If he couldn’t figure it out, then he would just wait. Once he took down the Shadow Guard Chief, he would most likely find out why.
Xia Wuyang stopped thinking about it and began to focus on consolidating his cultivation.
No one in the Imperial Palace knew that the Grand General of the Imperial Guard had a new master. The power Xia Wuyang wielded had already surpassed that of any Prince or Princess.
At this moment, in the vast Imperial Palace, the only one who could be his opponent was likely Emperor Xia, who sat upon the highest throne.
Once he surpassed the emperor, it would be time for Xia Wuyang to sweep away all opposition.
However, he had only been cultivating in peace for a few days when a small incident occurred.
While he was being intimate with the Fox Girl, a few Bulbuls started chattering outside his window.
"Did you hear? Princess Guoyun struck again. She got a lot of good stuff from the Crown Prince’s Royal Manor."
"That’s Princess Squirrel for you! She got a lot of rare herb seeds this time. I really want to eat them."
"Princess Squirrel stole some and bought others at a low price. She made quite a haul."
"Let’s go over to Princess Squirrel’s place later and see. Maybe we’ll get a chance at something too."
... Xia Wuyang raised an eyebrow, unsurprised by the news. Princess Guoyun, Xia Zhentian, was a rather special figure among the Princes and Princesses.
She had no love for power and no taste for conflict, but she possessed an almost obsessive passion for collecting rare items.
Due to her habit of hoarding treasures, combined with her petite and adorable appearance, she was nicknamed Princess Squirrel.
Xia Wuyang’s relationship with her was unremarkable. Her mother, a royal consort, had once been the renowned Miaoshou Fairy of the Jianghu, famous for her master-level thieving skills. She was later brought into the Imperial Palace by Emperor Xia, where she gave birth to her only daughter, Princess Guoyun.
Perhaps due to her mother’s influence, Princess Guoyun had also picked up some bad habits. She possessed an extraordinary passion for "collecting" all sorts of nice things.
Whenever she found something that interested her, or something she could use, she would quietly help herself to it.
She would even try to make off with some of Emperor Xia’s belongings if she saw them. She was once harshly punished by the Emperor for this, but sadly, she never changed her ways. In the end, even Emperor Xia was at a loss as to what to do with her.
She had stolen a few things from Xia Wuyang as well. They weren’t particularly valuable, but he felt he ought to return the favor.
Fortunately, Princess Guoyun treated all the other Princes and Princesses the same way. After he was deposed, she had been relatively restrained with him, perhaps out of pity for his circumstances.
’On account of that, there’s no need to be too harsh with her. A small punishment to teach a lesson should suffice.’
「That night」
The moonlight flowed like water. Xia Wuyang cast his Stealth Technique and quietly arrived at Fenfang Hall, Princess Guoyun’s residence.
This palace was different from the others. Every detail was exquisite and cute, and it even had many nooks that resembled tree hollows. The name "Princess Squirrel" was certainly well-deserved.
The courtyard was filled with Exotic Flowers and Herbs, many of which were rare varieties seldom seen in the outside world. Some weren’t particularly valuable and offered no benefit to one’s cultivation, but they were prized for their beauty and rarity.
Wind chimes hung from the eaves, tinkling crisply as the night wind blew past.
Even the Palace Attendants here seemed less grim and scheming than those in other palaces, possessing a gentler air.
Xia Wuyang moved as if through an empty land. He spread out his Mental Force Field and easily located Princess Guoyun in a secret chamber deep within the hall.
He slipped inside soundlessly. The secret chamber was brightly lit, lined with numerous sandalwood shelves displaying all sorts of peculiar treasures.
The shelves to the east displayed various jewels and jades. The shelves to the west held rare medicinal herbs. The southern shelves housed a collection of rare antiques and calligraphy paintings, while the northern shelves were filled with an assortment of curiosities...
Among the items, quite a few were things she had pilfered from him, along with others she had taken from Emperor Xia and the other Princes and Princesses.
In the center of the secret chamber, a petite figure was bustling about.
A closer look revealed her to be none other than Princess Squirrel, Xia Zhentian—also known as Princess Guoyun, a title bestowed upon her by Emperor Xia.
Dressed in a pink palace gown, she was squatting before a wine jar, wiping it with great care. She was about sixteen, with a petite and delicate figure. Her stunning face was as exquisite as a porcelain doll’s.
What drew the most attention were her large, expressive eyes, which were bright, brilliant, and sparkled with life.
Right now, she was focused intently on the wine jar before her. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and the tip of her cute nose was beaded with fine sweat from her efforts.
"It’s finally ready! Six Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine. This should let me advance at least a few minor realms!"
Princess Guoyun whispered to herself, her voice as crisp and clear as a silver bell.
As she spoke, her two little fangs were faintly visible, adding to her playful and cute charm.
If you didn’t know what she’d done, you’d think she was a sweet, innocent girl, not a common thief.
’I didn’t expect Princess Guoyun to have brewed a jar of Monkey Wine as well. She must have gotten the recipe from Princess Xiang Yun. Back then, to help me trade for some healing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Princess Xiang Yun sold her precious Monkey Wine recipe to several Princes and Princesses. Even Emperor Xia received a copy.’
’That’s why so many jars of Monkey Wine have appeared in the Imperial Palace over the years. I’ve acquired quite a few myself recently.’
’Sadly, she is long gone now. But when I ascend the throne, I will definitely bring her back.’
’The wine jar is already spotless, but Princess Guoyun is still wiping it. That shows how much she cherishes it. If I take it, that should be a harsh punishment for her.’
’Besides, the Six Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine is useful for me, too. I can’t just let it go.’
"I sold so many nice things just to brew this wine," Princess Guoyun murmured to the jar. "Please don’t let me down. Once I’ve regulated my Essence, Qi, and Spirit, I’ll start drinking it every day to raise my Cultivation Realm as fast as I can. That way, I’ll be able to steal even better things."
She gently stroked the wine jar, her bright eyes filled with adoration and anticipation.
Using the Soul Capturing Technique, Xia Wuyang read Princess Guoyun’s surface memories and learned the origin of this jar of Monkey Wine.
To get the Monkey Wine recipe, she had given the rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures she stole from Emperor Xia to Princess Xiang Yun. In the end, those very treasures had ended up in Xia Wuyang’s stomach, though they hadn’t done much to improve his Foundation.
Over the following years, she used various channels to collect the rare treasures needed for brewing, even trading away items from her own precious collection.
She had risked stealing many of the herbs from other palaces, borrowed some, and purchased others at exorbitant prices...
It had taken an immense amount of effort to finally gather all the ingredients, and then several more years to brew this single jar of Six Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine.
To say it was a painstaking effort would be an understatement. This was one of Princess Guoyun’s most precious treasures.

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