At this moment, the two princes were like frightened birds. After all, they were just teenagers, though raised in luxury and taught by the Imperial Family, they listened to the Eldest Prince, Wei Yuandao.
"Mr. Zhang, will you stay here?"
Zhang Jian comforted them, "Your Highness, rest assured, this place is secretive. Even a part of my family’s core members are unaware of it. The two of you simply need to recover well. Once the situation in Haojing City stabilizes, I will personally arrange for you to be brought back to Haojing City safely!"
Shortly after, Zhang Jian looked towards Empress Qi, her face slightly pale, having remained silent all along.
"Your Majesty, do not worry, you are pregnant now, and under any circumstances must take care of your health for the sake of the young prince, as well as yourself and His Majesty!"
Zhang Jian’s expression was calm.
Upon hearing this, Empress Qi’s expression changed slightly. She looked at Zhang Jian, lifted her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, saying,
"Brother-in-law, you are right. For His Majesty, I will certainly nurture this pregnancy well and will not disappoint the opportunity His Majesty has sacrificed himself to create for us!"
"That’s the right way to think!"
Zhang Jian’s face showed a slight smile, he continued, "I will go to find Mother-in-law later, and have her arrange for some maidservants and caretakers to look after you. The mountain is cold and deserted, you’ll need some care!"
Empress Qi nodded slightly.
Then Zhang Jian looked over to the side and smiled at Jingming Daoist.
"State Preceptor, do you think my arrangements are appropriate?"
Jingming Daoist nodded, "Mr. Zhang, I am entrusting the Empress and the two princes to the Zhang Family for the time being!"
A flicker of a different color flashed across Zhang Jian’s eyes, he suddenly asked, "State Preceptor, do you intend to return to Haojing City?"
Jingming Daoist’s gaze appeared somewhat forlorn, and then he nodded.
"Dong Shen Temple and Daqian are prosperous and decline together. Now, even though His Majesty has passed, Daqian remains. Whether for the sake of Daqian, or for the thousands of disciples and followers of Dong Shen Temple, this humble Daoist cannot retreat!"
After finishing, Jingming Daoist paused slightly and continued, "Please, Mr. Zhang, be prepared. Once we have restored order in Haojing City, we will come to bring back the Empress and the two princes!"
"Of course, Mr. Zhang, as the savior of the two princes, Daqian will certainly grant you a title and position in due time!"
Zhang Jian merely shook his head, "As the old saying goes, a title is not my desire, I only wish for the waves to settle!"
Jingming Daoist was unusually optimistic, but Zhang Jian did not share this sentiment.
He had already communicated with True Monarch Zhanmo, having learned that today’s attack on Haojing City involved only a small portion of True Monarchs from across various sects, and when Qianhai True Monarch is trapped and other major sects act in unison, Qianhai True Monarch will not survive.
Once Qianhai True Monarch is gone, numerous adversaries of Daqian will most likely swarm in. Even with the Dong Shen Sect Ancestor, they might not be able to withstand it. By then, even Dong Shen Temple will be unable to protect itself.
Nevertheless, Zhang Jian was prepared to return to Haojing City once more.
Firstly, to bring back Empress Qi and her son, secondly, to bide his time.
Without further delay, Zhang Jian took Jingming Daoist directly back to Haojing City.
The return was much simpler.
Through the connection between himself and the Yellow Court Blessed Land, he locked onto a coordinate in the void, returning in a straight path.
In just a moment, two figures appeared in the courtyard of Zhang Jian’s residence.
This technique even left Jingming Daoist greatly astonished.
"Mr. Zhang, your Daoist Technique is truly eye-opening!"
He could not stop praising it.
Zhang Jian smiled without speaking, simply saying, "Just a small Lower Magic trick, but it’s convenient for travel!"
Jingming Daoist, not intending to stay long, conversed briefly before turning to leave, now worried about the Dong Shen Sect Ancestor, as well as the various scattered disciples of Dong Shen Temple.
Seeing Jingming Daoist leaving, Zhang Jian also dispatched Zhang Fu and others to seek information everywhere, while heading to Dong Shen Temple himself, discovering that the battle over Dong Shen Temple had concluded.
What exactly happened?
...
Upon returning to the capital, Jingming Daoist hurriedly headed toward Dong Shen Temple.
No sooner had he stepped into Dong Shen Temple, his gaze swept around, and his face fell.
He saw what once was a bustling, lively Daoist temple now silent as the dead.
The majestic buildings, Daoist Palace, Forbidden Spiritual Light were in ruins, most had been toppled and collapsed.
His Yin God Divine Sense scanned over the warehouses, alchemy rooms, Dharma Transmission Tower, and armory, much of it looked as if ants had moved house, completely swept clean.
This change left Jingming Daoist looking grim, but he felt a slight relief, thankful to Zhang Jian’s prior warning that allowed him to take some preliminary measures, having collected some of the valuable items, or else the Dong Shen Temple would have suffered greatly.
He swiftly flew towards the forbidden area.
Just a glance made Jingming Daoist avert his eyes in distress; the scene inside was unbearable to look at.
At that moment, space fluctuated, and Zhang Jian stepped out from the void, landing steadily, having already noticed the forbidden area’s situation, his face twitching slightly at the sight.
The Four Noble Consorts, Chen, Liu, Lan, Wang, and numerous concubines and princesses, all met unnatural deaths.
The perpetrator’s methods were vicious, all these beautiful concubines were slain by sword light.
For some reason, upon seeing these concubines, Liu Rui’s image flashed through Zhang Jian’s mind.
Zhang Jian turned away slightly.
He noticed that the bodies of male members of the Daqian Royal Family were absent in the forbidden area, seemingly taken away by someone.
In the distance, Jingming Daoist gritted his teeth, "This enmity, Dong Shen Temple will not rest until it is avenged!"
The two searched Dong Shen Temple, eventually finding some remains of Dong Shen Temple disciples, leaving Jingming Daoist with a grim look.