If Jiang Chen had said anything else, with Princess Gouyu's proud nature, she definitely wouldn't have turned back.
But, what Jiang Chen happened to say struck at the matter that was currently most sensitive, most concerning, and most vexing in her heart!
Yes, she had been stuck at the Ten-Meridian True Qi Realm for a full three years. When she was eighteen, in the prime of her youth, Princess Gouyu had broken through the shackles of Nine-Meridian True Qi in one leap, ascending to Ten-Meridian True Qi and becoming the youngest True Qi master in the entire kingdom.
From that moment on, Princess Gouyu had cemented her life's conviction: the path of martial cultivation.
For three years, she had labored for it ceaselessly, even handing over most of the tasks her brother Dongfang Lu assigned to her over to Du Ruhai to manage.
This was precisely why Du Ruhai had been able to wield such influence in the Hidden Dragon trials—she had granted him far too much authority.
Yet, for three years, no matter how hard she worked, venturing out on expeditions, traveling far and wide, she could never find the opportunity to break through to the Eleven-Meridian True Qi Realm.
The moment of ascension remained stubbornly out of reach.
Over these three years, she had struggled, she had fought, she had pushed herself to the brink, and had even wept secretly in the dead of night when no one was around.
But the path of martial cultivation felt as if it were locked by a shackle; that Eleven-Meridian True Qi realm remained forever barred from her entry.
She was beginning to doubt—had she overestimated her own potential all along?
Was her limit, perhaps, simply the Ten-Meridian True Qi?
This period of return to the Royal Capital coincided with the time when Princess Gouyu's spirit was at its weakest and her life felt most like a failure.
Her cold forehead smoothed slightly, and in her autumn-water eyes, a flicker of barely concealed excitement sparkled. However, this expression vanished as quickly as it appeared.
In the next instant, Princess Gouyu had returned to her previous icy demeanor.
"Matters of martial cultivation—someone your age shouldn't make wild guesses."
"Are they really just guesses?" Jiang Chen smiled with composure. "You probably don't even realize that your anxiety about being unable to break through to Eleven-Meridian True Qi is written all over your face."
"What you likely haven't considered is that not only will you fail to break through at this rate, you are also not far from qi deviation."
"And you can't deny that every time the sun sets, your mood becomes unbearably irritable. It feels as if there's a raging fire in your chest, wanting to burn wildly and turn you to ashes."
"You can deny it, but I'll say it anyway—consider it repaying the favor I owe you. Whether you listen is up to you."
Jiang Chen offered a good-natured smile. The smile of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy is the most radiant, the most sunny, and the most effective at dispelling gloom.
Sure enough, this kind smile made the competitive Princess Gouyu surprisingly refrain from storming off or retorting. Instead, she looked at him with a complex gaze.
At this young man she found herself increasingly unable to understand.
"Your talent, the technique you cultivate—they are actually sufficient for you to break through to Eleven-Meridian True Qi. Moreover, you possess the potential to challenge the Spirit Realm."
"Unfortunately, your overly competitive, overly forceful nature has affected your state of mind."
"So what?" Princess Gouyu retorted, somewhat unconvinced, yet hoping Jiang Chen would continue.
"It's simple—four words: a calm and peaceful mind," Jiang Chen said lightly. "Your heart fire is too intense, causing an excess of yang energy within your body. This leads to an imbalance of yin and yang, disrupting the flow through your meridians. Coupled with your restless and impetuous nature, your control over those meridians naturally weakens further."
"That's all there is to it?" Princess Gouyu was half-skeptical.
"In simple terms, yes. But it's also not simple. Cultivating the martial path is not like studying books and literature. Achieving a calm and peaceful mind, banishing inner demons—easier said than done. For someone with your temperament, I'd say the difficulty is considerable. And haven't you noticed yourself? With every passing day, you draw closer to qi deviation."
Princess Gouyu's expression shifted. A shadow of desolation crossed her strikingly beautiful face. She desperately wanted to deny it, but her instincts told her it was the truth.
Suddenly, the slight furrow between her brows lifted, and she blurted out, "Jiang Chen, do you have any solution?"
The moment she asked this question, Princess Gouyu felt as though she had drained all the strength from her body. She even felt that she was truly weak—how could she be so childish as to ask him for help? If his answer was that he didn't know, how humiliating would that be?
In that instant, Princess Gouyu's emotions churned in a hundred ways. She didn't even have the courage to meet Jiang Chen's gaze. This young man's eyes seemed capable of piercing through metal and stone, seeing directly into the depths of her heart.
"I told you, this is the favor I owe you," Jiang Chen smiled. "I'm going to visit Princess Zhiruo. Would you like to come along?"
Princess Gouyu stamped her foot, but her steps still followed him, much against her own pride.
Princess Zhiruo was overjoyed to see Jiang Chen. Her entire being seemed to lift off the ground, her eyes shining with incomparable delight.
"Brother Jiang Chen, didn't you say you'd come once a month? Did you miss Zhiruo?" The little girl was young, and her words naturally lacked any inhibition.
"I had to come check on you. What if they were mistreating you, not following my instructions? If anything happened to you, I'd be on the chopping block right alongside you," Jiang Chen said, maintaining his usual playful manner in front of Princess Zhiruo.
The two chattered and laughed, without a hint of distance between them.
Princess Gouyu, who had just arrived, felt a strange sensation in her heart as she witnessed this scene. She felt a slight envy that they could chat so intimately and without reservation.
And a faint, unsettling feeling that perhaps this wasn't quite proper.
In the end, however, she said nothing.