Watching Zhao Gongming and his siblings depart, Chu Yuan was in no hurry to leave.
Hiding in the woods outside the city, he pressed his palms together and prayed with a devout heart.
‘Future God of Wealth, please protect me so that I earn a fortune every day!’
‘Future Sanxiao Goddesses, please protect me so that I have many wives and concubines! May my house be full of children and grandchildren!’
‘Big shots, I’ll be waiting for you to carry me to the top in the future! Please don’t let me down!!!’
After finishing his prayers, Chu Yuan collected the corpses of the demonic cultivators from the ground.
Sweeping his Divine Sense across the area, it was not difficult for him to discover the imperial carriage entourage hidden near the official road.
He didn’t need to investigate further to guess that it was undoubtedly the Crown Prince’s Regalia.
He believed that with his skill in instantly killing a group of demonic cultivators, that red-haired Crown Prince would surely be wary.
‘And that’s enough!’
To be safe, he strengthened the concealment effect of his Phantom Ethereal Dharma Robe and followed the mark he had engraved inside the Hook-nosed Cultivator, heading in the direction the man had fled.
With the dharma robe covering him, Chu Yuan was confident the Crown Prince and her people would not be able to track him.
—
Meanwhile, Zhao Gongming and his siblings were intercepted before they had even walked 10 miles.
Scanning the group of armored female soldiers, Zhao Gongming grew wary. “Madam Officers, what is the meaning of this?”
As he spoke, his hand already rested on the Twenty-Four Golden Beads hanging from his chest.
This was the wilderness; there was no telling what these officers might do, emboldened by their status. However, with the treasures lent to them by their benefactor, the siblings were not panicked.
“Do not misunderstand us, young friends!”
The female soldiers also showed looks of wariness toward the treasures in their hands and quickly made way.
Fang Henian stepped out from the middle of the path and cupped his hands with a smile. “I am Fang Henian, the City Lord of Xuanji City! I am here on Her Highness’s orders to invite the four of you for a chat!”
‘Her Highness?’
Zhao Gongming’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly cupped his hands and bowed. “City Lord, may I ask… is it that Crown Prince who expanded the Academy and opened the doors for those from humble backgrounds?”
Fang Henian stroked his beard and laughed. “Hahaha! Precisely. Why do you ask, young friend?”
Zhao Gongming cupped his hands excitedly. “I won’t lie to the City Lord; the four of us are headed to the capital for the imperial examinations in a few months. Thanks to Her Highness’s enlightened policies, even a commoner like me can serve the Immortal Dynasty.”
The thought of such a wise Highness summoning him felt like a dream.
Standing behind him, Yunxiao tugged at his sleeve and whispered a reminder, ‘Brother, be careful, it might be a trap…’
Zhao Gongming snapped back to reality and nodded, suppressing his excitement.
Looking at Fang Henian, he asked, “City Lord, how could humble commoners like us be worthy of Her Highness’s summons… May I ask what Her Highness requires of us?”
Fang Henian smiled and replied, “You will know once you arrive. Please, after me!”
He stepped aside to lead the way, and Zhao Gongming guarded his three younger sisters as they followed.
They walked no more than 100 steps before they saw an imperial carriage parked by the official road.
The carriage had a golden roof and vermilion railings. Under the morning sun, it cast the silhouette of a graceful figure behind the gauze curtains.
Although her face could not be seen, the figure sitting inside possessed an air of immense elegance.
Feeling the imperial aura washing over him, Zhao Gongming immediately led his three sisters to kneel and kowtow. “Commoner Zhao Gongming, along with my three younger sisters, Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao, greets Your Highness!”
Inside the carriage, Ji Xuanyuan remained silent for a moment.
Her gaze swept over the siblings’ four treasures, finally landing on the corner of an Array Disk partially visible in Yunxiao’s sleeve.
She clearly remembered that when the Great Elder of Chu broke the array last night, Chu Yuan had been clutching a Chaos Bead.
The aura of that Chaos Bead was remarkably similar to Yunxiao’s Array Disk.
Ji Xuanyuan hesitated in her heart. ‘Is that black-robed man Chu Yuan?’
‘But why would he give the Array Disk away?’
‘Not only that, the other treasures he bestowed aren’t simple either…’
Any one of these treasures would be enough to bankrupt an ordinary cultivator. Yet he was willing to give them to these siblings? One for each person?
‘This level of sheer extravagance… it further confirms his status as the Holy Son.’
‘But why would Junior Brother give them such treasures?’
Having reached this thought, she said in a heavy voice, “Rise.”
Her tone was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
Zhao Gongming rose as ordered, still keeping his head lowered, not daring to look directly at her.
Ji Xuanyuan scrutinized the four people before her through the gauze. “I heard you are preparing to go to the capital for the examinations? Why did you divert your path to come here?”
Zhao Gongming cupped his hands. “Reporting to Your Highness, the Divine Grade Auction is approaching, so I wanted to bring my sisters to broaden their horizons. Additionally, the God Hunt will follow the auction, and such an opportunity only comes once every 100 years… We didn’t expect to run into trouble on the road, but we were fortunate enough to receive help from a benefactor.”
Hearing this, Fang Henian stared at the golden beads on Zhao Gongming’s chest, his eyes full of envy and longing.
He stroked his beard and let out a dry laugh. “You four young friends are truly blessed! Treasures like these would be the crowning jewels even in the great immortal sects, yet you were lucky enough to be gifted them by a benefactor… Tsk tsk, this is a monumental opportunity!”
Sensing the envy in his voice, Zhao Gongming realized something was wrong and cupped his hands. “The City Lord overestimates us. These items are merely on loan. When our fate with him concludes, they must naturally be returned.”
Fang Henian asked curiously, “On loan? Lending such heavy treasures so easily? Just what is your relationship?”
Ji Xuanyuan also focused her attention on this question.
The subtle atmosphere led Zhao Gongming to guess that the Crown Prince’s reason for summoning them was likely for information on their benefactor.
However… the benefactor had been wearing a black robe and had not revealed his true appearance earlier. Could it be he didn’t want his identity known?
‘I cannot expose the benefactor’s background!’
Zhao Gongming began to deliberate on how to answer.
The Sanxiao Goddesses behind him, seeing their brother remain silent for so long, wanted to answer for him. “Reporting to Your Highness…”
Zhao Gongming cut them off. “Reporting to Your Highness, this commoner does not know why that benefactor gifted us these treasures. He only said we shared a stroke of fate.”
Ji Xuanyuan became increasingly suspicious. “A stroke of fate was enough to give you such treasures?”
Sensing an opportunity, Fang Henian nearby feigned a serious expression. “Young friends, the identity of the benefactor who saved you is highly suspicious. He might even be a cultivator from the Demonic Path Alliance. If you hold onto his artifacts, in the future, you might…”
“Ahem!!!”
Before he could finish, a soft cough suddenly came from inside the carriage.
Fang Henian immediately fell silent and bowed. “What are Your Highness’s orders?”
Ji Xuanyuan said indifferently, “Since that powerhouse acted to kill demonic cultivators, he has already shown the conduct of a righteous person. How could he be a demonic cultivator? City Lord Fang, do not overthink things.”
Fang Henian’s expression stiffened, and he quickly bowed. “Your Highness is right to lecture me! I overstepped my bounds!!!”
“Mm.”
Seeing that she could not get anything more out of them, Ji Xuanyuan did not make things difficult for them.
Taking a token from her sleeve, she flicked it through the air toward them. “This is a token of mine. Take it to the capital. If you face difficulties, you may present this token to see the Vice Minister of Rites. He will take care of you.”
Zhao Gongming caught the token with both hands.
Seeing the character ‘Ji’ carved into it, his heart raced with excitement. But after a moment’s thought, he quickly cupped his hands and politely declined. “Thank you for Your Highness’s great kindness! However, please take this token back! I wish to earn my scholarly honors through my own efforts!”
Both Ji Xuanyuan and Fang Henian were stunned.
‘This child…’
Ji Xuanyuan chuckled. “Very well! City Lord Fang, have someone take these four siblings to an inn in the city to settle down. We must not neglect the future pillars of the Immortal Dynasty.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
With that, Fang Henian arranged for the female soldiers to lead the way.
As they left, Zhao Gongming led his sisters in a deep bow toward the carriage before turning to walk toward the city gate.
After walking about a dozen steps, Bixiao suddenly turned around, waved her small hand toward the carriage, and said in a soft voice, “Thank you, Crown Prince Sister…”
Inside the carriage, Ji Xuanyuan couldn’t help but see a reflection of her own sister, and her smile grew warmer.
A short while later, Fang Henian watched the retreating backs of the four siblings. His gaze lingered on those golden beads, his eyes filled with regret.
He let out a sigh and whispered, “Your Highness, those four treasures are…”
Ji Xuanyuan shook her head slightly. “I said this is their fate. To force a connection would only invite disaster.”
Turning to the matter at hand, she added, “Go! See if you can track the movements of that black-robed man.”