Chapter 678: Princess Only In Name
āLittle princess went missing!!!!ā
Chu Mu stared at the bounty for a while without being able to process it!
Princess Jin Rouās absence was a huge event. In reality, this bounty had been posted two months ago, and had long since caused a huge commotion throughout the city.
However, Chu Mu had always lived a life somewhat isolated from the world, so he didn't even know about little princess disappearing.
Because of the princessās strange absence as well as the huge bounty, countless experts were looking for him.
However, this beautiful princess seemed to have evaporated from mankind, leaving no hints at all.
Some top tier searching experts were looking for the princess using items that the princess had used before, and still had no traces of her. This caused nightmare palaceās elders and palace masters to be especially worried, scared that little princess had had something happen to her.
Finding out about princess Jin Rouās absence, Chu Muās first reaction was related to the defector young woman.
The defector young woman had had the intention of controlling princess Jin Rou multiple times, but never truly succeeded. This time her disappearing was very likely due to the work of the defector young woman.
Chu Mu and Princess Jin Rou had some relationship, so Chu Mu couldnāt just ignore her. Immediately, he found where Nightmare palace people were staying at great chu family.
Chu Mu originally wanted to use his identity as Nightmare Prince to ask Nightmare Palace people if they knew anything more. It just so happened that Qian Qing had arrived at Wogu City too.
Chu Mu could guess that Qian Qing was a highly statused girl in Nightmare Palace. Presumably, she recognized Princess Jin Rou, so she might know more about her disappearance.
Nearing dawn, Chu Mu waited in the tea building.
Qian Qing came as expected. With her also came a thirty or so year old man. What made Chu Mu surprised was that the accompanying person was also a spirit emperor.
āOnce my rank is higher, why are there spirit emperors everywhere, where were they beforeā¦ā¦ā Chu Mu muttered.
However, Chu Mu knew that he was in a different realm now. Mainly before, even if an expert like that walked right up to him, he wouldnāt be able to detect it.
When Qian Qing walked into the tea room, she told the man to wait aside. The young spirit emperor didnāt say much, only glancing at Chu Mu specially, before sitting aside alone and asking for some tea.
āBringing along a spirit emperor whenever you go out, Iām truly sorry for bringing you to barbarian valley like that.ā Chu Mu was the first to speak.
Qian Qing shook her head, āI was not born under an emperor.... Itās just that a teacher had favored my talent as a soul teacher, and has taken me as an apprentice. In reality, he isnāt this careful usuallyā¦ā¦ā
At this time, Qian Qing spit her tongue out and said in a small voice, āWhen princess went missing, I went unannounced to barbarian valley. My teacher thought I went missing too. It was good that he discovered a little late and that I returned soon, or else I would have had a bounty on me tooā¦ā¦ā
āEhā¦ā¦ā Chu Mu laughed awkwardly. Speaking of which, Chu Mu indeed didnāt care much back then before pulling a young woman to barbarian valley with him like that. Thinking back on it, it indeed wasnāt the best move.
āEn, did you say the same time? Wasnāt that five months ago? Didnāt the princess go missing around two months back?ā Chu Mu suddenly put things together, and asked quickly.
āThe news outside is two months. In reality, the princessās guards, subordinates, and female servants hadnāt seen her for five months.ā Qian Qing said to Chu Mu.
The princess went missing for this long, yet nightmare palace never noticed. This was a mistake on the higher levels of nightmare palace. They didnāt dare announce that the princess had been gone for five months, so after confirming the absence of the princess and setting the bounty, they said two months, even though no one has seen her for around five months.
āThis longā¦ā¦ā Chu Mu immediately furrowed his brows.
If it were five months back, then he had only left Tianxia City for around four to five months. The defector young womanās influence should have been undermined by Palace master Yu after Chu Mu killed the defector young woman puppet.
The defector young woman couldnāt possibly have regathered her forces this quickly and stolen princess Jin Rou unless there was someone the defector young woman hid in tianxia cityā¦...
No matter what, if it were five months back, with Palace master Yu actively blocking any attempts for the puppet to regather forces, the chances the princess was taken by the defector young woman was much lower.
However, eliminating the possibility that it was the defector young woman, then where did the little princess go?
āWhy did nightmare palace only notice after three months? At least sheās a princess. If she didnāt appear in any public setting for this long, wouldnāt you realize something is wrong?ā Chu Mu asked.
āThisā¦ā¦ā Qian Qing hesitated, and stole a glance at her senior male fellow student and said in a lower voice, āOur generation may see her as the golden branch, a princess high up, protected with many experts and have many loyal followers and admirers. In reality, this is all just on the surface.ā
āAll just on the surface? What does this mean? Is she not as outstanding as we all think?ā Chu Mu raised an eyebrow.
Qian QIngās words confused Chu Mu. Princess Jin Rouās fame was uncontested. At any occasion, she was the spotlight. The mysterious face under the veil, the gentle yet refined mannerisms, all could leave a very deep impression on people. After this many years, in young generation females, her influence was almost immovable.
It was this faint, noble, gorgeous quality that caused Chu Mu to be wary of her, as he had a poor impression of perfect looking women since a young age. He lumped her with the defector young woman. Of course, now Chu Mu knew they were completely different people.
āPrincess Jin Rou is our symbolic female goddess. Of course, this is just the euphemistic way of saying it.ā At this moment, the person drinking tea beside Qian Qing slowly opened his mouth.
He specially glanced at Qian Qing and laughed apologetically, signaling that he didnāt eavesdrop intentionally.
However, he walked over himself and sat down beside Qian Qing, smiling very officially while continuing, āMore colloquially, sheās just a pretty decoration. Itās just like how some churches have a sacred lady to make followers feel the church is pure and sacred. In reality, the church high level people all know that the sacred lady is just a flower pot. Without her, they could just find a prettier flower pot; it is that simple. Only fools believe that the sacred lady is holy and uncontaminatedā¦ā¦ā
Qian Qingās senior male fellow student clearly saw the nightmare palace seventh level title on Chu Muās waist. Seeing Qian Qing not stopping him, he continued to explain.
āYou are also a member of Nightmare Palace, and should know that we nightmare palace have a lot of shady sections. Our name in the past hasnāt been great, and it is detrimental to the growth of our organization. So, we indeed had to build up someone who could win the peopleās hearts and remove the misunderstanding people have of nightmare palace. Princess Jin Rou was raised for this position.
Chu Mu gazed at Qian Qingās senior male fellow student. Though this man seemed to just be relaying a reality, if you listened closely, one could hear a little bit of belittlement of little princess, along with an even more complicated emotion tied within.
āPrincess Jin Rou is the daughter of the last generation Nightmare Emperor. With Emperor Jiang having taken over, her identity as a princess was indeed only in nameā¦ā¦ā Qian Qing actually didnāt want to reveal the tragedy of princess Jin Rouās identity like this, but since her fellow student said it, she could only clarify.
Qian Qing and her fellow studentās words caused a large ripple in Chu Muās heart. He indeed didnāt know that under the countless dazzling halos, princess Jin Rou was, in reality, powerless and only had the name.
āSo, youāre saying the nightmare palace high level people didnāt care at all when no one saw here for three monthsā¦ā¦ā Chu Mu slowly said.
Qian Qing could only nod carefully. She knew Chu Mu and Princess Jin Rou had some relationship, or else they wouldnāt team up in the seventh and ninth realm.
āThen who issued the bounty?ā Chu Mu continued.
āElder Ye Tao. Elder Ye Tao was little princessās uncle and her only reliance. I thought Princess Jin Rou would have told you about her identity beforeā¦ā¦ā Qian Qing said.
Chu Mu shook his head. Princess Jin Rou indeed had never mentioned this to Chu Mu. In a moment, Chu Mu felt a little helpless. He still had some misunderstandings with her.
Maybe, the calm and refined yet depressed girl staring at the water is her true self.
āDo you know where she is?ā Qian Qing asked in a low voice.
Chu Mu shook her head. He wasnāt sure it was the defector young womanās actions anymore.
āMaybe she couldnāt handle the pressure and left herself.ā Qian Qingās follower said lightly.
Chu Mu didnāt mind the fellow studentās mocking towards Princess Jin Rou and instead started asking for more details on princess Jin Rouās missing from Qian Qing.
It was a pity that with such an early event, even princess Jin Rouās closest servants didnāt have any accurate information.
Chu Mu had nowhere to start. If no one could find princess Jin Rou, then this woman may truly evaporate from mankind. When people spoke of her, they would only speak of regrets of not being able to see her true appearance under the veil.
The princessās absence was something Chu Mu had no power to change. Only in Wanxiang City could he confirm with the defector young girl whether the princess was in her hands.
If the princess wasnāt, then such a strange disappearance for over five months could mean a later story for the princessā¦...