Chapter 75: A Familiar Constitution; The Innate Extreme Cold Veins

Over the next few days, the fleet continued its voyage toward the Yuanhai Kingdom, using the travel time to rest and reorganize. Following the battle with the rebel cultivators, Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing were treated with the utmost reverence by the entire crew. They were no longer just passengers; they were saviors.

Su Miaoqing, suffering from cabin fever after days of seclusion, began to venture out more frequently. She figured Old Daoist Lingxu was long gone by now. Her occasional strolls on the deck became the highlight of the day for the soldiers and sailors, who feasted their eyes on her celestial beauty with awe and admiration.

One afternoon, a maidservant arrived at their cabin. Crown Prince Zhang Tianzhi had prepared a banquet in the main hall and cordially invited them to attend.

Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing accepted. When they arrived, Zhang Tianzhi, Daoist Bichen, and several high-ranking generals were already seated. The Crown Prince occupied the center seat of honor. Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing were ushered to the first table on his left, while Daoist Bichen sat to his right.

Moments after they were seated, Princess Yuge walked in.

She moved with a slow, fragile grace, supported by her maids. The generals immediately rose to bow.

Yuge returned the greeting with a weak smile. “Yuge has been unwell these past few days and could not come out to pay her respects. I hope you will all forgive me.”

Zhang Tianzhi hurriedly gestured for her to sit beside him, ordering a maid to lower a sheer curtain to shield her from the drafts.

“I can’t help but wonder,” Su Miaoqing asked, her curiosity piqued, “what affliction is the Princess suffering from? Is it something even Daoist Bichen cannot cure?”

Zhang Tianzhi sighed heavily. “It is a long story. Yuge has suffered from this strange illness since birth. We have sought famous doctors across the lands, but none could find a root cure. The condition flares up once a month. When it strikes, she feels an icy coldness permeating her entire body, causing unbearable pain and leaving her constitution incredibly frail.”

Yuge nodded behind her veil, speaking openly. “It feels as though my very blood turns to ice.”

Xiao Yifeng’s expression shifted. A flicker of recognition crossed his eyes.

Yuge, observant despite her frailty, caught the subtle change. “Young Master Xiao, you look… surprised. Have you heard of this condition?”

Xiao Yifeng hesitated for a split second before asking, “Princess Yuge, when the illness flares up, does the chill originate from…”

His lips stopped moving, but his voice rang directly in Yuge’s mind via secret sound transmission.

…Does it start from the dantian and spread to the limbs, making your meridians feel like they are being cut by frozen blades?

Yuge’s face flushed a brilliant crimson. The specific nature of the symptoms was intimate, something she hadn’t shared publicly. Seeing the others’ confusion at the silence, she realized he was using Divine Sense.

She nodded slightly, her eyes wide. “Yes. That is exactly it.”

“Young Master Xiao!” Zhang Tianzhi noticed the interaction, his heart leaping with hope. “You seem to know this condition well. Is there a way to treat it?”

“I know a little about it,” Xiao Yifeng admitted with a bitter smile. “To be precise, this isn’t an illness. It is a rare, special constitution known as the Innate Extreme Cold Veins.”

“Constitution?” Zhang Tianzhi leaned forward. “Can it be saved?”

“I can provide a method to alleviate the symptoms and extend her life by a few years,” Xiao Yifeng said carefully. “But as for a complete root cure… please forgive me, but I am powerless at the moment.”

He sighed, retrieving a blank jade slip. Using his Divine Sense, he inscribed a series of pharmacological recipes and spiritual energy circulation techniques into it, then handed it to a maid to pass to the Prince.

Zhang Tianzhi accepted the jade slip as if it were a supreme treasure, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. Yuge, too, revealed a radiant smile. She lifted a cup of clear water from behind the curtain and toasted Xiao Yifeng.

“To Young Master Xiao.”

The mood at the banquet lifted instantly. In high spirits, Yuge called for her instrument and played a melody for the guests. Her skill was profound, the notes melancholic yet beautiful, leaving the generals entranced.

Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing, both well-versed in music, nodded in appreciation.

“Excellent technique,” Su Miaoqing praised.

Seeing that they were connoisseurs, the generals—emboldened by wine—insisted that the two immortals play a piece as well. Unable to refuse the enthusiastic hospitality, Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing each performed a song. The atmosphere turned festive, filled with laughter and the joy of survival.

Eventually, Yuge’s fragile body reached its limit, and she excused herself. Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing stayed a while longer, chatting about the vast world and cultivation, before finally taking their leave.

Back in his cabin, Xiao Yifeng’s mood was complex.

He was all too familiar with the Innate Extreme Cold Veins. In his previous life, there was no one who knew this constitution better than him.

It was the exact same constitution as his wife, Liu Hanyan.

The cure was actually quite simple: she needed to cultivate the Ice Heart Art. It was the signature cultivation method of Liu Hanyan and the core secret of the Feixue Hall within the Wentian Sect.

That was the problem. The Ice Heart Art was a closely guarded secret. Xiao Yifeng couldn’t just casually teach it to a princess of a mortal kingdom without permission. For now, he could only offer palliative care.

I’ll wait until I return to the Sect, he thought. I’ll mention it to Hanyan and see what she thinks.

Three days later, the fleet finally arrived at Lijing, the capital of the Yuanhai Kingdom.

After passing a rigorous inspection at the massive water gate, the ships docked. The journey had come to an end.

Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing stood on the high platform of the dock, facing Zhang Tianzhi and his entourage to say their goodbyes.

“We part ways here,” Xiao Yifeng said, clasping his fists. “If fate allows, we will meet again.”

Zhang Tianzhi stood with his generals, looking solemn. Princess Yuge had made an unprecedented appearance to see them off, ignoring the cold wind. Her beautiful eyes were filled with reluctance.

She bowed deeply. “Young Master Xiao, Fairy Su. The grace of saving my life and the kindness of your treatment… Yuge will never forget this for all eternity.”

Xiao Yifeng stepped forward to help her up. As his hand brushed hers, he felt that familiar, bone-deep chill. It really was exactly like Liu Hanyan’s.

His mind drifted for a moment, memories of his wife washing over him. He stood there, holding Yuge’s hand a little longer than appropriate, staring into space.

Yuge froze, her cheeks burning hot as her hand remained in his grasp.

“Cough.”

Xiao Yifeng snapped back to reality. He quickly released her hand, looking apologetic. Under the strange and teasing gazes of the onlookers, he cleared his throat and stepped back.

“Young Master Xiao, Fairy Su, take care!” Zhang Tianzhi called out, breaking the awkward tension.

“You too! Take care,” Su Miaoqing added with a bright smile.

Xiao Yifeng nodded. He grabbed Su Miaoqing’s arm, and together they transformed into two streaks of light, shooting into the sky and vanishing into the clouds.

Zhang Tianzhi watched them disappear, standing still for a long time.

“Crown Prince Tianzhi,” Daoist Bichen chuckled softly, stroking his beard. “Have you perhaps taken a fancy to that Miss Miaoqing?”

“Haha! And what if I have?” Zhang Tianzhi laughed, though his eyes were wistful. “Unfortunately, it is a case of the King of Xiang offering his heart, but the Goddess dreaming elsewhere. A celestial maiden like Fairy Su… only a young hero like Xiao Yifeng is worthy of her. How could a mortal like me dare to have such delusions?”

He shook his head, his expression hardening. “Besides, with my country in ruins and my family’s vengeance unfulfilled, how can I have the mind for romance?”

He turned to his sister, only to find her still staring at the empty patch of sky where Xiao Yifeng had vanished.

“Yuge,” he sighed gently. “The wind is cold. Go inside.”

Yuge nodded silently, turning back toward the cabin.

High in the sky, the wind whipped past Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing.

“So?” Su Miaoqing nudged him, a mischievous grin on her face. “Was Princess Yuge’s hand particularly soft?”

“Senior Sister, what nonsense are you talking about?” Xiao Yifeng rolled his eyes, exasperated.

Su Miaoqing ignored him, giggling to herself.

“What are you laughing at now?” he asked, baffled.

“I was just thinking,” Su Miaoqing said, suppressing a snort. “I don’t know what her parents were thinking giving her that name.”

“Yuge? It sounds elegant. ‘Song of the Fisher’. What’s wrong with it?”

“Silly,” she laughed. “Try saying it with her surname. Fast.”

“Zhang Yuge?” Xiao Yifeng frowned. “Zhang… Yu… Ge…”

“Zhang Yu!” Su Miaoqing burst out laughing. “It sounds like ‘Octopus’!”

Xiao Yifeng blinked. “Brother Octopus…?”

He looked at her, then shook his head, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.