Their princess probably wasn’t as gentle and delicate as the Dijun imagined… Qi Nan thought to herself as she followed behind.

Zhongshan Dijun had a gentle and amorous temperament in his youth, and his wife was even more refined and introverted, yet the princess didn’t resemble them in the slightest. This willful and arrogant attitude—she truly didn’t know where it came from.

If she continued like this, she really might not be able to marry even after five hundred thousand years. At this thought, Qi Nan couldn’t help but start worrying about marriage prospects five hundred thousand years in advance.

Fucang Shenjun was such a good match! Their statuses were compatible, their ages not too different, and most importantly, he had none of those messy romantic rumors—something extremely rare among young deities.

Yet the princess had actually driven him away in anger—Qi Nan felt that one day she too would be angered to death by her.

The deities in the distance suddenly erupted in low murmurs. Qi Nan, full of troubled thoughts, glanced over casually and saw a strikingly handsome deity in white robes leading a nine-headed azure lion through the crowd toward Mingxing Hall. If it wasn’t Fucang Shenjun, who else could it be? Could he also be coming to take Baize Dijun as his teacher? Could such a coincidence exist in this world?

Her heart inexplicably began to panic. She raised her hand wanting to grab Xuan Yi and warn her to be cautious in her words and actions, but grasped at empty air. Turning her head, she saw their little princess standing far off to the side, with absolutely no intention of greeting Fucang Shenjun.

Qi Nan grew anxious—they had already met once before, yet face to face she actually pretended not to recognize him. When word got out, who knew how other deity clans would mock the Zhuyin Clan for not understanding etiquette!

Seeing Fucang Shenjun drawing closer and closer, Qi Nan had no choice but to step forward and bow respectfully: “Fucang Shenjun, our princess pays her respects.”

Fucang’s cold gaze swept past her and landed on Xuan Yi behind her. He looked only once before shifting his gaze away, nodding slightly and saying coolly: “Dragon Princess, my respects.”

…Dragon Princess, what did that mean?! He was actually too lazy to even remember the princess’s name?

Fucang led the nine-headed lion, clearly not intending to linger. He was about to walk past her cleanly and decisively when he suddenly noticed the Posuo peony on Qi Nan’s lapel. His steps came to an abrupt halt.

“…You actually picked the Posuo peony?”

Fucang’s enchanting voice dropped extremely low, faintly containing some kind of dangerous storm. He turned around, his eyes deep as an abyss, staring fixedly at Xuan Yi.

Qi Nan instinctively touched the snow peony on her lapel. Without time to ponder the meaning behind Fucang Shenjun’s question, she hurriedly spoke: “Fucang Shenjun, this is merely…”

A snow-white slender hand blocked her path, also blocking back her words.

Xuan Yi calmly met Fucang Shenjun’s cold gaze. Her slow and soft tone at this moment not only failed to ease the atmosphere but rather seemed to add fuel to the fire: “Just a flower. I liked it, so I picked it. Why would the Shenjun fly into a rage over this?”

Fucang gazed at her expressionlessly, his emotions inscrutable, speaking only one word at a time slowly: “The Posuo peony is a spiritual root of heaven and earth. It blooms once every thirty thousand years. The Flower Emperor cherishes it extremely, personally watering and fertilizing it daily.”

Xuan Yi smiled faintly: “It is precisely because it is such a rare and precious peony that it is worthy of the Zhuyin Clan.”

Fucang stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly released the nine-headed lion’s reins and walked toward her step by step.

Qi Nan was greatly alarmed. Whatever this Shenjun intended to do, this action already constituted provocation. If a conflict truly erupted due to impulse, it would not be good for either Qing Di or Zhongshan Dijun.

She suddenly raised her hand, plucked the Posuo peony from her lapel, and without a word threw it on the ground. The crystalline and translucent peony silently shattered into several petals, dots of white snow spreading out—it was actually made of snow.

Qi Nan laughed awkwardly: “Fucang Shenjun, this was merely the princess’s playful creation. The Posuo peony is so precious, how could the princess casually pluck it? She is young and doesn’t know how to speak properly. I hope the Shenjun will be tolerant and not hold it against her.”

Fucang Shenjun furrowed his brows tightly, staring at the shattered snow peony on the ground for a long time. When he raised his eyes again to look at Xuan Yi, she was slowly and leisurely rubbing the patterns on her sleeve, asking: “The Shenjun approached so aggressively just now—did you intend to lay hands on me?”

He acted as if he hadn’t heard, only cupping his hands toward Qi Nan and saying coolly: “The Zhuyin Clan lives up to its reputation.”

Xuan Yi’s soft and gentle voice sounded once more: “The Huaxu Clan has also opened my eyes.”

At this point, Qi Nan wanted nothing more than to crawl into the ground. That Shenjun’s words were hardly praise—they were naked mockery! The princess was always so willful—who exactly had she been busy for all this time?!

Fucang still acted as if he hadn’t heard. He turned and took hold of the nine-headed lion, seeking out another empty space to wait for Mingxing Hall’s doors to open.

Xuan Yi elegantly retreated several steps, saying leisurely: “It appears Fucang Shenjun has also come to take Baize Dijun as his teacher. I am unwilling to share the same tutelage with such a reckless and arrogant fellow. Qi Nan, we’re leaving.”

Qi Nan was instantly dumbstruck. Even with all her calculations, she never imagined the little princess would pull this move! Leaving without even meeting Baize Dijun’s face! Throughout the journey here, she had kept her heart in her throat, fearing the princess would come up with some devilish scheme. Now she really had concocted a devilish scheme, and what was frightening was that Qi Nan couldn’t think of a single way to salvage the situation!

Fucang Shenjun’s face across the way was iron-blue. Since Qi Nan had known him, she had never seen this cool-tempered Shenjun with such an ugly expression. Several strands of her hair had already turned white from anxiety. She wanted to apologize and make amends, but how could she even begin?

Just as the princess was about to get her wish and board the carriage back to Mount Zhong, Qi Nan, so anxious that several more strands of her hair turned white, couldn’t help but call out: “Princess…”

The tightly shut doors of Mingxing Hall suddenly opened. A gentle yet slender voice rang out with a laugh: “Hehe, since you’ve come, why must you leave? This seat has long hoped to see dragon scales. I ask that the princess fulfill this long-cherished wish and not rush to depart.”

The celestial deities standing around watching the spectacle were shocked—this was Baize Dijun’s voice! Had the Dijun been hiding behind the door watching the spectacle all along too?!

Xuan Yi had no choice but to walk back. She took the jade box from the beaming Qi Nan’s hands and said coolly: “This junior naturally obeys.”

A moment later, two exquisitely adorned little immortal attendants walked out of Mingxing Hall in unison, saying: “Please, esteemed Shenjuns, enter the hall. The Dijun is waiting for you all inside.”

The celestial deities who had been waiting for a long time stepped through the hall doors one after another, filled with hope. After a very long time passed, not a single person emerged from inside. Xuan Yi couldn’t help but wonder: “Didn’t they say Baize Dijun’s test was extremely rigorous? Did everyone who went in just now pass?”

Qi Nan felt uncertain and only said: “Princess, please set your mind at ease. Don’t think too much.”

Xuan Yi lowered her head in thought for a moment, then simply carried the jade box and also stepped through the hall doors.

Qi Nan seemed to say something behind her, but she didn’t have time to hear it clearly. Light and shadow before her eyes suddenly changed at high speed. In just the blink of an eye, she had gone directly from the hall entrance into a not-very-large study.

The study was densely packed with countless bookshelves holding innumerable books, yet they were orderly rather than chaotic, without a speck of dust. Before the bookshelves stood a white-bearded elder carefully reading a bamboo scroll. In the western corner beneath a flower vase also sat a young Shenjun in extremely luxurious clothing, concentrating intently on reading a book.

Beneath the moon window stood a desk of West Sea aloeswood. Seated before the window was another elder, brush in hand, painting. Beside him stood a beautiful goddess in white robes, sleeves rolled up, slowly grinding ink. The ink stick made soft and gentle friction sounds against the inkstone. At the table’s edge, green smoke curled from a purple-bronze incense burner, cold fragrance overflowing. An exquisitely adorned tiny immortal child was using a copper poker to disperse the snow-white incense ash.

Five celestial deities—which one was Baize Dijun?

Xuan Yi’s gaze swept through the study once. She suddenly understood somewhat—this was the test for her? As long as she randomly chose the wrong one, it would mean she couldn’t pass the test, and it would mean she could happily return to Mount Zhong.

Should she deliberately choose wrong? How troublesome…

Clutching the jade box, her gaze once more swept across each of the five celestial deities in the study one by one. Then she slowly walked toward the little immortal child dispersing the incense ash, bowed respectfully, and spoke: “This junior, Xuan Yi of the Zhuyin Clan, pays respects to Baize Dijun.”