As the white shadow moved, all things were revitalized, even the trampled dry leaves underfoot regained their vitality, turning into green branches and leaves.
Yet, the surrounding assassins were injured and thrown several meters away by a powerful force before they could even get close.
The sword fell, the men fell, and beyond a few dozen feet, not a single assassin survived.
At this moment, Nangong Li, clutching his profusely bleeding abdomen, watched the white-robed man slowly approaching him.
His eyes held nothing but shock.
The sky, which had been covered by dark clouds moments ago, now revealed the sun. The faint sunlight fell upon the white-robed man, as if he were gilded with a layer of golden light.
The assassins injured by the shock scattered around, their blood splattering dozens of feet. The blood left by several assassins on the ground resembled a bloody abstract painting.
And the white-robed man was like the only highlight in the abstract painting, conspicuous and captivating.
As the white-robed man approached Nangong Li, both Nangong Li and the Southern Barbarian Princess could clearly see the man's exquisite face.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle!"
"Mo Gege!"
Nangong Li and the Southern Barbarian Princess exclaimed in unison.
They never imagined that Nangong Mo was still alive!
"En."
With just one word, Nangong Li and the Southern Barbarian Princess could clearly hear Nangong Mo's familiar voice.
If not for his injuries, Nangong Li would have embraced Nangong Mo on the spot and had a "close contact!"
At this moment, the Southern Barbarian Princess's eyes were red.
She choked back her tears and smiled, "It's so good that you're alive!"
Seeing Nangong Li again, the Southern Barbarian Princess no longer harbored the same persistent affection for him.
However, seeing Nangong Li alive, she was still very happy.
"You are injured."
His voice remained as cold and aloof as ever.
Glancing at Nangong Li's wounds, Nangong Mo raised his sleeve and waved. Miraculously, Nangong Li's abdominal wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The scars on the Southern Barbarian Princess's face and the back of her hand also healed.
However, for other injuries, Nangong Mo, being a man, found it inconvenient to treat them. He took out a bottle of white porcelain from under his sleeve and threw it into the Southern Barbarian Princess's hand.
"This can heal your injuries. Apply it yourself when you get back."
The Southern Barbarian Princess, still immersed in joy, looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand, astonished.
Her injuries? This was so effective?
Several assassins had been dealt with, and their injuries were almost fully healed.
At this moment, what Nangong Li most wanted to know was where Nangong Mo had gone during this long period and what he had experienced.
He always felt that his Ninth Imperial Uncle had become much more powerful when he saw him this time!
The three of them caught up in a pavilion.
Nangong Mo said a few important words.
But these words left Nangong Li and the Southern Barbarian Princess utterly bewildered.
"What? Emperor Lian? Immortal Realm? Spiritual Power? Evil King? Demon Realm? What the heck?"
Nangong Li was completely confused.
What were all these? Why couldn't he understand a single word his Ninth Imperial Uncle was saying?
The Southern Barbarian Princess, Luolayata, was also bewildered.
Nangong Mo, who was not good at explaining, then unsealed the remaining memories in Nangong Li's mind.
It was the memory of the bamboo house.
It was also the memory of his battle with the Evil King.
Nangong Li's head throbbed, and the scenes in his mind replayed. After his memory was restored, he seemed to have gone completely numb.
"My heavens, Ninth Imperial Uncle, you are too powerful! An immortal? Damn it, I'm sticking to this golden thigh of yours."
Nangong Li was filled with emotion.
Just as he was contemplating how to cling to his Ninth Imperial Uncle's thigh and make a grand entrance in this mortal world, as described by the "immortal,"
Luolayata covered her mouth and tugged at Nangong Li's sleeve with great alarm.
"Mo Gege, he... he..."
She was so shocked that she stammered.
"What is it!"
His train of thought, which was full of bravado, was interrupted, and Nangong Li's expression turned displeased.
But when he turned his face and saw Nangong Mo, who was in a semi-transparent state, his mouth was so wide it could have fit an egg.
"My heavens, Ninth Imperial Uncle, what... what happened to you?"
A face that could be seen as exquisitely beautiful, yet paired with a semi-transparent body.
Looking closely from nearby, one could see Nangong Mo's semi-transparent limbs and his entire body.
Even the white robes he wore could be seen with their fabric structure.
But from a distance, only a head could be seen, swaying back and forth in mid-air.
Well... it was a bit terrifying.
Fortunately, it wasn't night, otherwise, Nangong Li wouldn't have been sure he wouldn't have been scared to death by his Ninth Imperial Uncle's appearance.
"It's a side effect of the Immortal Absolute Art. The immortal soul is unharmed, only the physical body is damaged."
Without further explanation, Nangong Mo used the most direct words to describe his current abnormal state.
But... Nangong Li didn't understand.
"So, Ninth Imperial Uncle, you will appear before everyone in this peculiar state from now on? That's great! From now on, if I don't like someone, Ninth Imperial Uncle, you can help me scare his grandmother to death."
The Southern Barbarian Princess: "..."
"Scram!"
Nangong Mo shot him a cold glance.
"Help me find a temporary physical body to possess. I need to meet Qianying in another guise."
Originally, he had intended to wait until his physical body recovered before going to see his girl, Gu Qianying!
But he couldn't wait any longer.
"Physical body?"
Nangong Li and the Southern Barbarian Princess exchanged glances.
After roughly understanding what Nangong Mo intended to do, the two of them sprang into action.
A moment later.
In the pavilion, only Nangong Mo remained, waiting quietly.
From a distance, he still looked like a head suspended in mid-air.
Nangong Li and the Southern Barbarian Princess searched separately, from rabbits, pheasants, wild dogs, fish, snakes, frogs, to birds flying in the sky – all were animals, no living people.
After a long while.
Nangong Mo looked coldly at the wild donkey Nangong Li was leading by the reins, and the fat pig the Southern Barbarian Princess was holding.
He was extremely exasperated.
If he had known, he would have gone to find Bai Qi, Du Chun, and the others.
Compared to getting things done, Bai Qi and Du Chun were much more reliable than Nangong Li.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, please make do. It's getting late, and we need to return to the city. If we're late, the city gates will be closed."
"Yes, yes. Gu Qianying is currently living in the palace. If we want to see her, we need to return to the capital and go to the palace."
After Nangong Li and Luolayata's persuasion, Nangong Mo's soul body attached itself to a wild donkey.
With a roar, the dull-witted donkey's eyes became exceptionally spirited.
Nangong Li was a "deceased" person and could not reveal his true appearance.
Upon returning to the capital, he covered his face with a human skin mask and changed out of his male servant attire.
He became a follower of the Southern Barbarian Princess.
Entering the capital, the Southern Barbarian Princess Luolayata was accompanied by a follower, who was leading a donkey.
This scene was rather peculiar.
Meanwhile.
In the palace, at Jiaofang Hall.
After Gu Qianying returned from handling affairs outside, Meng Shi was still waiting in Jiaofang Hall.
She did not enter through the main door but climbed in through the window.
Meng Shi, disguised as her, was lying on the bed. Upon hearing the movement, she immediately got up and walked down from the bed.
"Qianying, you're back. I've been waiting so anxiously."
Meng Shi was not an anxious or impulsive person.
Her current urgency suggested that she must have encountered an unexpected situation.
Gu Qianying asked as she changed her clothes, "What happened? What did you encounter?"
Shedding her red attire, she put on the court dress that signified her status as Imperial Noble Consort.
As Gu Qianying changed, Meng Shi also changed into her Empress attire.
"There are three matters. The medicinal boy by Physician Du's side secretly sent word saying that Physician Du has gone missing.
The second matter is that the National Preceptor, Ouyang Qinglin, came to see you, seemingly with something important to tell you. But you were not here, so Lu Zhu used the excuse of your indisposition to make the National Preceptor wait outside the hall. At this hour, National Preceptor Ouyang seems to have already left.
The third matter is that Yan'er, a palace maid I used to have who was quite loyal, sent word saying that the Empress Dowager is not in Fushou Palace. She hasn't seen the Empress Dowager for several days, and the Empress Dowager is also missing."
Meng Shi paused at this point.
She thought for a moment, and there was still one more thing to mention.
"Oh, and also, the former驸马 (Imperial Son-in-Law), Hu Biao, is kneeling outside the hall holding his daughter. He has been kneeling for more than half a day, saying that he must see you, otherwise, he will not leave."
The three matters plus one allowed Gu Qianying to quickly process them.
Regarding these matters, Gu Qianying prioritized the most important ones.
She sent a carrier pigeon to mobilize all the disciples of the Poisonous Doctor's Sacred Pavilion for a thorough search to find Du Chun.
Within the palace, she also had the few disciples she brought into the palace conduct searches in the "nooks and crannies" of the palace.
In addition, she opened the paper window and contacted National Preceptor Ouyang Qinglin using a unique signaling method.
As for the Empress Dowager, she glanced back at Meng Shi: "Empress, you can use your identity as Empress to go to Fushou Palace to find clues. The Empress Dowager's disappearance, who is behind it? Nan Rongqi? Or the Empress Dowager herself? These need to be verified."
"Whether the Empress Dowager lives or dies has nothing to do with us, but to defeat an opponent, one must understand the opponent clearly. Knowing yourself and your enemy leads to victory."
After giving these instructions.
Meng Shi also left Jiaofang Hall and went to Fushou Palace under the guise of paying respects.
Meanwhile, Gu Qianying, after Lu Zhu returned, took her to see Hu Biao.
Outside the hall.
Gu Qianying looked coldly at the man kneeling at her feet.
The man was still holding a little girl in his arms. The girl was in her early teens and should have had tender skin and a delicate and pretty appearance.
But now, the little girl in the man's arms had sallow skin, a pale and bloodless complexion, and her small mouth was purplish-black.
The little girl had her eyes closed, leaning softly against Hu Biao's embrace, as if she were asleep, or perhaps had already "breathed her last!"
At this moment, Hu Biao was kneeling outside the hall, holding his daughter.
He had brought his daughter here since last night.
But Gu Qianying did not see him, so he could only kneel outside the hall, begging Gu Qianying to see him.
His legs, trained in martial arts for years, were strong and powerful, but perhaps due to kneeling for too long, or exerting more force while kneeling with his daughter,
his legs had temporarily lost sensation, making him unable to stand up or move for the time being.
As Gu Qianying walked over, she paused in front of him and then glanced at the person in his arms.