From being completely unknown to setting the entire Yuning Mountain abuzz, Chen Yang had only taken one night and half a day.
With a single corner of the Blue Sea Ruins Fragment Map in his possession, he swept through the Silver Armored Guards with one swing of his sword.
This young man seemed to have appeared out of nowhere—unheard of until he made his move, which was nothing short of astonishing. For a time, the name Chen Yang was being discussed everywhere.
On his half-day ride, Chen Yang encountered many people heading to Shisu Town. They belonged to different factions, but they all shared the same purpose: to seek an audience with the youngest princess of the City Lord's Mansion.
Chen Yang was very surprised. Even if this princess held a revered status, she shouldn't be attracting so much talent. Besides, as a princess of the City Lord's Mansion, how could she be accessible to just anyone who wished to see her?
In response to Chen Yang's puzzled inquiry, a bearded middle-aged man explained, "Young man, you don't look like you're from Shisu Town, are you? The reason for such a big commotion this time is because the princess announced yesterday that she's looking to recruit a bodyguard."
"You may not know, but this princess is the darling of the City Lord's Mansion, utterly doted upon. If one could become her bodyguard, it would undoubtedly be like standing on the shoulders of a giant, with limitless prospects for the future."
The explanation only made Chen Yang more puzzled.
As a princess of the City Lord's Mansion, why would she need to recruit a bodyguard from the outside? Could the prestigious City Lord's Mansion truly not find a single suitable bodyguard from within its own ranks?
"Kid, stop dreaming. With your average appearance and simple clothing, I assume your abilities are mediocre as well."
Seeing Chen Yang raise his eyebrows slightly, the middle-aged man naturally thought he was mulling over the idea of becoming the princess's bodyguard and bluntly crushed his hopes, saying, "We're just going to watch the fun. After all, with so many capable people in Shisu Town, we don't stand a chance."
"Indeed," Chen Yang nodded, fully agreeing with the middle-aged man. He then voiced his own question. "But why does this princess want to recruit a bodyguard here?"
"Who knows," the middle-aged man shrugged. "Perhaps it's a whim. After all, her temperamental and capricious nature is known far and wide."
"I've said enough. Let's get a move on."
Chen Yang cupped his fist. "Thank you."
Shen Shaotian caught up and immediately started to chide him. "You're really something else! Those were men from the City Lord's Mansion, and you just killed them all?"
Does he not consider the consequences of his actions at all?
"Do you have a better idea?" Chen Yang asked.
"I…"
Shen Shaotian opened his mouth but couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Indeed, given the overbearing and aggressive attitude of those Silver Armored Guards, they wouldn't have rested until they obtained the map fragment. From the moment they appeared, the situation had become a life-or-death confrontation.
Liu Qingmei, who had been silent all the while, would occasionally cast a glance at Chen Yang. To tell the truth, she was startled by his methods. The people from the City Lord's Mansion were domineering enough, but this man was even more so. His decisiveness and ruthlessness were truly unnerving.
This was Yuning Mountain, not the secular world.
As noon approached, their party entered Shisu Town.
The ancient stone walls bore the clear marks of axes and chisels. Inside, the buildings exuded an air of antiquity, and the bluestone-paved ground had been worn smooth, its edges rounded with time. Seeing the bustling crowds, Chen Yang found it hard to imagine that a town of such scale could exist deep in these mountains if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
After taking in the sights, Chen Yang turned to Liu Qingmei and asked, "Shall we find a place to eat first?"
"Sure," Liu Qingmei nodded.
Shen Shaotian quickly interjected, saying cheerfully, "I know a very nice restaurant, follow me."
"This is my turf, just follow me!"
Shen Shaotian confidently patted his chest and pulled out his phone, apparently to reserve their seats in advance.
Chen Yang nodded, smiling silently. Having someone like him around indeed made things a lot more convenient.
However…
Glancing at Liu Qingmei, Chen Yang silently shook his head again.
He could tell his cousin was intentionally keeping her distance from Shen Shaotian. He might have a chance in the future, but for now, it was impossible. As the saying goes, a man chasing a woman must scale a mountain. Shen Shaotian seemed like a decent person overall, but matters of the heart were truly mysterious.
"Have you heard? A fighting ring was set up in the northern square. They say the willful princess had it built specifically for selecting a guard."
"They're already fighting, and you're just hearing about this now?"
On both sides of the street, a sudden uproar of discussion erupted, and people began to run forward.
WHOOSH!
In an instant, more than half the people in the area started running in the same direction.
"Shall we go have a look, too?" Shen Shaotian suggested.
Seeing that Liu Qingmei also showed considerable interest, Chen Yang nodded. "Alright, let's go."
In fact, after hearing so much about the princess along the way, he had also grown curious to see what this so-called 'willful princess' was really like.
Following the crowd, Chen Yang and the others arrived at the northern square of Shisu Town.
In the center, a huge fighting ring had been constructed, where two men were engaged in fierce combat. Below the ring, a massive crowd had already gathered.
BANG!
Following a powerful collision, blood sprayed into the air. One of the fighters staggered back several steps before falling onto the ring, on his last breath.
BOOM!
Instantly, a tidal wave of roaring cheers erupted from the crowd.
The loser was quickly carried away, and another young man immediately leaped onto the stage.
Another great battle commenced.
Chen Yang raised his eyebrows. He couldn't see the point in such an unruly competition. It seemed more like a gladiatorial combat put on for public entertainment.
Then, as if sensing something, he turned his head toward a nearby restaurant.
Across the street from the ring was the Xianlai Restaurant. On its rooftop terrace sat a young girl in her early twenties, wearing a red dress with twin ponytails and eyes as bright as stars. She leaned on the railing, propping her chin on one hand as she watched the ring with great interest.
The girl was none other than the young princess of the City Lord's Mansion herself. Grabbing a cluster of pearl-like grapes, she pouted. "They're all so weak. How dare trash like this even show up? Are they that full of themselves? Or do they think this place is a garbage dump?"
"Huh?"
Just as the words left her mouth, the young princess's peripheral vision caught a pair of eyes looking in her direction.
His gaze was profound and sharp—Eagle-Eyed.
The young princess was visibly startled. Then, their eyes met.
Chen Yang raised his eyebrows. He guessed that the person he was locking eyes with had to be the 'willful princess.' And this so-called guard selection, just as he suspected, was likely nothing more than her way of amusing herself with these people.
Chen Yang looked away and gestured for his companions to leave.
"What's with that look?" The young princess of the City Lord's Mansion, Mu Ling'er, shot to her feet, her cheeks puffed out in anger. With one hand on her hip, she pointed at Chen Yang.
"Go! Bring him to me!" she ordered.