Three months have passed and Jing Ling had long returned to the Jing residence. Even though winter has begun, Jing Ling has never missed a day of training since she started. Every morning she would wake up before sunrise to run or stand in horse stance until Yun lets her know that breakfast is ready. After breakfast, she sits on top of her favorite rock and cultivates until the sunsets.
She has broken through two levels since her first breakthrough into red mortal realm so now she has reached yellow mortal realm. However, the reactions that her Elder Brothers and Father gave her every time she advanced is beginning to make her concerned. Apparently, she's breaking through much faster compared to other people.
"Should I slow down my breakthroughs to consolidate my base? But I've already been holding back my breakthroughs until I reached the limit and I was forced to advance... What should I do? I don't want people to treat me like some monster because I keep breaking through quickly!"
As Jing Ling agonized over this, she remembered that Emperor Huan had given her a token and told her to visit if she ever needed anything.
"Maybe he has something that can conceal my realm! Then people won't know how fast I am improving!" Thus, Jing Ling made her way to the palace for the first time.
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Jing Ling rode her family's wooden cart to the gate of the palace. As she stepped out, the guards at the entrance of the gate stopped her.
"HALT. This is the entrance to the Emperor's palace. Show state your name, family, and business."
"My name is Jing Ling, I am from the Jing Family and I am here to see the Emperor."
"See the Emperor? Why have we not been notified that he was having a visitor today?
"You see, I didn't think I would want to meet with him today but I have urgent business to discuss with him. Can you please let me through?"
"Hmph, the Emperor is a busy man. He's not someone you could meet on a whim just because you want to. Urgent business? That's what everyone says. Now don't waste our time anyone. Go home, little girl," the guard said with an arrogant tone.
The guards' haughty tone and smug faces didn't sit well with Jing Ling. She wanted to wipe those smirks off their faces. However, she was still too weak to do anything. "Hmph, I'll see how you long you can keep that attitude when I use this!" thought Jing Ling.
She reached into her pocket and takes out the Emperor's personal token to shove into the guards' faces.
"What is that? Are you telling us that a little girl like you has the Emperor's personal token? Hahaha, surely you jest. Go home and stop making a fool of yourself before we personally throw you out."
Jing Ling was now stuck. She had thought the moment she took out the token there would be no more problems but it just made it worse! Just as Jing Ling was about to give up and head home, she hears a voice she recognized.
"What is going on here?" Grandmaster Tian asks.
"Grandmaster Tian!"
"OLD MAN~!"
"Old Man?!?!" The guards stood in shock as they heard how Jing Ling addressed Grandmaster Tian.
"Hohoho. What a coincidence Miss. Jing. What are you doing here?
"I was going to ask the Emperor for a favor but these two guards wouldn't let me in. I even showed the token the Emperor personally gave me but they said it was fake and laughed at me."
"Oh? Did they really now?"
The guards were so afraid their bodies started to trembled like leaves and their teeth clattered together but Jing Ling didn't stop talking and continued to spill all her grievances to Grandmaster Tian like a spoiled child.
"Grandmaster Tian, we really didn't mean it! It was a joke. Yes, yes it was just a joke. Please forgive us for teasing you, Miss. Jing."
"Hmph, do you really think it's that easy to copy the Emperor's personal seal? Just the idea of it is enough for me to kill you for treason!"
"Of course, Grandmaster Tian. This won't happen again!"
"Miss. Jing. I shall let you decide the fate of these two."
"Hm. Since they said it was a joke then forget it. We will pretend like this never happened."
"Since Miss. Jing said so, you two will be forgiven today. The next time you two do this again, I will personally take care of you two. Now make way."
"Yes! Thank you, Grandmaster Tian for your benevolence. Thank you, Miss. Jing for your benevolence." the two guards repeated over and over again as they bowed to the two.
When Jing Ling and Grandmaster Tian were walking together, Jing Ling suddenly remembers that she never scolded this old man for what he did during her potential testing.
"OLD MAN. I just remembered I haven't forgiven you yet!"
"HUH? What did I do?
"How could you just push me into the crystal without explaining anything except "relax"?! I had to figure everything else myself!"
"What do you mean? There was nothing for you to do except relax. The crystal's Qi would naturally enter your body once you relaxed and assess your potential."
"..."
"In fact, I should be asking you what happened inside while you were in the crystal. What exactly did you have to "figure out" and what were you doing during those two weeks inside. Even when Crown Prince Huan Ying tested is potential and came out violet it only took him 2 hours."
"Hm? The Crown Prince really does have violet potential?"
"Yes, he did, even if it wasn't as concentrated as yours, it was still violet. That's why his Majesty and I originally thought the prophecy was talking about the Prince."
"Prophecy? What prophecy?"
"Why the prophecy about you ..." Grandmaster Tian took in a sharp breath and slapped his hand over his mouth to cover it.
"Prophecy? There's a prophecy about mmmmph?"
"SHHHHHH. SHHHHHH" Grandmaster Tian took his other hand and muffled her voice. He looked around them to make sure that no one was around them before forcing Jing Ling to move to a secluded area.
"You perverted old man! What do you plan on doing to me in this secluded area?!"
"PEI! Like I would want to do anything you. More importantly, forget about what you just heard."
"Why? If the prophecy is about me, I should have a right to know about it."
"You... misheard. It's not about you. Now promise me you're never going to ever mention this again."
"Fine." Jing Ling promised while hiding her hands behind her back...
By the time Jing Ling and Grandmaster Tian arrived at the Emperor's study, he had already been notified about their arrival.
"Come in."
"Jing Ling greets your Majesty."
"Grandmaster Tian greets your Majesty."
"Hm. Rise. Why have you paid me a visit today Miss. Jing?"
"Originally I came for a request but now I have two things I wish to ask for."
"Oh? State your requests."
"I would like to ask you if you have any method I could use to conceal my realm. I don't want people to know how fast I make breakthroughs."
"Alright, you can follow Grandmaster Tian to the palace library later and pick out a manual for that. What's the other request?
"The second request is that ... I would like to know about the prophecy about me."
"MISS. JING! You... you promised."
"I had my fingers crossed behind my back. hehehe" Jing Ling said with a cheeky smile.