Chapter 1274: Chapter 1274

Everyone’s destiny is different. Being a princess for thirty years has already been a great fortune for her.

Perhaps this is her fate.

"Thank the Emperor for me," she said.

Jin Zijin traveled all the way to Lingnan, where spring had already returned to the land and farmers were busy planting early crops.

Hurriedly, he sought out the Marquess Yue to inquire about Yue Rujing’s situation.

"Ajing went to the Nanzhao Country long ago. News came recently that the Heavenly Master’s traces were spotted near Xiera."

"Xiera?" Jin Zijin murmured in a low voice, cupped his hands toward the Marquess Yue, and said, "Thank you. Zijin will head to Xiera now to join Ajing."

"Ah! There’s no need to rush this moment. You’ve been traveling for so many days; rest well for one night before proceeding."

"No," Jin Zijin refused. "The sooner Master’s affairs are resolved, the better; avoiding delays can prevent complications."

"You!" Marquess Yue sighed and remarked, "The Ducal Residence has already fallen, and you’ve cleaned up most of the Dao Family. What is there to worry about anymore? You should relax a little and stop being so hard on yourself."

Jin Zijin solemnly thanked Marquess Yue and said, "Over these years, I truly owe my gratitude to you, Marquess, for your care. Your kindness to Zijin will never be forgotten. However, Master’s affairs are urgent, and Zijin indeed cannot afford to rest."

Marquess Yue, seeing that he truly could not hold him back, could only give up.

He prepared some supplies that might be useful for traveling to the Nanzhao Country and arranged for someone familiar with the route to escort him.

"Your Highness, after crossing the mountain ahead, you’ll reach Xiera. The roads over there will be easier to travel, and it’s a place with more people around. Please change into this set of clothes to avoid unnecessary trouble." The person Marquess Yue assigned to guide Jin Zijin took out a set of Nanzhao clothing from a bundle.

A short jacket, pants with tied cuffs, and a hat.

Jin Zijin nodded and changed into the outfit.

The guide handed another bundle to Jin Zijin, saying, "Xiera tends to be warmer than here. The thick clothes you have aren’t suitable anymore. These are some lightweight garments the Marquess instructed me to prepare."

Jin Zijin accepted it and packed it into his bag.

Nanzhao Country has mostly steep mountains and emerald waters, making it hard for horses to run. Passing the reins to the guide, he said, "This is far enough. You can return to report to Marquess Yue now."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After tidying up his belongings, Jin Zijin looked toward the towering mountains ahead and resumed his journey.

By dusk, he finally crossed the mountain and reached Xiera.

Xiera is considered one of the more prosperous places in Nanzhao Country. The villages here are densely packed, and there are even markets similar to those in Zhuzhao Country.

Amid the twilight, a young man with a bare upper body strode toward him, wiping sweat from his face with a cloth as he walked. He looked as though he had just finished some strenuous labor.

Looking ahead, there was a household repairing their house, and it seemed he had just come from there.

"Senior Brother, you’ve finally arrived..."

As he walked closer, Jin Zijin realized the shirtless man was Yue Rujing.

He couldn’t understand how Yue Rujing had managed to survive . His skin was tanned and shining, and if it weren’t for hearing him speak, Jin Zijin wouldn’t have recognized him.

"How did you turn into this?" Jin Zijin looked surprised.

He had changed so drastically that even his own mother wouldn’t recognize him—his outfit, and his face smeared with traces of soot.

Yue Rujing, full of grievances, said, "The people here are very xenophobic. To gather more information, I’ve been doing hard labor for them for the past few months."