Ning Chen looked at Xiao Yanxi. "Could you send word to Qi Yuanzhong for me? Have him arrest Song Xiaoshuang at once and question her hard.

And take Ning Mao and Ning Xing into custody too, for now. Everything else waits until we've gotten to the bottom of this."

Xiao Yanxi nodded. "My guess is Song Xiaoshuang doesn't know much either. She's just a pawn being used.

Kang Xiao must have found out about her and Mu Yuanxin, decided she'd be useful and gone after her."

Ning Chen said, "Mm," and joked, "Looks like being good-looking does pay. Sweet-talk a woman who doesn't know much about the world, and it works every time.

Come to think of it, with a face like Kang Xiao's, what woman wouldn't like what she saw?"

Xiao Yanxi wasn't having it. "I don't."

Ning Chen stroked his own face and said, without a shred of shame, "That's because you'd already run into a face even better-looking than his."

Xiao Yanxi pressed her lips together to hide a smile. "Yes, you're the handsomest. The handsomest man under heaven."

Ning Chen tapped her on the nose. "Since my wife praises me so sincerely, your husband will accept it.

Little Xixi, I've made up my mind. I'm going to destroy that breath inside me."

Xiao Yanxi's face froze completely.

"You, you've made up your mind?"

Ning Chen nodded. "Right now it's the fastest way to cure me. I don't want to forget all of you, or forget myself.

It's fine. It's only a breath. Next to remembering all of you, it doesn't matter.

Without that breath, I just won't be a master above the ranks altogether anymore, that's all. I'll still be the Prince Regent of the Great Xuan, high in rank and great in power.

Never mind a master above the ranks like me. Even someone like the old Heavenly Master has to bow his head before real power.

I've got power and position. Even without that breath, every master under heaven is just another coarse fighting man in front of me. When they see this prince,…