Chapter 461: Chapter 461: Inner Harem Palace

"...What?"

Li Feng’s expression froze completely.

His eyes widened in genuine shock as Eunuch Peng’s words sank in.

The revelation hit him like a thunderbolt.

"But that... is impossible."

He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and murmured, his voice low and filled with disbelief.

All this time, he had been certain that Fen Ziyan had rushed back to the imperial capital to be by her mother’s side.

After all, he had clearly received her letter, and even Mu Qingyao had confirmed that Fen Ziyan had left the sect to deliver the message from her mother.

’...Could it be some sort of ploy to confuse me? No... that isn’t possible. Even if Mu Qingyao lied, it shouldn’t be possible for anyone else to place Fen Ziyan’s personal letter inside my residence. Plus, only Fen Ziyan knows the exact instructions I gave her...’

’Or... was she forced to write the letter? No, that’s even less likely with her unyielding and fiery temper...’

’Then... did she encounter trouble along the way and never arrive here? But there was no news from the sect about the flying ship being attacked or any incident...’

Li Feng’s mind spun rapidly.

The pieces didn’t add up at all.

Without realizing it, his hidden aura slowly leaked out due to his chaotic thoughts.

The air around him trembled visibly, the temperature seemed to drop, and faint cracks appeared on the ground near his feet.

Eunuch Peng, still kneeling, noticed the dangerous aura and gulped nervously.

Not daring to raise his head, he added cautiously in a trembling voice,

"T-This servant speaks the truth, Honored Envoy. After disobeying the Emperor’s orders, Princess Fen Ziyan’s title was stripped, and she chose to remain at the Azure Moon Sect. The palace... has been pretending the official residence is still occupied to save face, but very few people outside know the real situation."

Hearing this, Li Feng exhaled slowly, forcefully calming his chaotic thoughts and retracting his aura like a receding tide.

His eyes grew serious.

No matter what happened, Fen Ziyan should still be alive... because the system hadn’t declared her dead yet.

At least that was good news, but...

"...The matter has gotten even more complicated," he murmured softly with a deep frown.

After all, Li Feng had originally planned to take Fen Ziyan and her mother if necessary into the Divine Brick and escape.

He didn’t want to deal with her potential Calamity while his [Age of the Stars] skill was still on cooldown.

Li Feng glanced down at the still-trembling Eunuch Peng and narrowed his eyes.

He didn’t fully trust the eunuch’s words yet, so he needed confirmation.

And for that, he need to meet the person who cause all of this and confirmed directly.

"Where does Imperial Princess Fen Ziyan’s mother currently reside?" Li Feng asked softly, his voice calm but carrying undeniable pressure.

At those words, Eunuch Peng’s plump body shivered slightly.

"...?" For a brief moment, his expression looked somewhat strange as he stared at Li Feng.

Seeing this, Li Feng frowned.

"What? Don’t tell me she is gone too?"

"O-Oh, n-no!" Eunuch Peng pressed his forehead harder against the ground before answering carefully, his voice slightly shaky. "If it is Imperial Princess Fen Ziyan’s mother... then it would be Concubine Zi... She should currently reside in the inner harem palace..."

Li Feng didn’t reply immediately.

He remembered the eunuch’s strange look earlier and didn’t want to be misled again.

Without warning, he suddenly squatted down in front of the trembling servant, his eyes turning cold as he stared directly at him.

"Oi, are you hiding something from me?"

Eunuch Peng’s fat body trembled violently.

Cold sweat poured down his face as he kowtowed even lower, his voice quivering.

"T-This servant wouldn’t dare! This servant wouldn’t dare hide anything from the honored envoy!"

Then he gave a slightly awkward, nervous smile and added hesitantly,

"...It’s just that I am... actually an eunuch serving Concubine Zi."

Li Feng’s eyes flashed with surprise, then quickly narrowed with interest.

"Oh? You serve Concubine Zi directly?"

Eunuch Peng scratched his plump cheek timidly, avoiding Li Feng’s piercing gaze as he replied in a low, hesitant voice.

"Not exactly direct, but... this servant is among the eunuchs tasked with serving Concubine Zi. I handle small errands like delivering clothes, medicinal ingredients, and messages. That’s why... this servant was a little surprised earlier when the honored envoy suddenly asked about the princess and her mother."

Li Feng remained silent for a few moments.

He couldn’t help but be surprised at the coincidence.

Then his cold look disappeared, replaced by a friendly, harmless smile.

Li Feng chuckled lightly and patted the eunuch’s shoulder in a seemingly friendly manner.

"Ah, I see! It seems we had a misunderstanding then!"

Eunuch Peng let out a visible sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly at Li Feng’s sudden change in attitude.

But then Li Feng gently helped the fat eunuch stand up and even brushed off the dust from his robe with a few casual pats.

"My apologies, Eunuch Peng. I was a little tense because of the urgency of the investigation and might have frightened you earlier," Li Feng said with a warm, apologetic smile.

"Since you serve Concubine Zi and know the inner palace well, would you be so kind as to personally lead me to her residence? It would save me a lot of time, and of course, I’ll make sure it’s worth your while."

As he spoke, Li Feng sneakily slipped another high-grade spirit stone into the eunuch’s sleeve.

Eunuch Peng blinked several times, clearly caught off guard by the young envoy’s sudden politeness and generosity.

But he couldn’t help but smile wryly as he thought inwardly,

’So being bribed also comes with responsibilities too...’

The chubby eunuch quickly composed himself and bowed slightly, his voice now much more cooperative.

"T-This servant understands. Since the honored envoy is here on official business for His Majesty... this servant will personally lead the way. Please follow me!"

Eunuch Peng picked up his heavy basket once more and waddled ahead, guiding Li Feng through the winding, beautifully decorated paths of the inner palace.

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