Mo Qingcheng’s Worries

Two days later, a stranger led Qin Wentian to the outskirts of a magnificent palace.

This palace stood within the Fifth Sector of the Royal Capital, and as Qin Wentian looked up at the stone stele outside, he read the words "Violet Palace" inscribed upon it.

"The Violet Palace?"

Qin Wentian had heard of this place before. He searched his memories, and his eyes widened as he remembered. On Bai Qingsong's birthday, a guest who had come bearing congratulations was from the Violet Palace.

"I remember now. The Violet Palace attended Bai Qingsong's birthday celebration. But why would they show such respect to the Ye Clan? Even though the Ye Clan is powerful, does the Violet Palace's status surpass theirs?" Qin Wentian pondered silently. It was quite a coincidence that the person Luo Huan sought help from had brought him to the Violet Palace.

At this moment, he had no idea about the current state of the Bai Clan. Bai Qingsong, the hypocrite who had tried to kill him and had betrayed the Qin Clan during its darkest hour, was etched in his memory. Qin Wentian could forgive many things, but he would never forget the debt of anger he owed Bai Qingsong.

Inside the Violet Palace, Qin Wentian noticed several figures approaching. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the woman leading them. It was someone he had met inside the Dreamsky Forest – Chu Ling. She had appeared alongside Mu Rou before his duel with Yanaro. His impression of Chu Ling was that she was willful and had a fiery temper.

While Qin Wentian knew who Chu Ling was, she had no idea who he was. As she approached him, she coldly asked, "Are you Qin Wentian?"

"Yes, I am," Qin Wentian replied.

"Put this on. You'll be one of my guards. I promised someone I'd bring you along, but don't think about causing any trouble for me," Chu Ling snapped. Qin Wentian's mere presence was trouble, given that both the Ye Clan and the Ou Clan wanted him dead. If they found out that she had helped him, Chu Ling would be in trouble too.

"Understood," Qin Wentian replied and quickly donned the attire. Despite Chu Ling's cold demeanor, it was exactly what he wanted – to keep their interaction to a minimum.

"Follow me. Let's go," Chu Ling ordered as she mounted her horse and rode forward. Qin Wentian and the two other guards sprinted behind her with remarkable speed.

After an hour of travel, Chu Ling led Qin Wentian and the two guards to the Royal Palace. They entered through the left gate and arrived at a massive villa. This villa was incredibly spacious, complete with mountains and lakes within its boundaries. Qin Wentian could even detect faint traces of Demonic Qi lingering in the air.

"Half of the Royal Capital, including the Royal Palace, is bordered by the Dark Forest, hence the traces of Demonic Qi. Even so, this villa can only be described as extravagant," Qin Wentian noted.

His gaze shifted ahead, revealing several other opulent villas situated within the Dark Forest's grounds. Only the great clans of the Royal Capital could afford such lavish accommodations.

"This is the Royal Clan's hunting ground, which extends into the Dark Forest. Stay close to me, or you might become a meal for demonic beasts. Don't blame me if that happens," Chu Ling warned, her voice dripping with condescension as she spurred her mount forward, not bothering to wait for Qin Wentian and the guards.

"Such a typical attitude from a rich young miss of the Royal Clan. What a pain," Qin Wentian muttered under his breath as he quickened his pace. The hunting ground was so vast that it seemed he would only have the chance to see Qin Yao after the banquet had already started.

"Mu Rou!" Chu Ling called out upon spotting a group of familiar figures in the distance. They were all mounted on beautiful white horses and slowed their pace when they heard her shout. The girl leading the group turned and smiled at Chu Ling. "Chu Ling, you're here too!"

"Yeah, it seems like we both arrived way too early," Chu Ling replied with a laugh. Mu Rou's guards also followed her, although they were allowed to ride horses instead of running on foot. This highlighted the differences in personality between Chu Ling and Mu Rou.

Chu Ling, being from the Royal Clan, had to have guards who met certain standards. Their main duty was to protect their charge, and they received cultivation resources from the Royal Clan. However, being a guard was considered a lowly position, and only a few exceptionally powerful guards could gain the favor of the Royal Clan. Still, they would have very limited freedom.

Those with genuine talent usually wouldn't choose to become guards for others. They would prefer the status of a "guest" rather than becoming a guard.

Qin Wentian was surprised to see Mu Rou. She was the girl he had sparred with countless times in the Dreamsky Forest. It was unexpected to meet her here.

Mu Rou also had a sense of intuition. She glanced at Qin Wentian and nodded slightly in his direction, causing him to pause for a moment.

Mu Rou shouldn't have known him. Qin Wentian didn't realize that Chu Ling had mentioned bringing him to Mu Rou, which allowed her to guess his identity. However, she still didn't know that he was the masked individual she had sparred with in the Dreamsky Forest.

"Let's go," Chu Ling said with a slight furrow of her brow. She didn't want others to know that she had brought Qin Wentian to the banquet.

Qin Wentian thought to himself, "Once I've met Sister Qin Yao, I'll avoid any further interaction with her." He didn't appreciate Chu Ling's attitude. If she was concerned about getting implicated, she shouldn't have agreed to help in the first place.

Soon, members of various aristocratic clans began to arrive at the hunting grounds on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, near the Royal Clan's territory.

The Third Prince was young, so he had invited members of the younger generation.

Ye Zhan from the Ye Clan was also present, accompanied by his guards and two additional individuals.

"Liu Yan, this is the Royal Clan's hunting ground. Usually, many members of the Royal Clan hunt demonic beasts here to temper their strength," Ye Zhan explained to the girl standing beside him. This girl was Liu Yan, and beside her was his brother, Liu Yue. Ye Zhan had met Liu Yan by chance when he was hunting Qin Wentian that day. He had since been trying to woo her.

Although Liu Yan had initially been smitten with Qin Wentian, Ye Zhan had treated her like a princess and won her heart over time. Liu Yue had been instrumental in this, encouraging Liu Yan to give Ye Zhan a chance.

Liu Yue's words were accurate. In the vast Chu Country, many geniuses had more talent than they did. Without backing and cultivation resources, how could they compete? They might end up like their friend who had died in the forest, devoured by demonic beasts.

"Very impressive. No wonder these are the Royal Clan's private hunting grounds," Liu Yue added, continuing to flatter Ye Zhan. "Ye Zhan, without you, we wouldn't have qualified to be here."

"You're my brother, Liu Yue. There's no need for such formalities between us," Ye Zhan replied with a smile. His gentle demeanor and handsome appearance made people feel comfortable around him.

"Haha, you're right. We'll be brothers-in-law sooner or later," Liu Yue laughed.

As Liu Yue spoke, he suddenly froze and stared ahead at an enchanting figure.

Liu Yue's gaze locked onto a figure in the distance, causing Ye Zhan's eyes to narrow as well. It was none other than the Chu Country's number one beauty, Mo Qingcheng.

"Even Mo Qingcheng is here today," Liu Yue whispered. He had only met Mo Qingcheng once during the coalition of the nine martial academies' expedition, but her beauty had left an indelible mark on him. Her allure was unparalleled.

Despite his admiration, Liu Yue knew his place. The vast gap in status between him and Mo Qingcheng meant he could only admire her from afar, resigned to the realm of daydreams.

"The Chu Country's number one beauty... she's truly stunning," Liu Yan chimed in. Though she was considered pretty herself, she paled in comparison to Mo Qingcheng, serving as a mere backdrop to enhance Mo Qingcheng's radiance.

Among Mo Qingcheng's companions was Nolan, and upon spotting Ye Zhan's group, they didn't approach or greet them. Instead, they turned and walked away.

"That woman ended up with Ye Zhan. I wonder if that young man Qin Wentian will be furious. He probably still thinks Liu Yan was his savior," Nolan whispered. Mo Qingcheng sighed, her beautiful eyes reflecting a hint of remorse. "Speaking of Qin Wentian, I owe him an apology."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. No matter what, you saved his life once. You even carried him and gave him a top-grade, second-level miracle pill. Even if there was a misunderstanding, it's not the end of the world. At most, consider the karmic debt between you two cleared," Nolan reassured Mo Qingcheng with an eye roll.

"But that day... in that situation... I could sense how disappointed he was in me," Mo Qingcheng sighed again, recalling the pitiful and lonely look on Qin Wentian's face as he carried Fan Le away. She couldn't help but blame herself for it.