The old abbot did not refuse Si Fengwu's bow, but said with relief, "This humble monk has known all that Your Highness and Your Highness Consort have done over the years. Your Highness is very capable; you have accomplished what His Highness the Crown Prince could not. Your Highness Consort is also excellent. His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess would surely be comforted to know that Your Highness has such a virtuous wife."
Si Fengwu then turned to Lu Qingwan and said, "Awan, come and meet Master Bai."
His tone made Lu Qingwan look at him uncertainly. After all, Si Fengwu had only mentioned one Master Bai to her, but hadn't that one been reported dead from severe injuries long ago?
Seeing Lu Qingwan's eyes full of doubt, Si Fengwu nodded affirmatively, "No need to doubt, it is indeed that Master Bai."
It was truly the Master Bai who had protected Si Fengwu all the way from Zhongzhou to Shangjing. Without further questions, Lu Qingwan bowed deeply to Master Bai, "This junior greets Master Bai, and wishes Master Bai well."
The other party did not offer polite words, but merely nodded repeatedly with affection. After brewing tea and handing each of them a cup, he slowly began, "This humble monk has heard that you two are going to hand over the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token?"
Seeing the person rumored to be dead appear before her, Lu Qingwan dared not reply casually. Si Fengwu, however, was somewhat surprised, "Master Bai also knows of the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token?" He couldn't help but think that if one didn't know the origins of these two items, a monk who had lived in seclusion for many years wouldn't care whether they handed them over.
The abbot did not answer Si Fengwu's question, but instead asked with a concern that Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan couldn't quite understand, "Can you tell this humble monk what you are thinking by handing over those two items?"
Si Fengwu did not need to think to list the dangers the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token had brought them. Although the Crown Prince and Princess Consort had not been deliberately mentioned, Master Bai still sensed their rejection and dissatisfaction towards that couple. His eyes shifted slightly, and he finally uttered a sentence that was not part of his plan.
"Your Highness, have you ever considered finding His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess to ask for a clear explanation?"
Si Fengwu had finally made up his mind not to let his unacquainted parents disrupt his life again. Upon hearing this, although he was slightly tempted, he still stubbornly shook his head.
"No. Besides, they didn't want me to find them, did they?" If they had any desire to reunite with them, why would they hide their whereabouts so thoroughly?
Master Bai repeatedly shook his head, "Your Highness, you must not think that way. Although this old man does not know why His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess have not returned, they would never abandon their two young masters. I have a map here, and you can find His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess to ask them clearly in person..."
Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan were stunned. Neither of them had expected that even the people from Sansheng Lou and Hanxiao Hall didn't know the whereabouts of the Crown Prince and Princess Consort, yet the abbot possessed a map all along.
Lu Qingwan did not mind being proven wrong at all and eagerly asked, "Master Bai, what map are you talking about? Can we find the Crown Prince and Princess Consort according to your map..."
Amidst her jumbled questions, Si Fengwu calmly looked at Master Bai. He wanted to ask more than just about the map. He wanted to ask Master Bai why he had declared to the outside world that he had been severely injured and died back then, when he was clearly alive. He also wanted to ask why, if he knew the whereabouts of his parents, he had never told him.
But in the end, Si Fengwu said nothing. He merely looked at Master Bai with an almost broken gaze and sat in the meditation room of Xiangguo Temple for an entire afternoon. The other party's expression was pained and hesitant, but in the end, he still said nothing, only handing a rolled-up parchment map to Si Fengwu.
"A year ago, when His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess came, they only gave this to this humble monk. This humble monk knows nothing else, and I beg Your Highness's forgiveness." After speaking, he closed his eyes and began to tap a wooden fish, as if unwilling to deal with anyone further.
Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu were astonished, "A year ago? That was precisely when we obtained the True Dragon Token!" They had just returned from Daqin then. Si Fengwu wanted to completely bid farewell to the identity of Feng Xiwu. The two of them came to Xiangguo Temple to pay respects to Emperor Jingyou and the late Empress Dowager, and it was from the abbot of Xiangguo Temple that they received a sachet containing the True Dragon Token. And now…
After a brief shock, both of them reacted, "A year ago, just when we were being harassed by people from Wu'an Palace, they had actually returned?" Lu Qingwan truly couldn't stand this. If they were far away and beyond reach, she could understand. But if they were nearby, and they watched her and Si Fengwu being bullied with open eyes and did nothing, what kind of peculiar parents were these?
Si Fengwu casually tossed the map in his hand, "The map is here. Do you want to go and find out the truth?" Although it was a parchment map, the material was not old, suggesting it was only put on parchment for easy preservation.
Lu Qingwan directly reached out, "Let me see." Upon taking it and looking, she was completely confused, "Is this, are you sure this is on this continent? Why does it look like it's already in the southern sea?"
"Not 'looks like,' but it is indeed in the southern sea." Si Fengwu looked at the map, which was small but contained everything, and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, the place we are going should be in the southern Illusory Night Sea." He gestured on the map. "No wonder people have tried to find Sansheng Lou and Hanxiao Hall for thousands of years. Now it seems they have hidden themselves in the Illusory Night Sea using a special formation. How could ordinary people possibly find them?"
Lu Qingwan raised an eyebrow, "What? Is there anything special about the Illusory Night Sea?"
"Special? You could say so." Si Fengwu said the most shocking words in the most calm tone. He said, "I don't know what is strange about the vicinity of the Illusory Night Sea. It was originally a considerable sea area, and the main island was quite large, but it's like something small that can hide itself at any moment, appearing and disappearing. Whether people can see the Illusory Night Sea depends entirely on luck."
Lu Qingwan listened with great interest, "And you? Have you seen the Illusory Night Sea?" Lu Qingwan thought that Si Fengwu was knowledgeable and might indeed have seen the true face of the Illusory Night Sea.
Si Fengwu, on the other hand, humbly said, "You've really overestimated me this time. I really haven't seen what the Illusory Night Sea looks like, but someone has." Seeing his expression of shared glory, Lu Qingwan immediately became spirited, "Who?"
"My Imperial Brother, Brother Xi Yan." Si Fengwu emphasized the phrase, "When Brother Xi Yan was young, he traveled extensively with our Imperial Father. Not only did he visit the Illusory Night Sea, but he also brought back a painting titled 'Illusory Night Sea Suppressing Map'."