Bai Ruozhu glanced at the Astrologer’s reaction; indeed, when he heard the three words "Naihe Demon," he slightly frowned.

"Elder Xuchenzi mentioned the Naihe Demon, but I have never heard of it. Isn’t it said that the Imperial Palace is protected by our ancestors and that no evil or demon can enter?" The Emperor asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Yet Your Majesty was affected by a poisonous insect before, wasn’t he? Nothing is absolute, and there will always be people who like to exploit loopholes," Xuchenzi replied.

The Emperor began to worry, "This Naihe Demon can allow anyone to become pregnant, wouldn’t that create chaos? Is it possible that I, the dignified Emperor, will give birth to a monster?"

Xuchenzi did not seem anxious, his expression cold as he said, "About a hundred years ago, the Yin Yang Masters of Fusang banded together to exterminate the Naihe Demon due to their harmful nature. Almost all Naihe Demons were obliterated, with only a demon king-level Naihe Demon remaining, which could not be destroyed and had to be sealed away. Finally, the Yin Yang Masters chose the most reputable astrologer in Fusang to watch over the sealed Naihe Demon King."

Bai Ruozhu instantly understood, realizing that the Astrologer had thought of the Naihe Demon, but due to the Astrologer Family, he was somewhat worried, making his demeanor rather odd.

However, Bai Ruozhu was confident that there was no Astrologer scheming behind this. Even without mentioning his lifelong integrity, what benefit could he gain from such a thing?

Everyone’s eyes were on the Astrologer, who awkwardly said, "This matter does indeed exist, but the responsibility of supervising the Naihe Demon King always falls on the elders. I’m not entirely clear on it, but the three great elders are very diligent and would never release the Naihe Demon to harm people."

"Astrologer, you needn’t overthink it. This matter requires thorough investigation and might not even be related to your Astrologer Family," the Emperor said.

"Thank you for trusting me, Your Majesty," the Astrologer said with a bow.

Bai Ruozhu thought for a moment before speaking, "Prince Wen De disappeared for a few days and returned pregnant, and Your Majesty, under the control of a poisonous insect, once exited the Imperial Palace through a secret passage and disappeared for a day. I suspect that leaving the palace alone makes it easy to become victim to monsters, or maybe Song Yi used the poisonous insect to control Your Majesty to achieve this very goal."

"Why would he do that? Does he want to kill me or humiliate me?" The Emperor asked somewhat helplessly.

This time Xuchenzi spoke up, "Perhaps he aims to distract your energies. As far as I know, the Naihe Demon’s demonic method is like a curse, and two things are needed to break it."

"Which two things?" Otani asked urgently.

"One is a treasure from the Astrologer Family, known to suppress the Naihe Demon and play a significant role in the battle long ago," Xuchenzi explained.

The Astrologer froze, instantly linking previous events together.

Bai Ruozhu also understood immediately; earlier, Wu Yunfeng, during interrogation, claimed the Star Plate could aid him in breeding poisonous insects, which was a blatant lie meant to mislead them!

He must have used the Star Plate to release the sealed Naihe Demon King or utilized some of its power to execute the plan with Song Yi!

"It’s the Star Plate," the Astrologer said. "It was stolen by Song Yi and his accomplices, but through the Astrologer Family’s connection with the Star Plate, I was able to deduce its location and retrieve it, though several days had passed."

With a serious expression, he turned to his subordinates behind him and said, "Immediately return to the family to summon the great elder to check on the Naihe Demon King’s current situation."

"Yes, Patriarch."

Once the Astrologer’s subordinates left, he turned to Xuchenzi and asked, "Elder, what is the second item? I’m willing to give the Star Plate since this oversight involved me."

Bai Ruozhu glanced at him; he was not at fault. The Star Plate was stolen by Ning Yu, who was previously supposed to retrieve it directly, mainly because he wanted to help Ning Yu.

In front of outsiders, though, he could not mention his twin brother, the Astrologer Family, or the elders and old relics; if they knew Ning Yu was alive, they might cause chaos.

"The Dragon-seeking Grass," Xuchenzi replied. "It is said to grow in places where dragons appear. In the past, people relied on Dragon-seeking Grass to find the dragons, even trying to use them, but no one succeeded. After all, can dragons really be tamed by anyone?"

Xuchenzi chuckled disdainfully and continued, "The nature of Dragon-seeking Grass suppresses the Naihe Demon’s power. With these two things, Your Majesty’s demon power can be eradicated."

"Dragon-seeking Grass? Isn’t it said to exist only in legends?" The Astrologer, being young and having a poor relationship with his father, knew little of the secrets.

"Not necessarily; I’ve heard there’s Dragon-seeking Grass on an island east of Fusang. However, the island’s location is uncertain, making it hard to find. Plus, the sea is perilous, with ferocious beasts and monsters on the island, so Dragon-seeking Grass is extremely difficult to locate," Xuchenzi said.

Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun exchanged a glance. Another island east of Fusang; isn’t that east of Fusang further east? Could Dragon-seeking Grass be connected to what they’re searching for?

"Song Yi wants us to set sail to seek the herbal medicine for Your Majesty, making it easier to carry out his plan," Jiang Yichun said.

Bai Ruozhu wished to take on this task, not expecting to find Merfolk Island in one trip but seeing the opportunity to explore. However, leaving things as they are and allowing Song Yi to continue harming pregnant women and innocent unborn children was something she could not accept in her heart.

"I’m not skilled at sea navigation, but I can stay and protect Your Majesty’s safety. I’ll also send a message to Yuchen Palace to gather people, which might be more thorough," Xuchenzi volunteered.

Shanhu opened her mouth but, upon reflection, realized her master hadn’t mentioned their master-disciple relationship, so she might privately discuss it with her master.

"Thank you very much, Elder Xuchenzi," the Emperor said gratefully.

Jiang Yichun also spoke up, "Then we’ll head east to search for the herbal medicine, though it’s unclear how long it will take to find."

"Remember, you can’t exceed five months; otherwise, the monster will form, and even the Dragon-seeking Grass and Star Plate won’t be enough to undo the curse," Xuchenzi instructed.

"Okay, we’ll do our best, but none of us have seen Dragon-seeking Grass and don’t know what it looks like," Jiang Yichun said.

"I haven’t seen it either, but I’ve seen illustrations in ancient texts. I’ll draw it for you later."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; having a picture would make it easier to search.

With everything settled, the Emperor and Second Prince’s worries lessened somewhat, but the Emperor, akin to an expectant mother, soon grew tired, leading everyone to retire.

Shanhu found an opportunity to speak with Xuchenzi, "Master, Lord Bai has been kind to me, so I’d like to go out to sea and help them this time."

Feeling somewhat nervous, this was merely an excuse; she simply wanted to avoid her master discovering her pregnancy.