bookbashuk Chapter 452 Also surnamed Feng
Chapter 452 Also surnamed Feng
Wei Shanyue's heart skipped a beat.
He had expected this question. When he left the peony garden, he knew that Her Highness the Princess would definitely ask him for an explanation.
"Your Highness," he raised his head, his gaze frank, "that Master Chen is the immortal master who returned to the capital with Yiran."
Feng Jin nodded; she had already guessed that.
"And what about the two who left with Master Chen? The middle-aged scholar and the young gentleman," Feng Jin paused, his gaze fixed on Wei Shanyue, "who are they? Why did they enter the palace with you, and why are they so familiar with Master Chen?"
Wei Shanyue took a deep breath.
He knew that what he was about to say might change a lot of things.
"Your Highness," his voice was steady, "those two also share the surname Feng."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Feng Jin was stunned.
The emperor was stunned.
All the princes and dukes present were stunned.
"Surname Feng?" Feng Jin's voice trembled slightly. "Commander Wei, explain yourself clearly. Who...who are they?"
Looking at Feng Jin's eyes, which suddenly lit up, Wei Shanyue understood that this princess had already guessed what was going on.
But he had to make his point clear.
"Your Highness," he said, enunciating each word clearly, "those two, no, to be precise, three, and another immortal surnamed Feng who did not arrive today. They come from the same place as True Person Chen and his group, the Cangyun Mountains, the Yunyin Sect."
"The Hidden Cloud Sect?" a prince couldn't help but ask. "Never heard of it."
Wei Shanyue turned to him and continued, "It's normal that the Prince hasn't heard of it. The Yunyin Sect has only been in the Cangyun Mountains for a little over three years."
"Three years?" Feng Jin frowned slightly.
Wei Shanyue remained silent for a moment.
He recalled the words that Daoist Tianbao had inadvertently revealed while drunk at the Wei residence the previous night. He remembered those three iron boxes that could run without horses. He remembered the awe in the eyes of the twenty-odd elite riders of the Western Army when they spoke of Yunyin Mountain.
"Your Highness is unaware of what is happening," he said in a low voice, "the Cloud Hidden Sect has accomplished a major feat in the past three years."
"What's the big deal?"
"Three months ago," Wei Shanyue said, word by word, "the Yunyin Sect sent troops and crushed all the cultivation forces within a thousand miles of the Cangyun Mountains."
The hall was deathly silent.
Feng Jin gripped the back of the chair tightly with his hand.
The emperor suddenly stood up, then slowly sat down again.
The princes and dukes looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Crush...all forces?" Feng Jin's voice was dry. "What about Qingyang Valley? What about the Hehuan Sect? What about the Zidian Sect?"
"They're all gone," Wei Shanyue said. "Xuanzhenzi of Qingyang Valley, Miaoyuer of Hehuan Sect, and Lei Wanjun of Zidian Sect are all working alongside mortals at the foot of Yunyin Mountain. The three hundred disciples of Qingyang Valley, the hundred-plus female cultivators of Hehuan Sect, and the two hundred members of Zidian Sect have all surrendered."
The hall fell silent once again.
The deathly silence lasted for a long time, so long that Wei Shanyue thought he had said something wrong.
But when he looked up and saw the light gradually brightening in Feng Jin's eyes, he knew.
He was right.
"Commander Wei," Feng Jin's voice trembled slightly, "those two immortal masters surnamed Feng... what realm are they? What is their status in the Cloud Hidden Sect?"
Wei Shanyue thought for a moment, then carefully spoke: "Your Highness, I cannot fathom the cultivation levels of those two. However, I do know that the older Immortal Master carries considerable weight in the Yunyin Sect. He often offers his advice during Master Chen's discussions. The younger Immortal Master is the Immortal Master's nephew, and he has a very good relationship with Master Chen."
Feng Jin's eyes shone even brighter.
She stood up, walked down the steps, and stood in front of Wei Shanyue.
"Commander Wei," her voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear, "you just said that their surname is Feng?"
Wei Shanyue nodded.
"Did you ever ask," Feng Jin's breathing quickened, "which Feng family they are from?"
Wei Shanyue remained silent for a moment.
Of course he asked.
Last night, after several rounds of drinks, he tentatively asked Feng Wenzheng, "Where is Master Feng's ancestral home?"
Feng Wenzheng held his wine glass, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "A very far place."
Wei Shanyue did not ask any further questions.
But now, facing Feng Jin, he had to say those words.
"Your Highness," he said, "the Immortal Masters didn't say it explicitly. But when they heard me mention 'the Feng Imperial Family,' their expressions clearly changed. So I boldly guess that the three Immortal Masters must have some connection with our Great Qian."
A gasp suddenly rang out from inside the hall.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old prince sitting on the lower left. He was the late emperor's cousin, Feng Jin's uncle, and the current emperor's great-uncle. At that moment, he was clutching his chest, his face flushed, and panting heavily.
"Seventh Uncle!" Feng Jin's expression changed, and he quickly walked over. "What's wrong?"
The old prince waved his hand, but could not speak. He just pointed at Wei Shanyue, then at the outside of the hall, his lips trembling, and his eyes gradually reddening.
A middle-aged prince standing nearby quickly supported him, patting him on the back to help him catch his breath, saying, "Father, you're just too excited, too excited..."
Excited?
The people inside the hall looked at each other in bewilderment.
Before they could react, another exclamation rang out from the right.
This time it was the emperor's younger brother, the seventeen-year-old Prince Duan. The young man suddenly stood up, causing his chair to tip backward with a loud bang. But he didn't bother to catch himself; he just stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, his young face filled with disbelief.
"General Wei... General Wei," his voice trembled, "you mean, those two Immortal Ascension Masters are... are members of our Feng family?"
Wei Shanyue looked at him and nodded: "This old minister is merely speculating."
"Guess?" Prince Duan took a step forward, almost tripping over the overturned chair, but he seemed oblivious. "Those two immortal masters are surnamed Feng! Their expressions changed as soon as they heard our Feng family was part of the royal family! Is there even a need to guess?!"
As he spoke, he suddenly turned to the emperor and grabbed his sleeve: "Brother Emperor! Did you hear that?! Our ancestor attained enlightenment and has now returned to protect us, his descendants! How fortunate is the Great Qian Dynasty! How fortunate is the Great Qian Dynasty!"
The emperor was shaken so badly by him that he didn't break free. He just stood there, looking at Wei Shanyue, something drastically changing on his young face.
From shock, to disbelief, and then to an almost uncontrollable... ecstasy?
"General Wei," the emperor's voice was dry, "Are...are you sure?"
Wei Shanyue remained silent for a moment.
He was certainly unsure.
But looking at the light in the eyes of these members of the Feng family royal family, he knew he couldn't make any definitive statements.
"Your Majesty," he said carefully, "this old minister can only say that it is highly likely. The attitudes of those two Immortal Conferring Masters, their attitudes towards True Man Chen, and their reactions when they heard 'the Feng Clan's royal family' all point to this possibility."
After hearing this, the emperor suddenly laughed.
That smile was completely different from his usual proper smiles; it carried a touch of youthful exuberance and a sense of long-suppressed joy.