Chu Jiangnan awoke to find himself back in the Lingjiu Hall, lying on a bench.
Since even Xiao Shunzi could not enter the Lingjiu Hall without permission, Chu Jiangnan had no one to attend to him at the moment.
Lan Qing was kneeling before the statue, practicing and recuperating.
"Imperial Preceptor..." Chu Jiangnan sat up abruptly, staring at Lan Qing's pale face.
A trace of blood still lingered at the corner of his lips, not yet dried.
His originally spotless robes were now stained with splashes of blood, indicating that he had vomited a considerable amount.
"Imperial Preceptor, did I cause your cultivation to falter?" He thought he had truly seen his little princess just now.
The little princess he had been wholeheartedly searching for, whom he intended to shower with affection once found.
She had gradually grown from an infant into a young lady in Yue'er's arms.
He had almost managed to see his daughter's face clearly!
"I apologize..."
He was simply too anxious to find his little princess.
His daughter should now be over sixteen, not yet seventeen.
He wondered how she was doing out in the world, if anyone was bullying her, if she had suffered hardships, or if she had been wronged.
He truly, deeply wished to bring his daughter back to his side, to raise her like a precious gem.
He wanted to shield her from any grievance, to prevent her from enduring any hardship.
But what did his daughter look like? Where was she?
Lan Qing took a deep breath before respectfully stating, "It was my cultivation that was insufficient, Your Majesty. It has nothing to do with you."
Chu Jiangnan wanted to say something, but ultimately his mouth opened and closed without a sound.
Lan Qing's cultivation was indeed inferior to his master's, but he couldn't be blamed. He was still too young.
To possess such cultivation in his early twenties was already remarkable for someone of the Lan clan.
Moreover, the ability to see the future through the ice pool was not Lan Qing's strongest suit.
His elder sister, Lan Ji, was the most proficient in that regard.
A flicker of hope began to stir within Chu Jiangnan. "If Lan Ji were to come, would there be a chance?"
"The last time my sister and I cast the spell together, I couldn't see anything. My sister could glimpse a trace of a figure, but she said she couldn't see clearly."
"Is it possible to try again?" Chu Jiangnan's unease grew more intense today.
Perhaps it was due to the blood connection, but he always felt that his daughter had been wronged in recent days.
His heart would occasionally throb with a sharp pain.
After the pain subsided, it would completely disappear, as if it had never existed.
Yet, when it struck, it was a genuine pain.
Besides sensing his daughter's suffering, he could find no other reason.
But as he looked up, he saw another trace of blood slide down the corner of Lan Qing's lips.
Chu Jiangnan's heart sank. He said with resignation, "It is I who was too impatient. The Imperial Preceptor's cultivation has been damaged, and it will likely take some time to recover. I shall not disturb your recuperation."
To ask Lan Qing to cast a spell at this moment would be no different from asking for his life.
Chu Jiangnan returned to his sleeping quarters with a heavy heart.
Not only had he failed to see his daughter's appearance, but he had also caused the Imperial Preceptor to falter and sustain injuries. Today, it was indeed his own impatience that had led him astray.
After nightfall, Chu Jiangnan ordered Chu Qianli to be summoned.
"This is my token. From now on, you may move freely within the palace."
"I can go anywhere?" This token was somewhat beyond Chu Qianli's expectations.
She curved her lips into a smile, tinged with sarcasm. "Is this considered a small bribe from Your Majesty? To ensure I continue to be your obedient pawn?"