The guard hesitated for a moment. "Young Master, I don"t understand… why would Empress Nalan do such a thing?"

Jiu Ming smiled coldly. "The rules of Cang Yue Mainland must not be defiled. Those who live in the reclusive world shall not lay their hands on those from the secular world, or else the situation in the mainland would be affected! But… since the Empress had involved those from the reclusive world, and she wants to increase her influence, then she must leave!"

Moreover, no one must ever know that the leader of the Fengyun family was Empress Nalan!

In the end, those from the reclusive world could not restrain themselves. On the day the empress gave birth, she was snuck into Liu Yun Kingdom. That gave her an opportunity to escape by faking her own death. Once she kept her ident.i.ty hidden, she could develop her influence without care.

If not, once someone caught wind of the link between the Fengyun family and Empress Nalan, those from the reclusive world would not need to hold themselves back anymore. They would have the right to deal with the empress"s kin.

Because the Fengyun family had overreached the secular world.

She would not dare to reveal any trace before she got ahead of them.

Also, the year the Fengyun family was established matched the year the empress went missing!

"But I have heard that the leader of the Fengyun family went missing ten years ago?"

The guard was startled. He thought of another news he had heard and continued, "Young Master, I have heard something... a few days ago, a lady carried a jade plate to the Fengyun family. She claimed to be the disciple of Rong Yan, the leader of the Fengyun family!"

"And the people from the Fengyun family… believed her?" Jiu Ming"s eyes grew dark.

Carrying a jade plate to the Fengyun family, that meant that Rong Yan was not with her.

Those people believed her over a jade plate?

"Young Master, the people from the Fengyun family conducted an investigation on the lady. There was still Rong Yan"s breath on her body. She also knew Rong Yan"s training method. 

In the mainland, some treasures could discern a person"s breath. Furthermore, they could locate a person by their breath. Unless the person was too powerful, or if the breath was hidden with other treasures, one could easily be found.

Although Rong Yan had gone mad, her powers still remained. The Fengyun family was unable to find her through her breath, but they could discern her breath from people who had been in contact with her.

That was why Rong Yan had kept herself in the back mountains of the Tang Family without ever stepping out these ten years. The Fengyun family could not find her trace despite using up all their resources.

"Where is Rong Yan then?" Jiu Ming"s fingers held the teacup delicately. His eyes carried a sense of anxiety.

If Empress Nalan was still alive…

"According to the lady, Rong Yan had pa.s.sed away a few days ago."

Clink!

Jiu Ming abruptly pinched his fingers. The teacup was shattered into tiny pieces.

The shattered gla.s.s cut his fingers; the boiling hot tea scalded his palms red. He felt nothing. The air in the pleasure boat turned exceptionally heavy.

"Do not let anyone else know about this matter."

Rong Yan was dead?

If Rong Yan were dead, he would never know if she was Nalan!

They were just guessing without verifying.

Also, it did not matter if Rong Yan was dead or alive, Feng Ruqing must not hear about this.

"Get everyone from the first floor to search for Rong Yan"s whereabouts! If she is still alive, I want to see her; if she is dead, I want to see the body, no matter the cost!"

"Yes, Young Master."

The guard turned and was about to go his away.

A sinister light flashed in Jiu Ming"s eyes. Coldly, he added, "Those from the reclusive world must have also thought that the empress is dead and have stopped looking for her. Therefore, wipe out any news of her immediately, do not let those from the other side find her."