may have desires, but you don't want to be her enemy, do you?

An elder behind her said discontentedly, "But if she leaves, she'll never come back..."

"You can try to win her back, it just depends on whether you agree or not. Don't covet things too much, otherwise no matter how good they are, they won't be yours."

The elder looked at him with a half-smile, and then fell silent.

...

In the end, Zhong Muyu chose to stay for the time being for the sake of her child.

The islanders treated her well, and she knew about 70-80% of the elders' motives for wanting her space. Apart from a few who were fantasizing about obtaining weapons to fight Yuan Qi, the rest were just trying to maintain the island's facilities.

This is a good thing for the people, and Zhong Muyu will not refuse it. Under Zhong Muyu's intervention, those ambitious elders are gradually pushed to the sidelines.

A long time passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhong Muyu was nearing her due date.

...

In Yuanqi, after months of fighting, Lu Ziyuan finally defeated the Xirong and killed Wu Zhao. With their leader captured, the northern barbarians had no choice but to surrender and then led their people to migrate northwest, never daring to invade again.

When Lu Ziyuan returned to the capital, the issue of who would inherit the throne was brought to the forefront by Prince Cheng and Prince Wen. At the same time, they were also wary of Lu Ziyuan, since with his current strength and popular support, he could easily defeat them and secure the throne.

Just as the two were discussing whether to join forces to eliminate Lu Ziyuan, someone outside came to report: "Your Highness, the Prince of Ling's army has entered the city and will soon enter the palace!"

The victory banquet was held in the palace, which was a rare gathering of all parties, both friend and foe, in this tense situation. Not only them, but also all the princes and princesses of the late emperor, as well as officials of the court, would come.

Upon hearing the report, the people who had been discussing the matter quieted down, and led by King Cheng and King Wen, they all went out to greet them.

Standing on high ground, one could see the people lining the streets to welcome them, with countless people throwing flowers at the procession. However, after looking at the generals in front, they did not see Lu Ziyuan.

Could it be that he/she is injured?

Some people were on edge, while others relaxed.

Lu Zifeng craned his neck and finally spotted a magnificent carriage behind the general's entourage.

The mighty war god prince, returning to court in triumph, is traveling by carriage instead of horseback; he must be injured, right?

Just as they were getting ready to offer their concern and care, the carriage curtain opened, and it was Zhiyu who stepped out.

The carriage was empty. King Wen, Lu Zixiu, frowned slightly: "Where is Prince Ling?"

Zhiyu seemed to have been prepared, presenting the letter written by Lu Ziyuan, and then added: "Your Highnesses, Prince Ling went to find the Princess Consort after the war ended. He said that his duty was fulfilled and he did not care about your grudges from now on."

The two quickly read the letter, and like everyone else, they all looked incredulous.

Lu Zifeng exclaimed in surprise: "He left because of something like this?"

"The prince deeply loves the princess. He knows he cannot abandon his duty, but he also cannot abandon the princess. The prince said that if he finds the princess, he will come back. No matter who this world belongs to, as long as he is given a peaceful place to live and work in peace, that is enough. If he cannot be tolerated, he will fly far away. Of course, if the Yuanqi is invaded by foreign tribes again in the future, the prince will return without hesitation."

Having said all that, everyone around couldn't help but admire Lu Ziyuan's deep affection and loyalty. At this moment, Lu Zixiu seized on another key point: "Princess Ling's fate is currently unknown, so why is he so determined to go outside Yuanqi to search for her? Could it be that he already has some leads?"

Ke Zhiyu remained calm and said, "I am not aware of this matter either."

If Lu Ziyuan was determined not to reveal anything, they wouldn't be able to get anything out of him. Fortunately, Prince Cheng and Prince Wen wouldn't hold it against them. They were actually quite happy that Lu Ziyuan was gone.

The victory banquet was held as scheduled. After this day, the situation in Yuanqi may become unpredictable again.

...

On the other side, after returning from the battlefield, Lu Ziyuan didn't even have time to rest before heading to Zhong Muyu with a few guards, as planned.

He abandoned his guards, who had families and responsibilities, leaving only his loyal henchmen behind. They sailed for five days and five nights, but still couldn't see a glimpse of the island.

Seeing the dark circles under Lu Ziyuan's eyes, the leader reminded him, "Your Highness, please go and rest for a while. You've been working hard for days and can't take this kind of exertion."

"I can't rest easy without seeing Yu'er. Isn't the Spirit Consciousness Island very close? How come we've been traveling for so many days and still haven't arrived?"

“The route is correct. You also inquired with the merchants who went to the Spirit Island. They should have arrived by now. It's possible that the weather has been bad these past few days, causing the course to deviate slightly. I'll go check again.”

The helmsman was also encountering this strange thing for the first time. He had been traveling to and from the Spirit Island for nearly twenty years and knew this route by heart. Otherwise, Lu Ziyuan would not have invited him. But why has it taken so long to arrive this time?

He went up to the deck. The sky was overcast, as if it were about to rain. That's right, the weather had been like this ever since they left on the third day. They were constantly worried that there would be a heavy downpour, but the sea was calm and windless, and not a drop of rain fell.

It's as if time has stood still here.

Time stands still!

Lu Ziyuan also thought of this. He slapped his forehead. Months of war had made him forget Chi Xuanzhu's instructions. He only remembered to find Zhong Muyu, but he ignored the special abilities of the Spirit Clan.

They're clearly trapped right now, but...

Chi Xuanzhu only said she would help him, but didn't say how. Lu Ziyuan thought for a moment, then took out the map Chi Xuanzhu had given him. He wanted to see if there were any clues.

Upon inspection, it was indeed there. Without saying a word, Lu Ziyuan began preparing according to Chi Xuanzhu's instructions, while also instructing the people outside not to disturb him under any circumstances.

Within Lu Ziyuan's consciousness space, the Crimson Bamboo slowly appeared.

"The war is intense, you must be exhausted, but don't worry, Zhong Muyu is doing well."

How did you know that?

Chi Xuanzhu smiled and said, "I have tried to sense her dreams over the past few months, but all attempts have failed. However, just a few days ago, I discovered that the restriction on her dreams has been lifted. Although I still cannot contact her, I assume that she is no longer in danger."

Lu Ziyuan breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that she's alright. Now I'm trapped at sea. Do you have any way to get me to the Spirit Island?"

"There's only one way: I'll possess your body."

"What?"