The capital was always buzzing with new topics. The excitement over the First Princess's coming-of-age ceremony hadn't even cooled, and now the Misty Cloud Sect's annual disciple competition was here.
Great Elder Yun Leng was in charge of the arrangements, and the scale of the ceremony grew larger every year. While it didn't quite rival Yao Ye's recent celebration, it wasn't far behind. All the major families in the Imperial Capital, the Alchemist Association, and other powerful entities had been invited to attend.
The Imperial Palace
Jia Xingtian and Chen Guan boarded the royal carriage and headed north toward the Misty Cloud Sect. Both had their own reasons for going, but seeing Jia Xingtian's beaming face, practically vibrating with eagerness, made Chen Guan a little nervous.
"Jia Lao, we are here to watch the ceremony, not to pick a fight. Please, take it easy. Avoid fighting if you can."
"Don't worry," Jia Xingtian replied with a breezy confidence. "No one is more polite than me."
He agreed with everything Chen Guan said, but the arrogant glee in his expression didn't diminish in the slightest. He was like a schoolboy, the words going in one ear and out the other.
Chen Guan smiled bitterly. "It's hard for me to feel at ease with you like this." He had tried to advise him many times, but to no avail. In this moment, Jia Xingtian seemed incredibly childish. After practicing Meteorite Fall for a month and finally achieving some success, the old emperor had never felt so confident in his life. A little arrogance was understandable.
But they had to exercise restraint. Yun Shan himself was nothing to be afraid of; according to the timeline, he definitely hadn't broken through to the Dou Zong realm yet. What truly worried Chen Guan was the Hall of Souls, lurking in the shadows.
"You're so concerned about what the Misty Cloud Sect does," Jia Xingtian noted. "You must have mentioned it more than ten times. This isn't like you." It seemed it would be difficult to change his mind without a compelling reason.
Chen Guan felt helpless. The old man usually seemed so amiable, but he could be incredibly stubborn. What Chen Guan didn't know was that in their youth, Yun Shan, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong were all fierce competitors. Hai Bodong was always third, while Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian had traded wins and losses, each seeing the other as his lifelong rival. Now that Jia Xingtian was finally sure of victory, it would be a miracle if he could hold back.
Chen Guan had never experienced such a rivalry, so he couldn't empathize. After a long hesitation, he decided against revealing the existence of the Hall of Souls and made up a reason instead.
"To be honest, Jia Lao," he began, "the last time I saw Sect Master Yun Yun at the coming-of-age ceremony, I was struck by how stunning she was. I fell for her at first sight. It would be very difficult for me if you soured our relations with them. Also... I would like to acquire the Soul Washing Divine Water from the Misty Cloud Sect."
"Love at first sight?"
Chen Guan nodded solemnly.
Jia Xingtian sneered, expressing his disbelief. "Love at first sight? I'm embarrassed to even expose you. Don't I know you by now? The Soul Washing Divine Water is the real point, isn't it?"
"Is it important?"
"Yes, it is very important," Chen Guan replied, his expression serious. He could probably find the precious liquid in places like the Jia Nan Academy or the Black-Corner Region, but it would take more effort, and he didn't have that much time to waste. In less than two years, Xiao Yan would make his grand debut. The main plot was about to begin, and he had to grow as strong as possible before then.
Jia Xingtian nodded slowly, the joyous look on his face subsiding, replaced by a flash of regret. Fine, he thought. I can beat old man Yun Shan next time.
The Imperial Capital was not far from the Misty Cloud Sect. After half an hour, the carriage arrived at the army barracks stationed at the foot of the mountain. It was here that Yao Ye, whom Chen Guan hadn't seen in three days, was staying.
Unfortunately, when they arrived, Yao Ye was supervising an execution, her face cold and murderous. She only restrained her killing intent slightly when she saw them approach. This was the first time Chen Guan had seen her like this, and he couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity.
"I was going to transfer a group of soldiers back to the capital," she explained simply, "but we found seven or eight spies among them, from all the surrounding empires. The Izumo spy claimed he was from Mulan, and the Mulan spy said he was from Izumo. They just kept throwing mud at each other. In truth, none of them were clean. We've found spies before, but never so many at once."
It was clear the major empires were puzzled by the Jia Ma Empire's recent abnormal behavior. Chen Guan suddenly understood, and his expression grew a little strange.
"What's wrong?" Yao Ye asked.
"It's nothing. I just think they're funny." He would never admit that he had focused so intently on his master's last words that he'd easily believed the assassin was from the Izumo Empire, never once considering the possibility of a frame-up. It was a bit embarrassing.
Yao Ye was busy, so Chen Guan didn't bother her. He and Jia Xingtian continued up the mountain path on foot. They deliberately slowed their pace, arriving at the Misty Cloud Sect just before noon, as the competition was about to begin. People like Mitel Tengshan and Nalan Su had already taken their seats. They were right on time.
Given Jia Xingtian's status, Yun Yun, who was seated in the main position of honor, stood up to greet him personally. She wore an elegant, smoky-blue dress, her noble temperament pure and indifferent, as if untouched by worldly dust. As she walked, her jade-like skin seemed to glow, and she was undoubtedly the focus of the entire audience.
"Haha, Sect Master Yun, you don't have to be so polite," Jia Xingtian boomed. "Your master and I are old friends. I just came out for some fresh air today." He had already made arrangements for himself, his eyes landing on the empty seat next to Fa Ma.
Yun Yun felt somewhat helpless. She responded with a polite smile, her soft voice carrying a faint, orchid-like scent. "Please, Jia Lao."
Jia Xingtian walked off, completely ignoring Chen Guan, who followed him. Just before leaving, he shot the boy a teasing smile, as if to say, 'Look, you like her, don't you? I've created an opportunity for you. Seize it.'
Chen Guan was at a loss for words and could only rely on himself.
"Chen Guan pays his respects to Sect Master Yun."
"Ah, Mister Chen," she replied. "Please, sit next to Yanran and the others. They have been curious about you for a long time. You should show them that there is always someone better."
Chen Guan gave a small, polite smile and walked over to sit with the younger generation. Now was not the time to talk business. It wouldn't be too late to ask about the Soul Washing Divine Water after the competition.
Yun Yun must have told her disciples something about him. As soon as he sat down, Nalan Yanran, Liu Ling, and the others all turned to look at him. Even though her master had told her in person, Nalan Yanran still couldn't quite believe it. A young man, not much older than her, was already a Da Dou Shi. His talent was an insurmountable pressure, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the longsword across her knees.
Liu Ling, who was seated closer, was equally curious, but his curiosity was tinged with arrogance. So what if he's a genius? He's not an alchemist. Even if he becomes a Dou Wang or a Dou Huang in the future, won't he still have to be respectful to us? He had a blind confidence in his own profession and greeted Chen Guan with a rather disingenuous smile.
Chen Guan didn't know their identities. Among the young people around him, he could only roughly identify Nalan Yanran. He responded with a polite smile of his own and didn't pay them any further attention.
Just at that moment, he felt a prickling sensation from above, reminding him of the first time he had been targeted by the Red-Ice Snake King.
He looked up.
***
(End of Chapter)
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