Bei Qing was so angry that he couldn't speak. "Both of you, leave and shut up for the next ten days."
"Yes, Sir!" The two quickly retreated in fear.
After this incident, the precious Violet Radish Love Bead could not be given away no matter what. Bei Qing was not stupid and did not dare to give it away again. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to Ming Zhaotian. He secretly hated those two idiots for ruining his plans.
"Brother, Yue 'er and I have eaten our fill, so we'll go back and rest," Ming Yan said politely.
Bei Qing quickly stood up and bowed. "Take care, Your Highness."
Bei Qing cursed as he watched the two girls leave. Those two bastards had ruined his plans, and if word of this reached the ears of others, it might bring trouble to the Bei family.
Lu Yin coughed and whispered, "Sir Bei, there's no need to be angry. Everyone here is from the Reverent King's Residence."
Bei Qing's heart skipped a beat. That's right, everyone here is from the Reverent King's Residence. The Reverent King's Residence was far from the capital, and they didn't have much contact with the Bei family's political enemies.
"But …" Lu Yin hesitated.
Bei Qing was shocked. "But what?
Tell me. "
Lu Yin respectfully replied, "But it's said that the Crown Prince's men are hiding in the residence. I don't know if that's true or not."
Bei Qing's heart sank, as he felt like he had stepped on thin air. His father had only been able to sit firmly in his position because of his neutral stance. If the Crown Prince found out about this, it would be troublesome. Although the other princes were no threat to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince was not young, and it was inevitable that he would clash with His Majesty. There were many rumors in the capital that the Crown Prince wanted to ascend the throne early, and he had the support of many ministers.
Bei Qing's head hurt; he had actually led these two idiots into digging such a huge hole for him. He wanted nothing more than to throw the Violet Love Beads into the lake.
Forget it, now wasn't the time to think about this. He scanned his surroundings, wondering if the Crown Prince's men were really here.
"You did well. This is your reward." Bei Qing gave him another martial ticket, one that was worth much more than the previous one.
He immediately thanked him.
"Right, why didn't Miss Yue 'er react to me today?" Bei Qing was puzzled.
Lu Yin respectfully replied, "In front of the princess."
"Oh, that's right. The princess is present. Then, can I go look for Miss Yue 'er?" Bei Qing hesitated.
Lu Yin replied, "I've been with Miss Yue 'er for quite some time, and she once said that the man she's looking for has to be stronger than her or more cultured than her. Otherwise, how can he conquer her?"
Bei Qing's eyes lit up. "Alright, I like challenges. Since you said that, I'll reward you." He then gave Lu Yin another martial ticket before turning to leave.
This young master of an aristocratic family was not stupid, but he was simply too full of himself. He really believed that a girl would fall in love with him at first sight. However, this was the Shenwu Continent, and Bei Qing had a special status, so such a thing might happen.
Not long after, a piece of news spread around. Bei Qing was challenging Yue 'er.
Lu Yin was left speechless. So direct?
At this moment, Yue Xianzi felt as if she had seen a ghost. Bei Qing had inexplicably rushed over to fight her. Was he crazy?
"Yue 'er, how did you offend Bei Qing?" Ming Yan hurriedly asked Yue Xianzi.
Yue Xianzi shook her head with a confused look on her face. "I don't know. He came over himself and said that he wanted to compete with me."
Ming Yan was furious. "What's wrong with that person?
Yue 'er, you're not even an expert on the List of Tempering, so why would he challenge you?
I'll go look for him. "
Yue Xianzi hurriedly pulled Ming Yan back. "Forget it, Princess. I've already rejected him, so let him be."
Ming Yan snorted. This person was crazy.
Yue Xianzi had clearly underestimated Bei Qing's patience. From the moment she had rejected him, Bei Qing had been certain that he would be able to conquer her. He had continued to pester her even after entering Antai City, and it seemed as if he would not let go no matter what. Ming Yan was furious, but there was nothing she could do. Yue Xianzi wanted nothing more than to kill him.
On the night that they entered Antai City, a torrential downpour fell, trapping the Reverent King's entourage within the city.
Ming Island was sealed off, and no cultivators were allowed to enter. Even the people from the Reverent King's Residence were carefully checked before they were allowed to enter. Yue Xianzi looked at the endless rain outside. Her goal had been achieved, and she had successfully infiltrated the Reverent King's Residence into Ming Island. Now, all that was left was to leave.
Dong dong dong
"Miss Yue 'er, are you there?
I'm Bei Qing. "
Yue Xianzi was furious. This despicable bastard! Why was he always pestering her? She had already changed her appearance and was far inferior to the princess', so why was he still pestering her?
One moment, he wanted to compete in martial arts, and the next moment, he wanted to compete in literary skills.
"Sir Bei Qing, Yue 'er has the appearance of a willow, and she's also the princess' maid. Why are you pestering her to compete in martial arts?" Yue Xianzi asked Bei Qing.
Bei Qing was taken aback, and he did not understand. It had been two days since he had pestered this woman. Was that not enough to show his sincerity?
She was the one who had given him the pouch first. Fine, since she still had this attitude, then don't blame me. Just as he was about to take out the pouch to question her, the Antai City City Lord arrived and requested an audience with Bei Qing.
"Miss Yue 'er, please rest. I'll go meet the guest," Bei Qing said politely.
Yue Xianzi nodded and closed the door. This person was so annoying.
Antai City was the closest to Ming Lake, and it was rich in seafood, especially during heavy rain. A delicacy called oolong fish would swim out of the lake and attract countless people to fish.
Lu Yin was called over by Bei Qing. "What's going on?
Is this pouch Yue 'er's? "Bei Qing's expression was ugly as he asked loudly.
Lu Yin respectfully replied, "Of course it's Miss Yue 'er's."
"If that's the case, then why is she ignoring me?" Bei Qing was displeased.
Lu Yin lowered his head. "I don't know about that, but I have a plan that you can try."
"Hurry up and tell me!" Bei Qing urged.
Lu Yin's eyes flickered. He had been thinking about his next move since yesterday. He could not hide in the Reverent King's Residence for this trial, as that would be meaningless, and he would not be able to find anyone from the Daynight clan. It was better to rely on someone else and walk another path, and Bei Qing was the person he had chosen.
At first, he had only wanted to tease Bei Qing and Yue Xianzi, but now, he really wanted to raise his status in Bei Qing's heart. This person was someone who even the Reverent King, Ming Zhaoshu, treated with respect.
"It's raining heavily in Antai City, so you can invite the princess and Miss Yue 'er to go fishing. I've heard that the oolong fish here are famous throughout the continent, and they're top quality delicacies. Miss Yue' er comes from a remote area, so I'm sure she'll be interested.
Bei Qing's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea. Alright, we'll do as you say." He then looked Lu Yin up and down. "You're not bad, much better than those two idiotic servants of mine. Are you interested in following me?"
Lu Yin was delighted. "Thank you for your interest, Sir. I'm willing."
Bei Qing nodded in satisfaction. "After His Majesty's birthday celebration, come find me at the Grand Council Residence."
"Thank you, Sir," Lu Yin said gratefully.
Lu Yin smiled as he watched Bei Qing leave. Once he entered the Grand Council Residence, would he still be afraid of not being able to make a name for himself?
No matter how bad his performance was, he could still steal secret documents from the Grand Council Residence, which would add points to his results.
However, Lu Yin was still racking his brains for a way to impersonate Yue Xianzi and talk nonsense with Bei Qing. On the other side, Bei Qing had left Antai City and was heading to Mingdu overnight. Lu Yin's efforts had all been for naught.
"Bei Qing's sudden departure is related to the letter he received. It should be from his father, Bei Hong. Needless to say, it's definitely because he's not allowed to interact with the Reverent King's Residence," Tang Si said respectfully as he stood in front of Ming Zhaoshu.
Ming Zhaoshu's gaze was cold. "There's another reason. Someone told him about Yan 'er."
Tang Si was shocked. "Could it be someone from the crown prince's residence?"
Ming Zhaoshu nodded. "Ming Hao doesn't want us to form a relationship with Bei Hong. That's the only effective way."
A woman's reputation was extremely important on Shenwu Continent. No matter how much Bei Qing liked Ming Yan, once her reputation was tarnished, he could no longer pester her.
"Your Highness, then …" Tang Si was in a difficult position. Ming Zhaoshu raised a hand and looked at Tang Si. "Go and call Lu Qi over."
Tang Si was puzzled. "Lu Qi?
The coachman? "
Ming Zhaoshu's lips curled up. "Call him over."
"Yes."
Not long after, Lu Yin was brought to a study. He did not understand why Ming Zhaoshu wanted to see him. "Coachman Lu Qi greets Your Highness."
"Enter," Ming Zhaoshu's dignified voice rang out.
Lu Yin pushed the door open and stepped in. He bowed slightly. "Your Highness."
Ming Zhaoshu waved his hand, and the door closed. An invisible wave swept out and sealed off the entire study.
At that moment, Lu Yin almost lost control of himself and attacked, but he forced himself to control himself. Trembling slightly, he asked, "Your Highness, what orders do you have for me?"
Ming Zhaoshu stared at Lu Yin and said coldly, "Bei Qing values you greatly."
Lu Yin was shocked, and his expression turned fearful. "Your Highness, I don't know what you mean by this."
Ming Zhaoshu raised a hand, revealing a sachet.
When he saw it, Lu Yin's pupils shrank, and his muscles tensed up. He was prepared to flee at any moment.
"I've seen and heard everything you've done during this period of time. Do you still want to hide it?" Ming Zhaoshu asked coldly.
Lu Yin lowered his head, and his eyes flickered.
Heard?
Could it be … a domain?
This person had actually comprehended a domain. Even among the countless powerhouses in the Innerverse, those who had comprehended a domain could be counted on one hand. The Astral Combat Academy included the top elites of the universe's younger generation, but there were less than twenty people who had comprehended a domain. Lu Yin could not understand how Ming Zhaoshu had managed to do so.
The atmosphere was strangely silent.
Lu Yin did not speak. He adjusted his breathing and was prepared to act at any moment.
Ming Zhaoshu looked at him for a while and then put down the sachet. "You're not bad."
Lu Yin looked up in surprise and gave Ming Zhaoshu a puzzled look.
A hint of a smile appeared in Ming Zhaoshu's cold eyes. "You were able to establish a relationship with Bei Qing in such a short period of time. If he hadn't left at the last minute, you might have been able to establish a deeper relationship with him. You're very smart, and you're not content with being in hiding."
Lu Yin hurriedly said, "I was wrong."
Ming Zhaoshu shook his head. "You weren't wrong. No one is willing to be poor for the rest of their lives. You walked out of your narrow world and learned the techniques that His Majesty and I created together. These are your opportunities. You were able to contact Bei Qing. This is your ability. You are a person with both ability and opportunity."