It was said that Chu Kerén had eight elder brothers of peerless genius who had failed to win the hearts of her parents, Chu Junxióng and Murong Xuě.
Yet, it was Chu Kerén, with her ordinary aptitude, who received special attention from Chu Junxióng and Murong Xuě.
They not only doted on her, but even bestowed a royal title upon her.
Ye Lingyuán cast a cold glance at Chu Kerén, a mocking smile curling his lips, "Princess Qiónghuá?"
Chu Kerén nodded, her face filled with arrogance. "This Princess indeed is!"
Of course, she had the right to be arrogant, but she had chosen the wrong target.
For neither Ye Lingyuán nor Zi Línglíng paid her any mind as a princess.
Ye Lingyuán was too lazy to even look at her again, spitting out four cold words, "Nothing special!"
Zi Línglíng also sneered, "Princess Qiónghuá? That can't be right?"
Chu Kerén blinked. "What can't be right?"
A hint of mockery flashed in Zi Línglíng's eyes. She said coldly, "Judging by your tone, you don't sound like you're from Qiónghuá, but more like you live by the sea!"
Chu Kerén blinked again. "What do you mean? I am the genuine Princess of Qiónghuá. How can I not be from Qiónghuá, and how can I be living by the sea?"
Zi Línglíng retorted sarcastically, "If you don't live by the sea, why are you sticking your nose into everything?"
Chu Kerén savored Zi Línglíng's words and finally understood that she was being called nosy.
She angrily declared, "How dare you! What kind of creature are you to speak so disrespectfully to this Princess?"
Before Zi Línglíng could retort, Ye Lingyuán's expression turned cold. "What kind of creature are you to speak so disrespectfully to my Wangfei?"
Ye Lingyuán's stance was firm. Even if she was a princess, she couldn't order his Wangfei around?
His possessive protectiveness over his wife was truly that of a doting husband.
Zi Línglíng's heart warmed, and her good feelings towards Ye Lingyuán deepened.
Chu Kerén was so furious her lungs felt like they would explode.
She couldn't understand why Ye Lingyuán would choose an unknown wild girl over her, a princess of royal blood.
Despite her anger, she didn't dare to challenge the renowned Underworld King of Tiānqǐ.
Her reason for coming out this time was twofold: firstly, to seek opportunities to contract spirit beasts in the Misty Forest, and secondly, to meet the King of Tiānqǐ, Ye Mòyuán, to discuss a marriage alliance between the two countries. The intended groom was none other than the Underworld King, Ye Lingyuán.
Of course, the King of Qiónghuá, Chu Junxióng, had initially disagreed, as rumors about the Underworld King painted him as ruthless and uninterested in women.
However, Chu Kerén had long been infatuated with Ye Lingyuán, from admiration to deep affection, and insisted on marrying him.
In the end, Chu Junxióng, unable to refuse his beloved daughter, agreed to let her come to Tiānqǐ as an envoy to discuss the marriage alliance.
However, there was one condition: she had to first go to the Misty Forest to find and contract a spirit beast.
Chu Kerén ventured into the Misty Forest, and under the protection of her guards, she accidentally stumbled into the heart of the forest.
It was her good fortune that she was rescued by Mu Qīngyán when her guards had all perished.
In order to secure her marriage to Ye Lingyuán, Chu Kerén had investigated everyone around Ye Lingyuán beforehand, Mu Qīngyán included.
Therefore, she quickly recognized Mu Qīngyán and, through persistent pleas, managed to stay, even threatening to use Chu Junxióng's letter of recommendation and her envoy status.
This was the reason why Chu Kerén was present.
Mu Qīngyán had intended to report to Ye Lingyuán as soon as he arrived.
However, due to her accidental offense towards Zi Línglíng, she had forgotten about it.
By the time Chu Kerén spoke, Mu Qīngyán had no time to report.
Because Chu Kerén had directly offended Zi Línglíng, she had indirectly offended Ye Lingyuán.
Thus, before Mu Qīngyán could react, Ye Lingyuán unleashed his sharp tongue, forcing Chu Kerén to reveal her identity.
At this moment, even with a dozen more guts, Chu Kerén wouldn't dare to do anything to Ye Lingyuán.
Therefore, she could only vent her anger on Zi Línglíng.
"You vixen, what kind of bewitching potion did you give the Underworld King to make him so devoted to you?"
Ye Lingyuán's face darkened, and his anger surged.
Was this Princess of Qiónghuá seeking death?
He had already stated that Zi Línglíng was his Wangfei, and yet Chu Kerén dared to slander her in front of him. Was this a deliberate provocation?
The spiritual energy around Ye Lingyuán began to stir.
Although Zi Línglíng was only at the early stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm, her divine sense and combat power could rival that of the Saint King Realm.
Therefore, the spiritual energy fluctuations around Ye Lingyuán immediately caught her attention.
Zi Línglíng frowned. After all, Chu Kerén was a princess of Qiónghuá. If Ye Lingyuán were to act, it would undoubtedly invite criticism. If it sparked a war between the two nations, it would be a loss far outweighing any gain.
Furthermore, Ye Lingyuán was a man. If he were to act against a weaker woman, it would inevitably lead to gossip.
Although Ye Lingyuán didn't care, how could Zi Línglíng let him fall into such a situation?
Therefore, she grasped Ye Lingyuán's bulging veins and shook her head at him, saying, "Let me handle it!"
Ye Lingyuán blinked, then nodded, stepping aside to watch the spectacle.
He had been too worried. How could his Líng'er be someone who would suffer in silence?
Zi Línglíng slowly took a few steps forward, stopping about three meters away from Chu Kerén, and sneered, "Princess Qiónghuá, who were you just calling a vixen?"
Under her imposing aura, Chu Kerén felt a hint of unease.
Strange! How could this wild girl, who appeared out of nowhere, possess such an aura?
However, as a noble princess, how could she be frightened by this?
So, she straightened her back and proudly declared, "Besides you, who else here could be called a vixen?"
"Oh?"
A sharp glint flashed in Zi Línglíng's eyes. The corner of her lips curled slightly as she said coldly, "A vixen, you say? Then I shall let you taste what a vixen can do."
As her voice fell, four green vines instantly appeared in her hand. These vines were condensed from wood spiritual energy.
A hint of fear appeared in Chu Kerén's eyes.
The moment Zi Línglíng condensed her spiritual energy, Chu Kerén realized that she was a master of the Spirit Gathering Realm.
And she had not noticed this before. What did this imply?
It implied that Zi Línglíng possessed a treasure that could conceal spiritual energy. How could someone who possessed such a treasure be an unknown wild girl?
Therefore, Chu Kerén looked at Zi Línglíng warily and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
Zi Línglíng said with a half-smile, "Didn't he just say it? I am his Wangfei!"