Chapter 468 - 391: The Closed Loop of Fate

Qin Tian glanced at the four characters "Dongfang Mingyue" on the document, his brows slightly furrowed, a hint of doubt flickering in his eyes.

The direct lineage and side branches of the Dongfang Clan were clearly distinguished by their names: those with single-character names were all core members of the direct lineage, such as Marshal Dongfang Yue, Great Elder Dongfang Ke, or his comrade-in-arms, Dongfang Yu, in the Demon Suppression Abyss; while those with double-character names were mostly from the side branches, like his friend Dongfang Mingyu and his grandfather Eastern Cloud Sea.

Clearly, Dongfang Mingyue was from a side branch.

But why would a girl from a side branch alarm Marshal Lin in the far-off Royal Star, to the extent of arranging a secret escort for her?

There must be some unknown hidden motives behind this.

He suppressed his doubts and continued to browse through the document.

Immediate family: Mother Dongfang Qin (deceased), brother Dongfang Haoyue; father’s section, blank.

"Dongfang Haoyue..." Qin Tian’s fingertips gently brushed over these three characters, a thoughtful expression flashing in his eyes.

He seemed to have heard this name somewhere before.

A moment later, he suddenly remembered—back on the Elf Star, Alan had once mentioned that a young scion of the Dongfang Clan had entered the Elves’ sacred Silver Moon Lake years ago, and that person’s name was Dongfang Haoyue.

At that time, he thought Dongfang Haoyue must be a talented member of the Dongfang Clan’s direct lineage, as Silver Moon Lake had very strict restrictions on outsiders. Even he only gained entry by helping the Elf Race solve several major problems.

For Dongfang Haoyue to set foot there, the Dongfang Clan must have paid a significant price.

But now, it seemed things were far more complicated than he imagined. Why would a member from a side branch receive such preferential resources from the clan?

Recalling Alan’s assessment of Dongfang Haoyue, a glint flashed in Qin Tian’s eyes. It seemed the brother and sister were not as simple as they appeared on the surface.

He read on. The description of Dongfang Mingyue was sparse, but one aspect stood out—alchemy talent.

Dongfang Mingyue was a rare prodigious alchemist, showing incredible insight into the art of alchemy from a young age. After reaching adulthood, she repeatedly won major awards in alchemy competitions across various star realms.

Recently, she had maneuvered her way impressively into the top eight during the regional competition of the "Starry Cup" held by the Alchemy General Association in the Azure Wood Star Realm.

The "Starry Cup" was limited to alchemists below the sixth grade, yet had no age restrictions—meaning many of Dongfang Mingyue’s competitors were veteran alchemists with decades of experience.

And for a young girl in her early twenties to make it through such competition, her talent and ability had evidently reached the pinnacle among peers her age.

The document’s end also noted: The champion of the "Starry Cup" would be granted direct entry for advanced studies at the Imperial Capital’s Alchemist Association headquarters, under the personal tutelage of a ninth-grade alchemist.

Marshal Lin’s arrangement for him to escort Dongfang Mingyue to the capital implied confidence in her victory.

"Truly a genius girl." Qin Tian looked at the bright and innocent smile in the photograph, a hint of understanding lighting his eyes.

The Dongfang Clan was already renowned for producing alchemists, and even within such a talent-laden family, Dongfang Mingyue’s talent was exceptional. Her brilliance could easily draw concern from rival factions.

Such as organizations like the Blood Demon Cult, the Xieshen Association, or spies from enemy nations, all known for targeting and destroying such prodigious talents.

Marshal Lin must have chosen him for this mission, valuing his strength and approach, trusting him to eliminate any hurdles for Dongfang Mingyue.

But... Qin Tian’s brows furrowed once more.

Given Dongfang Mingyue’s outstanding alchemical talent, even if she was from a side branch, the Dongfang Clan ought to have assigned top protectors.

Yet Marshal Lin still arranged for him to escort her discreetly, indicating a lack of trust in the guards deployed by the Dongfang Clan.

"Dongfang Mingyue is currently on Shuang Hua star, and the ’Starry Cup’ top eight matches will commence there in five days." Yan Qing’s voice interrupted Qin Tian’s thoughts. "Marshal Lin orders you to set off immediately, ensuring Dongfang Mingyue’s safety throughout, until she safely enters the Imperial Capital’s Alchemist Association headquarters."

Qin Tian put away the document, straightened up, and saluted Yan Qing with a crisp, powerful voice, "Yes! I guarantee the successful completion of the mission!"

He turned to look out the window, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes—this journey to Shuang Hua star would likely be far from peaceful.

He had a vague premonition that protecting Dongfang Mingyue might be just the beginning, possibly leading to a far deeper scheme.

And he had already become a part of this chess game.

...

The morning light on Shuang Hua star carried a gentle coolness, casting slender beams of light through the gap in the hotel room curtains onto the carpet.

The light moved gradually, eventually falling on the bed and lightly brushing the girl’s cheek.

Dongfang Mingyue’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, like butterfly wings gracefully flickering twice, and then she opened her eyes—her pupils were clear as autumn water, with a touch of drowsiness from just waking up.

She sat up, the silk blanket slipping from her shoulders, revealing a small patch of fair skin.

The girl instinctively raised her hand to cover her cheek, her fingertips sensing a faint warmth from her skin, with even her earlobes subtly tinged with pink.

"Miss, you’re awake? What’s with that look?" A crisp voice sounded as Little Jade, wearing a goose-yellow dress, walked in with a cup of warm water.

Her face was round, her eyes lively like grapes, and seeing Dongfang Mingyue covering her face, she curiously leaned in, "Is there something wrong?"