Day after day …
Three days later, Lin Yuerou finally left.
Looking at Lin Yuerou's back as she rode away, Su Chen's heart felt empty.
With a soft sigh, Su Chen returned to the palace.
"Master, you're finally back."
As soon as he returned to the Danqing Palace, Huang Zhan anxiously rushed over.
"Did something happen?"
Huang Zhan hurriedly said, "The Crown Prince suddenly died!"
"Chu Aofeng died?"
Su Chen frowned slightly and immediately asked, "When did this happen?"
"Two days ago, he suddenly died in the Crown Prince's residence. After the imperial physicians examined the corpse, they concluded that the Crown Prince was poisoned to death. Moreover, it was an unprecedented poison. Now, rumors are spreading in the palace that you poisoned the Crown Prince to death," Huang Zhan said worriedly.
Not only could alchemists refine pills that could cure illnesses and save lives, but they could also refine poisons that could kill without leaving a trace. Su Chen was now a well-known grandmaster alchemist. Only he had the ability to refine poisons that could kill without leaving a trace. It was normal for people to suspect him.
"Someone wants to frame me?"
Su Chen had a bad feeling.
Huang Zhan said, "Right now, Chu Tianming is in great pain. Master, I think you should personally go to the Emperor and explain to Chu Tianming so that there won't be any grudges left in his heart."
Su Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Take me to Chu Tianming."
Not long after, Su Chen arrived at the Crown Prince's residence. He saw that the residence was heavily guarded. All the eunuchs and palace maids were wearing mourning clothes. Continuous crying could be heard from the Crown Prince's residence.
When the eunuch guarding the door saw Su Chen, he hurriedly went up to greet him, "Welcome, Imperial Advisor."
Su Chen noticed that the eunuch's eyes seemed to be filled with fear when he looked at him.
Su Chen strode into the Crown Prince's residence. Soon, he saw Chu Tianming and the Crown Prince's family members in the main hall.
Before Su Chen could speak, a woman in black picked up a dagger and stabbed at him.
"Su Chen, return my son's life!"
This woman was Chu Tianming's first wife, Chu's Empress Xiao Tong.
Su Chen caught the dagger with one hand and knocked it away.
Chu Tianming hurriedly rushed over and scolded, "Empress, are you crazy? The whole story hasn't been investigated yet. How can you frame the Imperial Advisor for no reason? Imperial Advisor Su is the national treasure of Chu.
"But Your Majesty …" Empress Xiao's face was covered in tears. "The imperial physician said that only a Master Alchemist can refine the Bitter Sea Poison. Su Chen is the only Master Alchemist in the whole of Nanjiang. Who else can poison my son like this other than him?!"
Su Chen frowned, "The Bitter Sea Poison?
Can you let me see the Crown Prince's body first? "
Chu Tianming immediately asked the palace maids to pull Empress Xiao away and took Su Chen to the back hall to see Chu Aofeng's body.
Chu Aofeng was already dead, but there was not the slightest injury on his body. Even after two days of death, there was no sign of decay on his body. There was only a thumb-sized dent between his eyebrows. It seemed as if his frontal bone had caved in.
This was a sign that the Knowledge Sea had been dissolved.
The Knowledge Sea was located between a cultivator's eyebrows and entered the brain. It was also called the Upper Dantian. The Primary Sea was the home of the soul.
Everyone was born with a Knowledge Sea, but to open it, one had to break through to the Heaven Realm.
Before breaking through to the Heaven Realm, the Knowledge Sea was in a half-closed state. Vitality could enter, but the soul could not be strengthened. It was not very useful.
However, the Knowledge Sea was still the most important part of the human body. Once the Knowledge Sea was damaged, the soul would shatter and dissipate.
He would be completely dead.
"It is indeed the Bitter Sea Poison. This poison is extracted from Soul Breaking Grass, Nine Fiend Bug, Five Poison Toad, and other poisonous creatures. It needs 49 days of refinement to take shape. But it is strange. This Bitter Sea Poison is very rare. It is usually used to deal with Heaven Realm experts. How could it be used on the Crown Prince?"
Su Chen was very puzzled. Even if he was the one to refine this poison, it would take him a long time to collect the materials. It would be even more troublesome to refine it. However, as long as he succeeded, it would not be a problem to poison a Heaven Realm expert to death without anyone knowing.
Chu Aofeng was only in Earth Realm. Even though he was the crown prince, he did not have any real power. If it were Su Chen, he would not have wasted such a good poison on Chu Aofeng. In fact, even Chu Tianming was not worthy of using the Sea of Bitterness. It was more suitable to use it on other Heaven Realm fighters.
"Soul Breaking Grass … Imperial Preceptor Su, in the entire Southern Border, there is only one place that produces Soul Breaking Grass."
"Oh?
Where is it? "
If he could find Soul Breaking Grass, he might be able to find some clues.
Chu Tianming said, "It is at Broken Dragon Cliff in our Chu Province."
Broken Dragon Cliff?
Wasn't that a place near the border of Long Province? It was backed by Nine Yin Mountain. Since ancient times, it had been an evil place. All kinds of poisonous creatures gathered in this area.
Su Chen said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will go to Broken Dragon Cliff to search for clues. I will definitely find the culprit behind the Crown Prince's murder."
"With the help of the Imperial Preceptor, I am at ease. As long as I find the culprit who poisoned my son, I will kill him at all costs!"
Chu Tianming said through gritted teeth. He looked at Chu Aofeng's cold corpse and cried in grief.
…
"Master?
Are you really going to Broken Dragon Cliff? Broken Dragon Cliff is not scary, but the nearby Nine Yin Mountain is an evil place. It is extremely dangerous. "Huang Zhan could not help but remind him.
Su Chen said, "I am also interested in the Bitter Sea's poison. Even if it is not to find out who poisoned Chu Aofeng, it is also good to be able to collect some materials to refine the Bitter Sea's poison."
Huang Zhan hesitated for a moment and said, "Then this disciple will also go with Master."
"You stay and look after the house. This time, let Ning Xiaoran follow me. She is a Heaven Stage ghost servant, so it is more suitable for her to follow me."
Ning Xiaoran, whose red dress swayed, suddenly floated down from the beam. "Xiao Ran obeys."
Su Chen patted his chest and said unhappily, "Don't always squat on the beam when you have nothing to do. It's fun to scare people."
"Hee hee …" Ning Xiaoran playfully stuck out her tongue.
However, with her ghostly appearance, no matter how cute she acted, it was impossible for people to be cute.
That afternoon, Su Chen left the Imperial Palace with Ning Xiaoran and set off along the official road in the eastern part of the city.
Walking on this road, Su Chen recalled a lot of thoughts.
A year ago, he was escorted from Long Province to Chu City on this road. He had suffered a lot along the way.
This time, Su Chen set off light and did not drive a carriage. Instead, he requisitioned Chu Yanran's Snowy Tiger.
The Snowy Tiger was a tenth level profound realm demonic beast. Although it was not strong, it was extremely fast and could handle all kinds of complicated terrain. If it ran at full speed, it could travel five thousand miles in a day and exceed two hundred miles per hour. It was much more powerful than a horse.
Su Chen sped all the way and arrived at the eastern border of Chu City in less than half a day.
At the end of his vision, a continuous mountain range blocked the way. That was the Nine Yin Mountain.