...
Inside the palace, Lin Haoqing was led into a side hall by the servant.
"Valley Master, please wait here, the princess will arrive shortly."
The servant then bowed respectfully and left. Lin Haoqing sat down and quietly took a sip of tea. He looked at the cup in his hand and sneered sarcastically. The tea in the palace was still amazingly good even during these tough times. A red shadow approached from the back of the hall.
Lin Haoqing stood up to salute her, but she said, "Forget the formalities. Tell me why you are here, and why I shouldn't behead you right now." Lin Haoqing straightened up his body and looked at Princess Shunde directly. The horrible scars were still visible behind her veil.
"Princess, I have come to relieve you of your biggest burden."
"Burden? You know what burdens me?"
"The Grand Master's house, the Grand Master." Princess Shunde leaned back on her seat.
"The Grand Master is my master, yet you say he is my burden? You should be killed just for this comment." Lin Haoqing smiled.
"If not a burden but a mountain to lean on, then why did the princess feel a need to absorb the power of so many demon masters in recent days?"
"You have eyes in my palace? Valley Master Lin, your hands have stretched very far."
"It's only for self protection. The demon master tribe has been struggling to survive under the Grand Master's control for decades. Is it not the same for the court?" Princess Shunde went silent.
"The princess thirsts for power, and I am risking my life returning to the capital to make you an offer."
"Go on."
"Refining humans into demons." Shunde narrowed her eyes.
"Ji Yunhe?" she snorted.
"She is already dead, and you still dare to offer this method to me?"
"Ji Yunhe did not die from this refining process, but from years of torture."
Shunde hissed bitterly, "Her death was too merciful."
Lin Haoqing ignored her and continued, "The pills that turned her into a demon were developed by my father. Since the frost poison only affected those with a double pulse, he created this method in order to help us gain immunity. It's just a pity that he died before completing his work. I continued my father's research and it's very close to succeeding. I am just missing one thing."
"What?"
"The production process of a few frost poison components."
"I see," Princess Shunde laughed.
"So that's why you asked me for some frost poison when I ordered you to go north. You said it was to help you gain better control over your men, turns out you had other plans."
"Different times, princess. I was deceitful then, but now, we share a common enemy. Why not join forces?" Princess Shunde was deep in thought for a long time.
"Three days," she said.
"If you can't figure it out, I will give you to the Grand Master."