"Let's go back to the palace!"
Princess Linglong said, then rode her warhorse away, seemingly not intending to make things difficult for Lu Fan.
"Princess, he disturbed you and insulted the royal family. Are you just going to let him go like this?" a general beside her asked, somewhat unconvinced.
"If you don't want to let him go, then go ahead and subdue him. If you can't beat him, then there's nothing I can do," Princess Linglong shrugged. "Besides, what he said isn't wrong. There are many experts in Lingjian. One should remain low-key, even if they are royalty."
The general stood there, helpless. They had never expected the usually willful and capricious Princess Linglong to let Lu Fan go so easily.
It was known that many people had died at Princess Linglong's hands before. Today, letting Lu Fan go made them somewhat surprised.
Above the various restaurants, many figures stood, astonished by what they had witnessed. They had thought Lu Fan was doomed this time, but the reality was not as they had imagined, leaving them bewildered.
"Sir, you scared me to death!"
Duan Tianya said, "Princess Linglong is notoriously willful and capricious. Offending her will not end well. Now that she has spared you, I don't know if there will be trouble in the future."
"People like this, who are willful and capricious, should be dealt with like this," Lu Fan chuckled. "Let's go to shop number 18! After we finish our business, we should leave the imperial city as soon as possible to avoid being coveted."
Duan Tianya nodded slightly, agreeing with Lu Fan's words.
Meanwhile, in a restaurant, a young man held a paper fan, appearing like a graceful young master, accompanied by many subordinates.
"I truly didn't expect that within the White Dragon Dynasty, someone would dare to treat Princess Linglong like this," Lin Qiuyang chuckled, somewhat surprised.
"Even the young master would probably not dare to act like this when meeting Princess Linglong,"
A subordinate beside him said, "This person probably won't live long, given Princess Linglong's personality."
"Not necessarily!"
Lin Guoping shook his head. "If Linglong truly wanted to act against him, she wouldn't have left like this. Since Linglong has already left, she won't act against him again."
"The young master understands Princess Linglong so well. It's likely that before long, the young master will become the驸马 (imperial son-in-law) of the White Dragon Dynasty!" the subordinate said flatteringly.
Lin Guoping, however, shook his head. Although the Lin family was one of the financial magnates and held significant status in the White Dragon Dynasty, he knew very well that Princess Linglong was not easy to deal with. The person she wanted to find would definitely need her approval.
"As a princess of the royal family, Princess Linglong's final choice for her驸马 will surely be from the three major families. Only the young masters of the three major families can be worthy of Princess Linglong," the subordinate spoke again. "Does the young master lack confidence?"
"That's not it. Compared to the other two families, I naturally have confidence. But with Linglong's personality, she's not that easy to talk to," Lin Guoping shook his head. "As for whether I can become the驸马, that's hard to say."
Outside shop number 18 in the imperial city, Lu Fan and the other arrived. Looking at shop number 18, they felt a bit surprised.
The entire imperial city was magnificent and ornate, but shop number 18 was out of place, looking dilapidated and even somewhat old.
A short while later, Lu Fan and the other walked in. As soon as they entered the shop, they saw an old woman, leaning on a cane, refining something with skilled hands.
The old woman stopped her work upon seeing Lu Fan and the others. "My lords, are you here to refine magical artifacts or something else?"
"I am looking for an ancient secret technique that can restore the physical body!" Lu Fan said. "No matter the cost, I am willing to pay it."
"Restore the physical body? Bring back the dead?"
The old woman glanced at Lu Fan but shook her head. "We cannot do that. Besides, this is just a small shop, how could it have such ancient secret techniques."
"As a member of the Wu clan, this seems to be your specialty."
Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "As long as it can be successful, I am willing to pay any price."
The old woman shook her head again. "I have already said, I cannot help with this matter. You two should leave."
"Old woman, members of the Wu clan are quite knowledgeable about these secret techniques. How could you not be able to help?" Duan Tianya said.
"This is an ancient forbidden technique. If I were to perform it, it would surely bring disaster. Moreover, this is human territory. I am powerless to do so, nor would I dare."
The old woman's expression was serious, with a hint of fear in her eyes. She could establish herself in the imperial city precisely because of years of caution, which allowed her to remain safe. Such ancient forbidden techniques, once discovered by the royal family, could cost her her life.
"I have traveled a long distance just to find this technique," Lu Fan said directly. "If you are unwilling, I will not leave easily!"
The old woman frowned. Lu Fan's words seemed to carry a threat, causing her expression to fluctuate slightly.
"My lord, I am only running a small business. Besides, with my abilities, I cannot possibly perform the ancient forbidden technique you speak of," the old woman said with a smile. "You two should leave."
Lu Fan was somewhat unwilling and frowned. He hadn't expected the old woman to be so direct, wanting to drive them out.
"Elder, I don't want to make things difficult for you, but if you are unwilling, at least give me some clues," Lu Fan said. "Or, hand over the ancient secret technique to me."
"Impossible. This is an ancient secret technique, how can it be easily passed on to humans!" the old woman shook her head. "You should leave."
Lu Fan, in his helplessness, took Duan Tianya and left shop number 18, frowning.
"Sir, I think that old woman knows how to use the secret technique," Duan Tianya said.
"That's natural!"
Lu Fan nodded slightly. "But to make her act, we must grasp her weakness. Otherwise, she probably won't act."
Duan Tianya nodded. "If that's the case, then sir, what do you think we should do?"
"Let's stay in the imperial city for now and gather some information," Lu Fan said with a wry smile. "If all else fails, we'll have to resort to force."
Duan Tianya also agreed. "These Wu clan people are most afraid of force. They are quite reverent towards humans."
"It's not reverence, it's aversion," Lu Fan chuckled. "As soon as we entered the shop, I could feel her malice. This is also why she is unwilling to help us!"
"Malice?"
Duan Tianya was slightly startled. Lu Fan's words were enlightening. As Lu Fan said, the oppression of their race made them dissatisfied with humans, which was understandable.