Chapter 969: Chapter 835: The Critical First Place
Shen Mo had only just arrived in Spirit City, and the information he could provide was extremely limited.
After returning to his own courtyard in Soul Hall, Chu Mu discovered that two women had just left the place where he was staying. One of them didnât seem to realize that Chu Mu was walking over here and said in a strange tone, âIs that guy really that amazing? Your old friend wouldnât have deliberately deceived you, right? I think the incident in Snow City might have been exaggerated.â
âWhy would someone exaggerate such a thing? Teng Lang made me promise to treat him well if he ever arrived in Spirit City,â another woman with a softer voice said.
âHmph, given the chance, Iâd spar with him to find out the truth,â said the woman whose voice revealed even greater conceit.
âYou just canât bear to see someone more capable than you. In this upcoming Spirit Art competition, you better be careful. All Spirit Masters are gathering here, and if you donât secure first placeâŠâ the softer-voiced woman said.
âImpossible, you know very well thatâŠâ The woman who didnât seem to take anyone seriously was about to retort, but suddenly noticed a man and a little girl walking towards them, apparently intending to enter the courtyard.
As Chu Mu entered the courtyard, he got a clear look at the two womenâs faces.
The woman with black hair and gentle eyes should be the one with the more gentle tone. In terms of appearance, she somewhat resembled Ting Lan, but the astonishing beauty she presented to Chu Mu upon first meeting was much stronger than Ting Lanâs, perhaps due to those tender, water-like eyes that could make oneâs heart flutter.
The dignified and graceful woman next to her was dressed in very lavish attire, easily catching oneâs eye with the dazzling array of decorations.
Her figure was dangerously enticing, with curves so prominent that one could describe them as almost bursting forth, making a person wish they could tear open her skin-tight outfit without a single wrinkle, just to indulge in the tantalizing view beneath.
The only somewhat unsatisfying aspect was the haughty look in this provocative womanâs eyes, inherent to most of noble birth, always carrying a hint of arrogance and disdain for others.
âYou areâŠâ The dignified and graceful woman hesitated for a moment as she looked at Chu Mu, then asked, âAre you Chu Fangchen?â
âYeah,â Chu Mu nodded.
When he left Snow City, Teng Lang had mentioned he had a childhood friend in Spirit City who grew up with him in Soul Hall, a great beauty, and Chu Mu must absolutely get to know her upon arrival in Spirit City.
Then Teng Lang went on to tell Chu Mu a lot about how excellent and first-rate this great beauty was, the type of refined gentleness and tranquility that every man dreams ofâŠ
âYou are Princess Wan Ning, arenât you? I heard about you from Teng Lang when I was in Snow City,â Chu Mu continued.
Although Teng Lang didnât explicitly say so, Chu Mu could guess that the friend he mentioned who grew up with him in Soul Hall was one of the three Soul Hall Princesses, Princess Wan Ning.
Used to seeing beautiful women, Chu Mu had to admit that Princess Wan Ning had an astonishing beauty that could make one fall in love at first sight, and a refined elegance that seemed untouchable.
As for the woman beside Princess Wan Ning, who looked down on others from such a high pedestal, Chu Mu didnât know who she was; in any case, her words just now demonstrated her disdain for him.
âYes, he sent a letter specially asking me to receive you. Your deeds in Soul Hall have been widely talked about recently, and Wan Ning admires you greatly,â Princess Wan Ning said to Chu Mu in a gentle tone, so close that Chu Mu could even catch the true fragrance drifting from her.
Chu Mu just nodded. He wasnât very accustomed to such formalities, preferring Teng Lang to send some shifty-eyed fellow to receive him instead, so he wouldnât have to consider whether he should start by asking a bunch of questions about the strong ones in Spirit City when he was so overwhelmed by the princessâs soft demeanor.
âYou must really be amazing to have the princess personally receive you. Did you kill seven intermediate Emperor ranks and two high-level Emperor ranks all by yourself?â asked the provocatively figured woman next to her.
âThis is my friend Yang Qian,â Princess Wan Ning introduced with a smile, and then signaled with her eyes for Yang Qian not to question others in such a tone.
Princess Wan Ning kindly invited Chu Mu to her own pavilion for tea, but since Chu Mu wasnât interested in tea, he declined.
Princess Wan Ning had no other pressing matters, and having heard that a certain Young Master in Soul Hall was being highly praised, it was only proper etiquette for the Soul Hall Princess to visit such a distinguished personage from Soul Hall.
However, it seemed that Yang Qian always felt that Wan Ning was too polite to Chu Mu. A princess of her stature need not condescend to pay a special visit, let alone invite a man to her pavilion.
What was most infuriating was that the fellow actually refused, saying he preferred to meditate?
âWan Ning, not even your Crown Prince acts with as much airs as him!â Yang Qian said discontentedly as they left the courtyard.
âCanât you talk less?â Wan Ning furrowed her brows, noticing that Chu Mu didnât want to talk more with her, and a large part of the reason was Yang Qianâs pointless provocation.
Of course, having taken the initiative to visit and extend an invitation only to be rejected, Princess Wan Ning actually felt quite awkward too. Was this the first time a man had ever turned down her kindness?
Yang Qianâs face stiffened, and after a cold snort, she turned and left immediately.
Watching the exceedingly odd-tempered Yang Qian depart, Princess Wan Ning let out a soft sigh.
She stood there, hesitating for a moment before finally deciding to return, heading towards Chu Muâs courtyard.
âYoung Master Chu, may we talk a bit more?â Wan Ning stood outside Chu Muâs room, gently knocked on the door, and asked politely.
After waiting quietly for a moment, she couldnât help but mock herself as she watched the door slowly open. When had she, a princess, ever needed to knock on someone elseâs door?
âYeah, what is it?â Chu Mu opened the door but did not invite Princess Wan Ning into his room; instead, he led her to the courtyard.
Two White Nightmare Demons with glowing green eyes were crouched in the room, and Chu Mu couldnât be bothered to explain, so he simply chose not to let her see them.
âI donât dare to offend Yang Qian easily. Her words were rather unpleasant. I hope they didnât affect Young Master Chuâs mood,â Wan Ning said.
âHer status is very special?â Chu Mu was taken aback, not expecting that there was someone even the Soul Hall Princess couldnât afford to offend.
âYes, itâs better if you come with me. I have some important matters about the Soul Temple in Spirit City to inform you about. It wasnât proper to say more with Yang Qian present,â Wan Ning said earnestly.
Since it concerned the affairs of the Soul Hall, Chu Mu naturally couldnât refuse and followed Wan Ning to the attic she had mentioned.
âŠ
âAre you saying that Yang Qian is the chief disciple of Medicine Desolate?â Chu Mu was stunned. He hadnât realized that the woman with the lofty eyes was the successor of Medicine Desolate, meaning she was part of the Soul Covenant, an enemy of the Soul Hall!
But if she was an enemy, why was she appearing in the Soul Hall, and why had she become friends with a princess of the Soul Hall?
âI just want to know whether she is our friend or enemy,â Chu Mu asked bluntly.
As a princess of the Soul Hall, Wan Ning should be very clear about the need for clear stances. Yang Qian was obviously from the Soul Covenant, so why was she allowed to roam freely within the Soul Hall?
âShe maintains a neutral stance personally, and her teacher is from the Soul Covenant. She also has another identity; she is the granddaughter of the Spirit City city master, Yang Que. That is to say, eventually, the control over Spirit City will end up in Yang Qianâs hands. Spirit City has always remained neutral, but Medicine Desolate Zhu Chao has been coveting the city, wanting to pull Yang Qian under the banner of the Soul Covenant, then expel our Three Great Palaces from Spirit City. Zhu Chao might be Yang Qianâs teacher, but he cherishes her dearly. Moreover, since Yang Que is Zhu Chaoâs teacher, Zhu Chao doesnât dare to coerce Yang QianâŠâ Princess Wan Ning analyzed the situation for Chu Mu.
âSo youâre saying that whether our Three Great Palaces can continue to hold our ground in Spirit City ultimately depends on that woman?â Chu Mu massaged his temples. The conflict between the Three Great Palaces and the Soul Covenant existed in every high-grade city, and it seemed Spirit City also faced its share of impending crises.
Although Spirit City did not belong to the Three Great Palaces, their presence in the city allowed them to cultivate and recruit many Spirit Masters. For any power, the existence of Spirit Masters was more meaningful than that of powerful Soul Pet Masters. If the Three Great Palaces were expelled from Spirit City, it would be a significant obstacle to their future development.
âNo wonder she dares to wander around the Soul Hall so casually, with an air of not taking anyone seriously. She holds such important decision-making power in her hands,â Chu Mu remarked with a sigh.
âYes, I met her before the power struggle began, many years ago. Our relationship is quite close⊠However, she has always done as she pleases, and Iâm afraid I canât influence her decisions,â Wan Ning said.
âSince youâre telling me this, there must be a solution, right?â Chu Mu asked.
Princess Wan Ning nodded and said, âThereâs no solution for now, unless someone can take away the first-place position from her in the Spirit Art competition.â
âHow is this related to the Spirit Art competition?â Chu Mu asked, puzzled.
âAccording to Yang Que, if his granddaughter, Yang Qian, can win first place in the Spirit Art competition, where Spirit Masters from all lands gather, he will pass the position of city master to her. Once she becomes the city master of Spirit City, Medicine Desolate Zhu Chao will have a great deal of say in Spirit City. Even if Yang Qian doesnât dismiss us, Zhu Chao will surely strangle our resources in the dark. So the only way is to prevent her from winning the Spirit Art competition,â she explained.
With that, Wan Ning let out a sigh.
Wan Ning was all too aware of Yang Qianâs mastery in Spirit Art. Her presence was like the man in front of her, clearly towering over her peers, making it impossible for anyone to snatch the first place from her. (to be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian () to cast your votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest driving force.)
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