The man, holding an umbrella, quickly sidestepped to avoid the splashing water from the street.
The group paid no mind to why someone would still be walking the streets at this hour.
‘They’re heading toward Duke Zhen’s Mansion…
Who…
who are they?’ he wondered in surprise, watching the dozen or so people pass.
‘To be able to have the city gates opened, they must have some serious status!’
‘I’d better report this to the Young Master!’
He hurriedly turned into a small alley, then scaled a wall and disappeared…
The main gate of Duke Zhen’s Mansion was always open, day and night, with guards standing watch.
“Who goes there?”
Seeing the group approach, two guards immediately stepped forward.
The man on horseback ignored the downpour and walked straight up the steps.
“Tian Qing of Yunlong Academy!”
“Master Tian Qing!”
As the group drew closer, the guards recognized him.
“The rain is so heavy.
Why are you traveling in such a hurry?”
“I have a joint letter from the Headmaster and Duke Zhen that must be delivered to the Duchess and my junior, Yue’Er!” Tian Qing’s expression was grim.
If it weren’t for a major incident, why would they have come at this hour?
“Please, come in!”
“Quickly, inform the Duchess!”
“Quickly, summon the Second Miss!”
The shouts pierced through the thunder of the rainy night, echoing all the way to the inner courtyard.
A short while later, Tian Qing and his men arrived before the small lake.
He looked up at Xiao Yue’Er hovering in the air and sighed with admiration.
‘Our teacher predicted it would take her three to five years, but…
she’s already broken through?
Truly worthy of a Wind Spirit Body!’
‘Special constitutions are just that fast and powerful.
I’m clearly a full realm stronger than her, but I still feel like I wouldn’t be her match!’
“She’s cultivating.
What should we do?”
“Withdraw!”
The group immediately fell back.
They first went to see the Duchess and presented the letter.
The Duchess was not the least bit offended.
“Please, have a seat, Nephew.”
She unfolded the letter, but her brow furrowed as she read.
“You know about this matter?”
“Yes, otherwise our teacher would not have sent us.
But he gave us strict orders: unless our junior is harmed, we are not to intervene.”
“If we make a move and are recognized, Yunlong Academy will be in great trouble!”
The Duchess nodded.
“The Duke and the Headmaster are right.
Yue’Er was too rash in this matter.”
She never imagined that the letter Xiao Yue’Er sent to the capital would be intercepted by her own husband and the headmaster of Yunlong Academy, never even reaching the emperor’s desk.
Tian Qing glanced at his juniors.
They all nodded and walked outside to stand guard.
“Duchess, our teacher says the time is not right!”
“Hmm?”
“The Duke feels the same way.
The palace will find out about this sooner or later, but we should delay it as long as possible.
After all, she is the number one genius of our Yunlong Dynasty.
The stronger she becomes, the greater our chances!”
“I understand,” the Duchess nodded.
“Most importantly, now that the marriage contract between Shuidong Liu and our junior is known, certain people…
will undoubtedly try to eliminate him.”
“I understand.” The Duchess was no ordinary woman; otherwise, she could not have managed such a large ducal mansion.
She knew better than anyone that the Headmaster of Yunlong Academy sending his trusted confidants was a testament to how serious this situation was.
“Yue’Er only came to know Shuidong Liu by a twist of fate!”
“The matter of the Champion Marquis was decided by His Majesty.
If she were to confront His Majesty now and forcefully demand Shuidong Liu be pardoned, it would be the same as asking His Majesty to overturn his own edict to execute the Champion Marquis’s family.
His Majesty would never agree!”
“Furthermore, those who benefited from the original decision won’t agree either.
They don’t need His Majesty’s approval to draw their swords!”
Since Tian Qing had come, he had to explain everything clearly to avoid any mistakes.
The Duchess nodded.
‘No wonder there’s been no news from Yunlong City these past few days.’
‘So His Majesty never even saw the letter where Xiao Yue’Er asked for Shuidong Liu’s pardon.’
“I understand!”
“Then we will take our leave.”
“Traveling on a rainy night is inconvenient.
Nephew, you should stay in the mansion…”
“No…
we came at night specifically so that fewer people would know.
We will live separately and hide within the city.
You need not worry, Duchess.”
“Very well.”
Tian Qing led his men away from the Duke’s Mansion, quickly disappearing into the rainy night.
The rain passed, the sky cleared, and morning arrived.
When Xiao Yue’Er found out, she frowned.
“My senior left?
Why didn’t you wake me?”
“They are in Celestial Fragrance City, but there’s no need to look for them.
They will not show themselves,” the Duchess said, explaining the whole situation.
Xiao Yue’Er nodded.
“What happened with Teacher isn’t a secret in Celestial Fragrance City.
His Majesty will find out sooner or later.”
Xiao Yue’Er felt a pang of regret.
‘Teacher could have at least lived his life in peace.
But now…
once His Majesty finds out, will he let Teacher live?’
Besides, Celestial Fragrance City was already full of hidden dangers.
As she pondered this, a murderous intent flared within her.
‘Anyone who wants to make a move had better behave themselves.
Otherwise…
I wouldn’t mind turning their world upside down with a massacre!’
After breakfast, Huang Wenlong came over.
“Perfect timing!
Come see how my Swordsmanship has improved!” he said excitedly.
‘I’m going to blow you away!’
He prided himself on his incredible talent.
Though he didn’t have a special constitution, his Swordsmanship had progressed at lightning speed after just one night.
Xiao Yue’Er smiled.
“You learned it after just one night?”
“Watch this!”
Huang Wenlong possessed the power of the Extraordinary Realm, and he was intentionally showing off.
With a wave of his hand, a pillar of sword light erupted.
BOOM!
A five-meter-tall rockery was instantly pulverized.
“So, what do you think?
Not bad, right?”
Xiao Yue’Er shook her head.
“It’s different from how Teacher does it.”
“Different?”
“Watch closely.”
Xiao Yue’Er straightened her fingers like a sword and jabbed forward.
A beam of sword light roared out as her entire aura surged and condensed into that single point.
BOOM!
“See?
This is a combination of one’s own power, qi, and presence.
Your strike was just your own power.
In other words, without combining it with qi and presence, it’s all effort for little reward.
Far too strenuous!”
Xiao Yue’Er said bluntly, “That strike of yours, which condensed all your power, isn’t even as good as a single one of Teacher’s!”
‘Not…
not as good as a single one of Shuidong Liu’s strikes?’
Huang Wenlong knew Shuidong Liu was only in the Body Refining Realm, but…
was he really that bad?
“Am I really that bad?”
Xiaoyu, standing to the side, nodded.
“Much worse.”
‘Even a little maid is saying that?’
Huang Wenlong was truly crushed.
“Much worse?
I’m actually much worse than Dongliu?”
“Feeling crushed?” Xiao Yue’Er laughed.
“Teacher was thrown into a pit when he was seven years old and didn’t despair for over a decade to get where he is today.
You’ve only been at it for one night, yet your mentality…”
“Master Huang, your mentality is far worse than the Young Master’s!” Xiaoyu said, shaking her head.
‘Worse again?’
Huang Wenlong fumed inwardly.
To have reached the Extraordinary Realm at his age made him a genius too!
‘How could Shuidong Liu possibly compare?’
Huang Wenlong forced a laugh.
“Alright, alright.
I’ll think it over some more.”
“Then you do that.
I’m going to bring Teacher his breakfast.” Xiao Yue’Er left with Xiao Yun.
Huang Wenlong watched their departing figures, then looked down at the sword in his hand.
‘Not as good as him?
I may not have a special constitution, but neither does Shuidong Liu!
I, Huang Wenlong, will never be weaker than Shuidong Liu in my entire life!’ Huang Wenlong gripped his longsword tightly, recalled the technique, and began practicing again.
He was the son of the Dongling Mansion Master.
Since childhood, he had not only lived a life of luxury but had also been taught by Martial Arts experts.
He got whatever he wanted.
Everything had always gone smoothly for him; he was even in a position to marry into the family of the Dynasty’s number one Duke.
He had never imagined he would be inferior to someone who grew up in a mining pit.
Huang Wenlong held a breath of frustration in his chest, venting it all on his sword practice.
But the more he did so, the more anxious he became, and the further he got from grasping the essence of the Swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, in the Underground Palace, Shuidong Liu was continuously circulating the Profound Yellow Undying Body’s cultivation technique while simultaneously studying various other techniques and moves, not wasting a single moment.
‘The gap between different levels is this huge.
In that case, while Gu Min’s cultivation technique is miraculous, it can’t be called powerful.
At best, it’s only Earth Level!’
‘Huo Xiao is very strong, but I can’t display its true power!’
‘Same goes for Dongfeng-1!’
‘Maybe I need to reach the Ten Realms of Divine Power, or even the Ten Realms of Longevity, to unleash their true strength!’
Shuidong Liu muttered to himself, then took out the golden leaf and examined it closely.
‘I have to work harder!’
‘Being unable to steamroll the current generation and reign supreme for all eternity in a Mystical World is a disgrace to all transmigrators!’
Xiao Yue’Er didn’t even go onto the island, simply waiting outside with breakfast, but Shuidong Liu didn’t come out.
“Miss, should we…
go in?”
“No.
He doesn’t like it.”
“But…”
Xiao Yue’Er shook her head.
She knew certain things, but she couldn’t say them aloud.