Mu Heng’s gaze flickered with surprise at Ling Xi’s cold expression. “Lord Ling, what brings you to our Jiuling Palace when the martial arts examination is ongoing? Aren’t you afraid the demon cores will be snatched up by other sects during these days?”
Ling Xi stood with his hands behind his back, a thin, cold smile playing on his lips. He spoke slowly, “Isn’t Commander Mu also here? Besides, a few demon cores won’t make a difference.”
With that, he casually produced a plaque and stated solemnly, “I am here at the Heavenly Emperor’s command to impart beast-taming techniques to the next generation of beast tamers at Jiuling Palace.”
Mu Heng scoffed for a moment, then slapped his forehead, a sudden realization dawning on him. How could he have forgotten about this?
After the mobilization meeting for the immortal examinations, the Heavenly Emperor had indeed issued an order to Jiuling Palace. As Jiuling Palace was a major immortal sect, and the Heavenly Realm was short of beast tamers, the Heavenly Emperor had decreed that the top scholar of the Heavenly Realm would come to Jiuling Palace to teach beast-taming experience, with the aim of selecting talented individuals from Jiuling Palace disciples.
“Lord Ling has a good memory,” Mu Heng said, then waved for two disciples to come forward and arrange guest rooms for Ling Xi.
Although Jiuling Palace and Shaolin Sect were perennial rivals, and he didn’t particularly like people from Shaolin Sect, he had to admit that Ling Xi possessed excellent scholarly talent. In the realm of beast taming, no one could match him. Perhaps this exchange could even improve Jiuling Palace’s success rate in the immortal examinations.
Ye Ziling, inside the room, had heard everything clearly.
The Heavenly Realm’s top scholar coming to Jiuling Palace to teach techniques? Why hadn’t Mu Heng told her? Could she have missed it?
Mu Heng pushed open the door and immediately saw Ye Ziling staring at him with a cold expression, her eyes unfriendly.
“How come I didn’t know about the Heavenly Realm’s top scholar coming to Jiuling Palace for an exchange?” Ye Ziling’s eyes were cold, her tone eerie and terrifying, making Mu Heng tremble slightly. He then straightened his back and said, “I did tell you. You nodded at the time. When have I ever done anything without your consent?”
Ye Ziling narrowed her eyes. “When was that?”
Mu Heng answered honestly, “A little over ten days ago.”
Ye Ziling suddenly remembered that it was precisely during her temporal displacement more than ten days ago. She had no knowledge of what happened then, so it wasn’t Mu Heng’s fault.
However, she couldn’t leave her hall for these few days. If her identity were exposed, it would be a huge problem.
“Issue my order: have Xuan Lang attend to the reception.”
For the next few days, she would have Xuan Lang cover for her, and then they could deal with Ling Xi.
“Yes.” Mu Heng nodded in agreement.
***
In Lingxiao Hall, Ling Xi sat elegantly, drinking iced tea, and asked the disciples with a blank expression, “Are there any female disciples in your Jiuling Palace with the surname Ye?”
The disciples looked at each other, all taken aback.
“Reporting to the scholar, our Jiuling Palace has no disciples with the surname Ye, and very few female disciples…”
Ling Xi chuckled, a glint of amusement in his eyes, thinking they were joking. “How is that possible?”
At that moment, a figure suddenly flashed by the window, and a notification sound immediately chimed in his mind.
[System: Lord Ling, a rival has appeared!]
Ling Xi leisurely gazed at the handsome young man outside the window. The youth was tall and slender, with rosy lips and white teeth, truly a fine young man.
He tilted his head back and finished the last sip of iced tea, then turned and walked out the door.
The young man was holding a plate of crystal cakes, surrounded by ice cubes. With the misty vapor, the cakes he held looked even more exquisite than the banquet dishes in the Heavenly Palace. He lowered his head and smiled, his face beaming, clearly taking them to give to someone.
As long as he could track this boy’s movements, he was sure to find the exceptional one.
Ling Xi followed the young man’s figure, tracking him all the way to Weiyang Palace.
Peeking inside the room, he indeed found the exceptional one leaning on a chaise lounge, chin propped in his hand, eyes closed as if in a light sleep.
Due to the distance, he couldn’t hear what they were saying at all.
“Palace Master, this is crystal cake just brought from the kitchens.” The weather was hot, so he had specifically used ice cubes to cool it for a while.
A young voice sounded beside Ye Ziling’s ear. She slightly opened her eyes and waved to signal Shen Yan to retreat. “Put it down. In the future, you don’t need to bother with these trivial matters. Just focus your energy on the蛊毒 (gu du).”
A complex emotion flickered in the young man’s clear eyes, his gaze gradually dimming, the corners of his eyes tinged with red. “I came to Jiuling Palace to learn skills and avenge my parents and family, but the Palace Master hasn’t summoned me these past few days, nor has she allowed me to learn techniques with other disciples.”
Ye Ziling wasn’t angered by this. Her gaze fell on the crystal cakes on the table. Looking at the young man’s fierce gaze, she smiled and said, “I see you’ve made good progress with your 蛊毒 (gu du). Instead of spending this time learning techniques in the palace, why not invest your energy in 蛊毒 (gu du)? Isn’t that also a skill?”
“While the toxicity of poison蛊 (gu) is strong, I only have a chance if I get close to the target. My winning chances are not high,” Shen Yan said, then bowed again. “Please, Palace Master, accept me as a disciple of Jiuling Palace.”
Ye Ziling picked up a piece of crystal cake from the table, holding it in her hand to examine it closely. “Jiuling Palace doesn’t recruit new disciples until the latter half of the year. Aren’t you a little early?”
“My desire for revenge is urgent. As long as the Palace Master agrees to let me join Jiuling Palace, I will do anything!”
At this moment, a figure slowly approached. Golden light filtered through the branches and fell upon him. His tall, slender frame was like a pine and cypress growing in the forest, a white robe wrapping around his refined body, its lines outlining his excellent physique.
Seeing the familiar face, Ye Ziling sighed inwardly. The reason her eyelids had been twitching so much these past two days was likely due to this.
“While the cakes are exquisite, the texture is slightly lacking. They appear crystal clear, but they are quite cloying upon tasting.”
Before Ye Ziling could speak, the cakes in her hand were taken by Ling Xi. He examined them for a few moments, his eyes holding a meaningful smile.
“Miss Ye left without saying goodbye. I’ve been searching for you tirelessly.”
The cakes were placed back on the table.
“Lord Ling was looking for me? But I heard you were here to teach disciples beast-taming techniques.” Ye Ziling regained her composure, her tone still calm and undisturbed.
Ling Xi found a seat and sat down, his lips curving slightly. “To see Miss Ye, and incidentally impart some experience to the disciples.”
He then glanced sideways at the young man on the ground, his expression momentarily startled.
To win the favor of a beauty, was he already kneeling?
Shen Yan subtly felt that the atmosphere was not right, so he got up, cupped his hands, and withdrew.
Ye Ziling stood up. “Lord Ling, why are you so persistent in holding onto me?”
There are plenty of fish in the sea, and with his talent and looks, there must be countless women flocking around him. Why was he fixated on her?
“I told you, I’ve taken a liking to you.”
The man’s gaze was intense, directly meeting hers. The ardor in his eyes was unconcealed, making it impossible to avoid.
The same words spoken by him twice felt different.
Last time, his gaze carried a hint of flippancy and possessiveness. This time, his eyes flashed with a certain warmth, as if veiled by a layer of mist, hazy and indistinct.
Ye Ziling paused abruptly. Meeting his gaze directly, she clearly saw a flickering spark within his eyes.
His acting skills had truly improved a lot.