After a moment of quiet, Emperor Muwu and the Chu family once again grew worried.
The group of people who had arrived today was already difficult to handle. They couldn’t even imagine how they would manage those who might come next.
At this point, Nanli had also run out of ideas. She was stationed here, but what about the children? Qingwu and the others wouldn’t back down easily, and there would always be moments when she was powerless.
With no immediate solution, Nanli decided to put the problem aside for the time being.
Her mind wandered back to Chu Shuo’s complaint, and she turned her attention to the injuries of the two brothers.
Upon hearing Nanli was pregnant, Chu Shuo’s heart lifted, feeling that he had recovered fully. He waved his hand dismissively, "I’m fine. Take a look at Third Brother. It’s his right hand... the imperial physician said it’s shattered."
The mood immediately plummeted.
Chu Huan, still young, had already shown remarkable knowledge and insight in the Cabinet. To think that his right hand was destroyed—what would become of him in the future?
Emperor Muwu sighed deeply in regret.
Grand Lady and Madam Shen both felt tears welling up.
Chu Huan couldn’t bear to see his family so upset, so he quickly hid his bandaged right hand and forced a smile despite the pain. "It’s nothing. Even without my right hand, I still have my left. I can write with my left hand, though not as well as with my right."
Madam Shen had an idea and asked, "A’Li, didn’t you use the Soul-Rebuilding Enchanting Bug for your Fifth Brother before? Would it work for Third Brother?"
Chu Huan said he didn’t mind, but he was now staring intently at Nanli, waiting for her response.
Nanli nodded. "There was no alternative before, so I used the Soul-Rebuilding Enchanting Bug. But now we have better options. I’ve collected some medicinal herbs, and once I study them, I should be able to refine a Bone Molding Pill. If I can refine a medium-quality one, just one pill should heal your hand in no time."
Chu Huan’s eyes shone with hope. He swallowed nervously. "Sixth Sister, really? Won’t that be too much trouble for you?"
He didn’t know much about the intricacies of cultivation and alchemy. If it was too complicated and time-consuming, he didn’t want to burden her.
"No trouble at all," Nanli assured him.
She would consult Uncle De and Elder Chen about the alchemy, which would likely increase her chances of success.
But just then, Nanli remembered that these two hadn’t been by her side for a while. Had they gotten lost, or were they just watching from the sidelines?
As she was lost in thought, Qi Mu suddenly rushed into the main hall, her voice urgent. "Your Majesty, there’s a group of monks outside!"
Although Qi Mu was anxious, when she saw Nanli, her eyes brightened. Yet, being on duty, she didn’t dare speak further to Nanli.
Emperor Muwu frowned. "Monks? Are they here for alms? Should we offer them vegetarian food?"
Qi Mu shook her head. "No, they seem to know that the Ninth Princess is back. Many are gathered outside, hoping to meet her. Although they’re monks, the energy they give off... I can’t quite describe it."
Her voice trembled with fear.
Nanli’s heart skipped a beat. "Could they be from the Divine Buddha Sect’s Zen Master group?"
After all, it had been Shanhai who had been the most severely injured during the battle in the sky, and it seemed unlikely that he would be able to speak or chant sutras for a long time.
It was truly unbelievable. They had just dealt with an elder from Penglai Island, and now another group of Zen Masters from the Divine Buddha Sect had arrived.
Grand Lady noticed Nanli’s change in expression and immediately guessed that these visitors were not here for a peaceful purpose.
"Tongtong, you go ahead. We will handle things here!" Grand Lady said.
Emperor Muwu nodded. "Since they are monks, they likely won’t cause chaos in the Capital, right?"
"It’s hard to say," Nanli said, her mind made up. She wasn’t going to leave her family to face this situation alone.
Walking to the door, she called out, "I’m here. If the Zen Masters want to see me, let them come in."
Although they were cultivators from the Upper Realm, they still followed the etiquette of the Human World, waiting outside.
Nanli didn’t know whether they were friends or foes, but her words allowed the Imperial Guard to open the gates immediately.
The leading Zen Master, adorned with large prayer beads around his neck and wrists, was bald with white eyebrows. He looked as if he had lived for many generations. The aura he exuded indicated that he was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!
Behind him were twelve monks of varying ages, all dressed in red and yellow robes, each wearing prayer beads.
To Nanli’s surprise, among them were Uncle De and Elder Chen.
The two men looked embarrassed when they saw Nanli. Elder Chen spoke helplessly, "We ran into members of the Divine Buddha Sect on the way here. They... asked us to guide them."
Uncle De hurriedly introduced, "Nanli, this is Zen Master Cinian from the Divine Buddha Sect. He is the martial uncle of the Shanhai Sect’s Sect Leader."
In other words, he held a higher status than Shanhai and was even more powerful.
"Ah, Zen Master Cinian!" Nanli exclaimed.
At this moment, Emperor Muwu stepped forward with a smile. "I am the Emperor of Mu Nation. It is truly an honor to meet Zen Master Cinian today."
He positioned himself in front of Nanli.
Although the notion of the True Dragon Emperor seemed dubious, he was still willing to try his luck. After all, his younger brother had once told him that anyone born into the royal bloodline of the Human World possessed a special purple aura.
Royalty were sent by the Heavenly Dao to govern and protect the people, ensuring their well-being and peace. A ruler not only had the purple aura but also the aura of kingship. If cultivators were to act against them, the consequences would be dire.
Zen Master Cinian looked at Emperor Muwu and gave a respectful Buddhist bow. "Your Majesty," he said. "It’s my honor."
Emperor Muwu was relieved by the Zen Master’s courtesy and secretly exhaled. "No need for formalities. Then... would you like to come inside and have some tea?"
However, Zen Master Cinian responded, "Your Majesty, since Nanli has embarked on the path of cultivation, she has severed her worldly ties. Rest assured, I, the Divine Buddha Sect, always act with reason. I am only here to seek an explanation from her for injuring our Sect Leader. I will not harm the Chu family or the people of Mu Nation."
"What severed worldly ties!" Emperor Muwu’s face immediately darkened. "She is my sister-in-law! Even if I have to use the full force of my nation, I will protect her!"
With his younger brother absent, it was his duty as the elder brother to protect her.
Grand Lady and Madam Shen were also anxious.
Especially Chu Huan, who, despite his injury, stood up and shouted, "You monks can’t come here talking about morality! Yes, Sixth Sister injured your Sect Leader, but you hired assassins to storm our Chu family and slaughter us. What do you have to say about that?"
They were twisting the narrative.
Because Zen Master Cinian’s imposing presence had caused Nanli to sweat slightly, Chu Huan quickly pointed out, "You claim not to harm the innocent, but many of our guards have been killed or badly injured, and even Third Brother’s hand was crushed. Are you monks, or murderers in disguise?"
Grand Lady didn’t react as strongly, but her face was somber.
She leaned on her tiger-headed staff and stepped forward. "Since Zen Master claims to act with reason, let me say this. Sixth Miss exorcises ghosts and eliminates demons to bring peace to the world. She would never harm innocent people. Perhaps Zen Master should investigate the truth before demanding an explanation, don’t you think?"