"His surname is Long! In all the world, only members of the Royal Family can have that surname. And since that Innkeeper said it was his, I think you understand what that means, Brother Tian!" Ye Feifei said.
Ye Tian was also startled. 'To think I'd randomly run into a One Vein Fifth Layer expert, and he might even be from the Royal Family... Is my luck too good, or what? It's a little hard to believe.'
"If he's from the Royal Family, why would he be here? This city is... well, it's a second-rate city at best. Could it be he has some other mission here? Is being an Innkeeper just a cover for his real identity?" Ye Tian said.
"You have a point. Every family has its internal conflicts, with everyone vying for the position of Patriarch. The Royal Family is no exception. It's just that the Royal Family is so immense that any trouble would plunge the city into a bloody storm. Many members of the Royal Family want to escape those family disputes. Perhaps that's what this Innkeeper is thinking," Ye Feifei said.
"Forget it. Let's not dwell on this. We need to hurry and catch up to the carriage. We can't let anything happen to the old man driving it," Ye Tian said with a serious expression.
Night fell, and the surroundings were gradually swallowed by darkness. The main road was now empty of pedestrians. Ye Tian and Ye Feifei raced onward, paying no mind to whether it was day or night.
The chirping of insects and the calls of birds returning to their nests could be heard from both sides of the road. The cool wind whistling past them felt refreshing.
Not long after Ye Tian and Ye Feifei left, the young man who had been struck by the Innkeeper climbed up from the ground. The Innkeeper's blow hadn't seriously injured him, merely knocked him unconscious.
He had actually regained consciousness while Ye Tian and the Innkeeper were talking. He couldn't hear their conversation clearly, but he did catch a couple of names: Linyuan Academy and Ye Tian.
He had also been planning to go to Linyuan Academy, but now he would likely be delayed. If he missed the student recruitment period, he would have to rely on his family connections to get in.
He knew Ye Tian and Ye Feifei would surely get into the academy. 'When the time comes, I will not let Ye Tian off the hook. As for Ye Feifei... I must have her. I'll make her learn how powerful I am. Maybe after I'm tired of playing with her, I'll just give her to someone else. There's no other way to vent this bitter hatred.'
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei sped along the road. It took them about four hours to finally catch up to the carriage. Both were utterly exhausted and drenched in sweat.
"Being with you is wonderful, Brother Tian. It feels so thrilling," Ye Feifei said after they were back on the carriage.
"You can only blame my weakness. I'm not strong enough to protect you, otherwise you wouldn't have to be so frightened. But don't worry, I'll work twice as hard. I will definitely be able to protect you in the future!" Ye Tian said.
Ye Feifei gazed quietly at Ye Tian, her heart filled with sweetness. She felt truly happy to be cherished by a man like him.
'I really want to snuggle up to Ye Tian, but I'm afraid that if we get too close, that restless energy will stir inside his body. That would be troublesome.'
'Ever since we got together, I've understood why he doesn't dare get too close to me. But once we're married, this concern should disappear.'
The carriage moved along at a leisurely pace. Both Ye Tian and Ye Feifei closed their eyes. It was unclear if they were resting or lost in thought, but neither spoke again.
Night gave way to day. When the sun was high in the sky, the carriage stopped on a road running alongside a lake. The old driver said, "Miss, Young Master, let's rest here for a bit. This is the famous Bibo Lake. You can wash up here."
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei jumped down from the carriage and took in their surroundings. A vast lake, stretching as far as the eye could see, lay before them.
The water was exceptionally clear. The shore was lined with large trees, flowers, and grasses. A gentle breeze sent beautiful ripples across the lake's surface, creating a refreshing and uplifting feeling that made one want to stay and never leave.
They were indeed uncomfortable after sweating so much the previous night. Both Ye Tian and Ye Feifei wanted to wash up, but it was inconvenient. It was now daytime, and there were quite a few people admiring the scenery by the lake, so they had to content themselves with just washing their faces.
After stopping at Bibo Lake for about an hour, the three of them continued on their way.
"Miss, Young Master, do you know where Bibo Lake gets its name? It comes from an ancient legend," the old driver said.
"I've never heard it. Is there some special story behind Bibo Lake?" Ye Feifei asked. As for Ye Tian, he knew even less; this was his first real journey away from home, so he knew fewer things than Ye Feifei.
"The waters of Bibo Lake are crystal clear all year round. Legend says that Bibo Lake was formed from Fairy Bibo in Ancient Times. This Fairy Bibo was also an Ancient Dragon God—a Water Dragon of immense power, it is said. She was heartbroken over love and constantly washed her face with her tears, which eventually became Bibo Lake," the old man explained.
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei exchanged a glance. The old man's story was a bit too exaggerated. That tears could form a massive lake was truly hard to believe.
However, when it came to the part about Bibo Lake being formed by a Water Dragon, Ye Tian felt it was possible. The Dragon Race of Ancient Times was incredibly powerful, with bodies that could stretch for thousands of meters. And since Fairy Bibo was a Water Dragon, her mastery over the Water Element would have been nearly unrivaled in the world, so it wasn't too much of a stretch.
'Ye Tian even began to wonder if Fairy Bibo might have left something behind in Bibo Lake, like a Dragon Pearl—something the world coveted.'
"A nice thought. Bibo Lake was indeed formed by Bibo, but not from her body. It was formed from three of her Dragon Scales. Surprised to learn that?" The voice of the War Dragon Remnant Soul suddenly echoed in Ye Tian's mind.
Ye Tian was startled. 'This old codger can peep into my thoughts whenever he wants! It's infuriating! But I can only be angry and not dare to say anything. This is so frustrating.'
"Senior, you're awake?" Ye Tian could only ask. 'I really don't know if this old guy is always awake. It's highly suspicious.'
"I've been awake for a while. I even watched that little 'battle.' It was just too boring, complete child's play. I bet you have a lot of questions you want to ask me, don't you?" said the War Dragon Remnant Soul.
"Yes! I was just waiting for you to answer them, Senior! This is great!" Ye Tian was overjoyed and immediately asked in his mind.
"Sorry, I'm not in the mood to answer your questions today. But I can tell you this much: Bibo Lake is not as simple as it appears on the surface," said the War Dragon Remnant Soul.
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on Ye Tian, leaving him utterly frustrated. He could only ask helplessly, "Senior, what secrets does Bibo Lake hold?"
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