Upon returning to the Prince of England’s residence, it was evident that a crowd had gathered at the entrance. The young servants and guards stood vigilantly at the gate, while behind them were Ye Ye and Bai Li Changyue. Opposite them, five or six disciples from Long Mingzuo surrounded a girl. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Bai Li Gelin.
Li Fei could hardly contain his excitement and rushed forward, calling out urgently, “Gelin!”
Bai Li Gelin turned her head, about to speak, but a disciple from Long Mingzuo pressed down on her shoulder and said, “You’d better not move or speak; otherwise, don’t blame us for being rude.”
Bai Li Gelin was furious, her face flushed red, and she clenched her teeth, remaining silent.
Ji Tongzhou’s face turned ashen as he jumped down from his stone sword and finally spoke, “This young lady is a distinguished guest of mine; please let her go.”
The Long Mingzuo disciple replied, “Prince Ying, these individuals are high-profile fugitives from Gaul that we have been searching for years. Surely, you wouldn’t harbor such criminals?”
Ji Tongzhou frowned. “I don’t care where they come from or what faction they belong to. This is Yue Country, and they are disciples of the academy. What does Long Mingzuo mean by capturing my guest without reason?”
The disciple laughed, “Your Highness, you are mistaken. We are pursuing criminals, and as a disciple of the academy, you should assist us. Why are you making things difficult for us?”
Unable to endure any longer, Ji Tongzhou shouted, “Is Long Mingzuo provoking Yue Country?! This is the entrance to the Prince of England’s residence! You are armed and holding my guest hostage! Do you truly think there’s no one in the Xingzheng Pavilion?!”
The disciples continued to smile, appearing relaxed. “We have been waiting for Mr. Suquan for quite some time. We wonder when he will arrive. By the way, we heard that Xuan Shanzi’s injuries have yet to heal, and Elder Zongquan is quite worried. We wonder how Xuan Shanzi is faring now. Is Mr. Suquan perhaps attending to his master and unable to come?”
At these words, Ji Tongzhou felt as if a thunderclap had struck him, his mind buzzing. It was true! It was indeed true! The news of Xuan Shanzi’s severe injuries had not been kept secret! Once this immortal, stationed at the rear of Yue Country, weakened, countless powerful nations supported by immortals would surely stir! Yue Country would likely repeat the fate of Gaul sooner or later.
No wonder the disciples from Long Mingzuo came with such aggression today, their words filled with provocation. The so-called capture of criminals was merely an excuse; their true intention was to test the waters and gauge the reaction of Xingzheng Pavilion! And Mr. Suquan was not arriving as he usually did, which was enough for them to confirm many things.
Ji Tongzhou opened his mouth, wanting to say something, to retort proudly, but at that moment, he found himself utterly speechless.
Xuan Shanzi’s severe injuries had always been a hidden danger in the hearts of the Yue royal family. Five years ago, this elder of the Xuanmen was gravely injured by the ferocious beast Chaos, nearly dying. Since then, he had fallen from grace. The plan to take Ji Tongzhou into Xingzheng Pavilion when he turned eleven had to be shelved. If not for this, how could the exceptionally talented young prince waste a year in the academy?
The news of Xuan Shanzi’s injuries had been kept under wraps by the Xingzheng Pavilion and the Yue royal family. His elder brother worried day and night about this matter, but what could he do? He was only thirteen years old. No matter how talented he was, even if he practiced desperately, he could not immediately become an immortal to protect the rear of Yue Country. Now that the provocation was at hand, what could he do? If Mr. Suquan did not arrive, could he continue to have the guards surround these cultivator disciples? It was simply a joke; everyone knew how a mortal fared against a cultivator. Would he personally confront the disciples of a formal immortal sect? That was even more absurd; even if all the academy disciples combined, they would likely not be able to match even one of them.
He truly felt powerless.
Finally, Ye Ye, protected by the guards, spoke up. He stepped forward and said calmly, “This matter arose because of me, Brother Tongzhou. I have implicated you. Release Gelin; I am the Third Prince of Gaul. Take me instead.”
He stepped past the many guards blocking his way and walked up to the disciples of Long Mingzuo, saying sternly, “Let her go!”
He discreetly signaled to Bai Li Gelin to enter the prince’s residence immediately. Once she was inside, the three of them could activate their spiritual energy to trigger the talisman and return to the academy, thus sparing Ji Tongzhou any further trouble.
However, Bai Li Gelin seemed dazed, staring blankly at him. Ye Ye was astonished and nearly called out to remind her when suddenly his arm was seized forcefully. The Long Mingzuo disciples swiftly restrained him, and he was horrified to discover that he could not channel his spiritual energy.
The leading disciple from Long Mingzuo chuckled, “This saves us some effort! Take all three of them!”
Li Fei and the others could no longer hold back, each channeling their spiritual energy, preparing to strike. Suddenly, a cold yet delicate female voice rang out from the crowd, “Disciples of the academy, there’s no need to trouble the disciples of Long Mingzuo.”
Everyone was taken aback, and the next moment, a massive fire dragon roared in, flames blazing and heat radiating. The disciples of Long Mingzuo hurriedly dodged, angrily shouting, “Who is it?! Protecting fugitives? Do you wish to oppose Long Mingzuo?!”
A cloud of black smoke suddenly appeared behind Bai Li Gelin, quickly coalescing into a woman draped in black gauze from head to toe. She gently lifted Bai Li Gelin and Ye Ye, tossing them effortlessly into the air, where they landed safely beside Li Fei and the others. The woman in black stepped forward, blocking the disciples.
She coldly stated, “I do not dare; I am the weapon spirit of the blade Lingfeng, worn by the True Person Guangwei of Wuyue Court. I am currently serving as a guard for the Chufeng Academy. The selection of new disciples is about to begin, and Mr. Zuo Qiu has ordered me to secretly protect these disciples along the way, ensuring that nothing goes wrong. If Long Mingzuo has any objections, please address them to Mr. Zuo Qiu at the academy.”
By invoking Mr. Zuo Qiu and the academy, the disciples of Long Mingzuo found themselves at a loss for words. The woman in black continued, “This is the Prince of England’s residence within Yue Country. You have disturbed the peace of the prince’s residence. What would Xuan Shanzi think of this?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a cold, bone-chilling male voice echoed from the air, “Today is the four-hundredth birthday of Mr. Zhou from the Lantian Sect. My master has already gone to the banquet. I am busy with affairs and arrived late. Thank you for your assistance, Spirit.”
Before anyone could raise their heads, a young man dressed in black appeared out of thin air before them. His expression was stern, and his gaze was icy, embodying the demeanor of one who practiced Tianyin language spirits. Upon seeing him, Ji Tongzhou’s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward respectfully, bowing, “Mr. Suquan, I apologize for disturbing your tranquility.”
Mr. Suquan nodded slightly, glancing around. When his cold gaze met that of the Long Mingzuo disciples, they instinctively took a few steps back and hurriedly bowed, “We are disciples under Elder Zongquan of Long Mingzuo, paying our respects to Mr. Suquan.”
Mr. Suquan replied indifferently, “My master’s injuries have fortunately improved with the help of Jun from the Zhongnan Sect. He will soon recover. Thank you all for your concern. My master will personally visit Elder Zongquan to express his gratitude. If you have no further business, please leave.”
At this moment, the disciples no longer displayed their earlier bravado and awkwardly departed. Just as they took to the skies, they suddenly heard Mr. Suquan’s voice call out, “Fall!”
The Long Mingzuo disciples, who had just taken off, found themselves unable to resist and fell from the sky, tumbling several times upon landing.
Mr. Suquan coldly remarked, “To be so presumptuous in front of my Xingzheng Pavilion disciples, let Elder Zongquan teach you a lesson. Now leave!”
How could those disciples dare to look back? They immediately took to the skies again, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
This commotion finally dissipated without a trace. The woman in black bowed to Mr. Suquan and then transformed into black smoke, vanishing before everyone’s eyes. Ji Tongzhou stepped forward respectfully, saying, “Mr. Suquan, please come inside for a discussion. Allow me to offer you some tea as a token of my apology.”
A hint of a smile appeared on Mr. Suquan’s face. “Prince Ying, you have improved significantly. My master will surely be pleased to see you. The selection of new disciples is approaching; if you were to join my master’s ranks, you and I would be fellow disciples.”
Ji Tongzhou could hardly contain his joy; the worry that had weighed on him was finally lifted.
He softly inquired, “I wonder how Xuan Shanzi’s injuries are…”
Mr. Suquan replied, “He is doing much better now and will soon recover to his former strength. You need not worry.”
Ji Tongzhou was overwhelmed with joy, and despite his efforts to conceal his elation, he was just a thirteen-year-old boy, unable to hide his delight, his smile stretching from ear to ear.
Mr. Suquan added, “I am busy with matters today and will not linger. We can meet again during the selection of new disciples.”
With that, he departed, swiftly soaring away on his sword.
At this moment, Ji Tongzhou was exceptionally excited, feeling as if he could shout or jump for joy. Turning to see his friends watching him with smiles, he nearly leaped over to them, grinning like a three-year-old child. At that moment, he cared little for the demeanor of a prince, repeatedly saying, “Let’s go inside! We won’t return until we’re drunk tonight!”
Ye Ye and the others had brought local wine from Gaul, and a round table was set up in the courtyard. The bright moon hung high, and a gentle breeze caressed their faces. The table was laden with various delicacies that dazzled the eyes. The maidservants had long been sent far away by Ji Tongzhou, and the few children at the table drank to their heart’s content, completely losing their composure.
Bai Li Gelin, having had a drink or two, was now tipsy, leaning against the railing and gazing at the moon, lost in thought.
Ji Tongzhou, perhaps buoyed by the festive atmosphere, kept downing cup after cup, even engaging in conversation with Lei Xiuyuan, which was a rare occurrence. The two of them surprisingly found common ground. Li Fei listened for a while, realizing that Ji Tongzhou was merely speaking drunken nonsense, while Lei Xiuyuan occasionally chimed in. The young prince, intoxicated and muddled, was not at all angry, instead smiling broadly.
Finding it dull, Li Fei decided to share her recent experiences with Changyue and Ye Ye. It turned out that Elder Zongquan of Long Mingzuo had recently refined a powerful magical artifact, gaining great renown within the sect. Consequently, Wu Gou had become increasingly arrogant, eyeing the surrounding nations, and even setting his sights on Yue Country. The disciples sent to pursue the fugitives were merely a pretext; their true aim was to test Xuan Shanzi’s strength. If not for Mr. Suquan’s timely intervention, who knew what chaos might have ensued?
Li Fei sighed, “Fortunately, everyone is safe this time. On our return to Qingqiu, I encountered Zhen Yunzi.”
Both were taken aback, and Ye Ye exclaimed, “He made a move? How did you two escape?”
Li Fei hurriedly recounted the events of that day, omitting the details about the sun’s rays. When she mentioned the sudden appearance of the dual sword spirits, Ye Ye remarked, “That’s the Dual Sword of Destiny, injured by the Destiny. The wound cannot heal; it is a divine weapon of one of the academy’s founders, Sang Hua Jun. I’ve heard that Sang Hua Jun has attained enlightenment for thousands of years and has been reclusive in recent years. It must be that Mr. Zuo Qiu borrowed the Dual Sword of Destiny from him. It’s commendable that Mr. Zuo Qiu considered us so thoroughly, sending someone to secretly protect us along the way. This kindness will be remembered for a lifetime.”
Li Fei nodded silently. This old immortal was meticulous and broad-minded, truly an extraordinary figure. Under his protection, they, the fledgling disciples, could repeatedly evade the storms.
She took a sip of wine, feeling a sudden warmth in her heart, and whispered, “From now on, we must rely on ourselves; we cannot afford to lose!”
That night, the group drank themselves into a stupor, and even Lei Xiuyuan fell drunk. No one had the strength to return to their rooms, and they sprawled across the courtyard, sound asleep.
In the middle of the night, Li Fei vaguely heard a sobbing sound nearby. Drowsily opening her eyes, she saw Bai Li Gelin quietly weeping beside Ye Ye, who was already fast asleep and unaware. Li Fei, confused, sat up and looked around; everyone else was sleeping soundly. She instinctively called out, “Gelin?”
Gelin seemed not to hear, or perhaps she did but chose not to respond.
Li Fei, heavily intoxicated, and half-awake, lay back down to continue sleeping.
Perhaps, this was just a dream?
—