If only one person resembled someone in the portraits, it could perhaps be dismissed as coincidence.
But now all three of them resembled the three people in the portraits.
Mi Yunzhong recalled the identities Xiang Lanxuan had revealed about those in the portraits, and his heart was immediately filled with uncertainty.
Weren’t they supposed to be abandoned disciples of Longguang Sect?
Had Xiang Lanxuan made a mistake?
Suppressing his thoughts, he calmly walked over to Princess Chaoyang and bowed.
“Your Highness, Her Majesty requests your immediate return.”
Princess Chaoyang waved her hand dismissively.
“You go first. Don’t worry, I won’t wander off. I’ll play here for a while, then I’ll head back.”
Mi Yunzhong urged again,
“Your Highness, Her Majesty has an urgent matter and asks that you return immediately.”
There was no urgent matter.
But the Empress genuinely wanted her daughter to return at once.
No one understood her daughter better than she did.
The moment she realised Princess Chaoyang had slipped away, she immediately guessed she had gone to find Zhang Zhichen.
Simply meeting Zhang Zhichen was not the problem.
She was worried her carefree daughter might blurt out something in an attempt to win his favour.
Her daughter still seemed unaware of Shang Yue’s true identity.
If the conversation from the VIP seats leaked out, it would be easy for others to deduce who Shang Yue really was.
Combined with Wen Ruowei’s interference in the match, revealing such information now could easily cause serious trouble.
That was why she had hurriedly sent Mi Yunzhong to bring her back.
Hearing that there was an urgent matter, Princess Chaoyang immediately found herself torn.
She very much wanted to get to know Yu Qing properly.
Yet she was even more afraid of making her mother angry.
In the end, fear won.
Smiling at Yu Qing, she waved.
“I’ve got to go now. I’ll come back another time and play with you.”
“Er…”
Yu Qing froze, unsure how to respond.
All he could do was awkwardly cup his fists.
Mi Yunzhong then led Princess Chaoyang away.
Yet both of them kept looking back at Yu Qing every few steps.
After leaving the small garden, Mi Yunzhong waved for part of his men to escort the princess back first.
He deliberately stayed behind, beckoned one of his subordinates over, and quietly instructed,
“Go immediately and find Commander Nie of the outer garrison as quickly as possible. Ask him for someone. Tell him it’s regarding the three burned portraits. We need the person who has seen the three individuals in those portraits. Commander Nie will know exactly whom to send.”
“Understood.”
The subordinate immediately departed.
The garden became quiet once more.
After returning upstairs, Nan Zhu asked suspiciously,
“That was the princess who kept saying she wanted to marry you, wasn’t she? Why did she come all the way here? Has your Scholar Laureate identity been exposed?”
Yu Qing frowned.
“If it had been exposed, do you really think she’d be the first person to come looking for me?”
Nan Zhu considered it.
“That’s true. Then why did she come?”
Mu Aotie spoke from the side.
“Old Fifteen’s performance today attracted too much attention.”
The moment he said that, both Yu Qing and Nan Zhu fell into thought.
They both felt that was probably the reason.
Speaking of which, Nan Zhu immediately grinned.
“Old Fifteen, that sword technique you used today was the Dust Sealing Sword Technique, wasn’t it?”
Yu Qing casually nodded.
“Mm.”
Nan Zhu cautiously continued,
“After cultivating it, you haven’t experienced any physical problems, have you?”
The moment he heard that question, Yu Qing immediately guessed what he was thinking.
With a cold laugh, he replied,
“What? Before, I begged you to learn it and you refused. Now you suddenly want it?”
Nan Zhu waved dismissively.
“There’s no point bringing that up. Just tell me whether you’ll teach me or not.”
Yu Qing rolled his eyes.
“Are you ill? How am I supposed to teach you now? Even if you want to learn, you’ll have to wait until we get back and have time. And Old Seven, just look at yourself. You’re such a petty fellow.”
Nan Zhu smacked Mu Aotie lightly on the chest with the back of his hand and laughed.
“Old Nine, didn’t I tell you? As long as it isn’t money, Old Fifteen never keeps things to himself. I knew he still had that bit of conscience.”
Was that praise or an insult?
Yu Qing simply rolled his eyes.
Noticing the Kunling Mountain disciple still waiting beneath the tree, Nan Zhu remembered they had little time left.
His smile disappeared, and he became serious.
“Old Fifteen, I’m not joking. We know you’re the strongest now. You’ve even taken on the title of Sect Master. Everything depends on your decisions. You’re always the one with ideas, and what we say may not persuade you, but there are things we still have to say.
Old Fifteen, think carefully.
Why did we come to Kunling Mountain?
Why were we forced to come here in the first place?
Back there in that glittering place, you once risked your life for a woman.
Because of that, all three of us were left with this condition.
Whenever it flares up, the pain is unbearable.
We don’t even know when we’ll die.
And now you’re acting impulsively over a woman again.
Sigh.
Qiao Qie’er is in the past.
Wen Xin is also in the past.
It’s simply not worth risking the lives of all three of us for them again.
Even if, by some miracle, you and Wen Xin could rekindle your old relationship, would you dare?
You know very well that with all the enemies we’ve made, getting together with Wen Xin would only bring disaster upon her.
The Wen family has already suffered because of you once.
Besides, she’s already someone else’s wife.
What more do you want?”
Yu Qing lowered his head and remained silent.
In truth, even he did not know why he had instinctively gone up and hung his plaque beneath first place.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie did not press him.
They simply waited quietly.
After a long while, seeing that he still said nothing, Mu Aotie finally spoke.
“Things have already reached this point. Time’s almost up. Old Seven, let’s go.”
“You can think it over yourself.”
Nan Zhu sighed before leaving with Mu Aotie.
As evening approached, the weather changed once again.
A fine drizzle began falling from the sky.
Because they were at such a high elevation, brilliant evening clouds were still visible along one side of the horizon.
Kui Kui returned to the garden in an exaggerated hurry, pretending to avoid the rain.
Xu Yi, who had accompanied him back, stood beneath the roof outside the main gate, watching the rain fall across the dim green mountains.
His gaze lingered on the droplets hanging from the eaves, reflecting the colourful glow of the sunset.
Without taking his eyes away, he called out,
“Brother Kui, let me know what you want for dinner.”
“I’ll tell you once I’ve decided.”
After shouting back, Kui Kui ran to the entrance of his own room.
Just as he was about to open the door, he paused.
Turning around, he looked towards another small building hidden among the lush trees.
After thinking for a moment, he walked back out into the rain.
This time he neither hopped nor ran.
He walked at a steady pace, using cultivation to keep the rain away.
Arriving at Yu Qing’s door, he knocked.
“Brother Zhang, it’s me.”
Even his tone had become much more polite.
Strength naturally earned respect.
Even the country bumpkin from the Great Wilderness, as Long Xingyun had called him, was no exception.
“Upstairs.”
Yu Qing’s voice came from above.
Kui Kui stepped back from beneath the eaves and leapt onto the balcony, meeting Yu Qing just as he opened the door.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Xu Yi asked what you’d like for dinner.”
“I’ll eat whatever there is.”
The two stood side by side against the railing, gazing together at the glowing evening clouds.
After a moment of silence, Kui Kui spoke.
“You fought well today. Brother Zhang, your strength exceeded all my expectations. When I get home, I’m definitely going to boast to my clansmen that we lived together and got along well. It’ll make me look good. You don’t mind, do you?”
Yu Qing replied,
“When has your mouth ever needed anyone’s permission to say whatever it wants?”
Kui Kui chuckled.
Yu Qing then asked,
“What happened at the arena after I left?”
Kui Kui shrugged.
“Nothing interesting. A bunch of idiots baked under the afternoon sun because nobody dared hang up a challenge plaque. Everyone was afraid of becoming everyone else’s target. That woman hosting the tournament was ruthless too. She found herself a shady place to rest without even telling us to find somewhere out of the sun. By the time it finally cooled down, it started raining instead. I reckon all those spectators who spent the whole day watching us must have cursed us countless times in their hearts. Though quite a few of them had already left halfway through…”
While Kui Kui continued rambling, another commotion arose outside the courtyard.
It was heading towards Xiang Zhen’s residence.
“He must be back.”
“The seriously injured Xiang Zhen, I mean.”
“Let’s go have a look.”
The two jumped downstairs and walked over.
Sure enough, Xiang Zhen had returned.
He was being carried by several Kunling Mountain disciples.
After laying him down, they gave Xu Yi a few instructions before leaving.
The moment Xiang Zhen saw Yu Qing, his eyes lit up.
He struggled to sit up immediately.
Yu Qing, Kui Kui, and Xu Yi all hurried over and persuaded him to lie back down.
“It’s really not that serious. Kunling Mountain’s just being overly cautious.”
Xiang Zhen accepted their advice and lay back down.
His eyes quickly fixed on Yu Qing again, filled with excitement.
“I heard the Shang Yue who injured me was defeated by Brother Zhang and nearly died by your sword. I knew it. She was never going to be your opponent.
I just never expected you two to fight so soon.
If I’d known, I wouldn’t have left.
What a pity.
I missed witnessing Brother Zhang’s magnificent battle with her.
It’s truly regrettable.”
Yu Qing was speechless.
He casually replied,
“Just luck.”
Xiang Zhen sighed again.
“What’s even more regrettable is that I no longer have any chance to fight Brother Zhang in this Sunrise Tournament.”
Kui Kui laughed.
“Nothing can be done about that. You’re the one who stubbornly insisted on fighting Shang Yue first.”
That was indeed one of the tournament rules.
Shang Yue had defeated Xiang Zhen.
Yu Qing had then defeated Shang Yue.
By the tournament’s logic, that meant Yu Qing had already proven himself capable of defeating Xiang Zhen.
Whether that was truly the case did not matter.
The rule existed to prevent endless, disorderly challenges.
Xiang Zhen had no interest in discussing that.
He looked eagerly at Yu Qing.
“Brother Zhang, I have an unreasonable request. I wonder whether you would agree?”
Seeing the hopeful expression in his eyes, Yu Qing had already guessed what he wanted.
Without even asking, he rejected him outright.
“No.”
“Focus on recovering.”
After speaking, he nodded to the other two before turning and leaving.
The three remaining inside looked at one another.
After a moment, Kui Kui curiously asked,
“What unreasonable request were you going to make?”
Looking thoroughly disappointed, Xiang Zhen merely shook his head.
His expression clearly said that telling Kui Kui would be pointless.
Night fell.
The rain grew heavier.
Holding an umbrella, Yu Qing followed a Kunling Mountain disciple to the entrance of another courtyard and knocked.
The disciple responsible for the place asked them to wait while he went inside to announce the visitor.
A short while later, he returned and led Yu Qing inside.
The accompanying disciple remained waiting outside.
Long Xingyun stood beneath the eaves of the small building to receive his guest.
The lantern hanging above his head swayed continuously in the wind.
Seeing Yu Qing approaching beneath an umbrella, he looked puzzled.
He had no idea why this man had suddenly come to visit.
After escorting Yu Qing over, the Kunling Mountain disciple withdrew to a nearby pavilion to wait.
Long Xingyun displayed none of the manners expected of a host.
He simply could not treat this old rival as a guest.
He did not even invite him inside.
Instead, they spoke directly beneath the eaves.
“What do you want?”
Yu Qing kept the umbrella open, resting it on his shoulder.
Glancing at the lantern above, he said,
“Challenge me tomorrow. I’ll deliberately lose to you and let you take first place. Then all the grudges between us will be settled. What do you think?”
He had reached this decision after finally understanding something.
The reason he had impulsively hung his plaque beneath first place was because Old Seven and Old Nine had not been beside him.
Had they been there to stop him, he almost certainly would not have made such a decision, one that brought only harm and no benefit.
Nan Zhu’s words that afternoon had awakened him.
His impulsiveness this time might once again drag Old Seven and Old Nine into danger.
It could even cost them their lives.
He had already proved his strength before Wen Xin.
Given his current identity, claiming the five hundred million reward was never going to be easy.
It was time to stop.
Originally, he had intended to withdraw from the tournament altogether.
But his current position made that impossible.
If the champion simply disappeared, what would become of the Sunrise Tournament?
Kunling Mountain and the Directorate of Great Enterprises would certainly demand an explanation.
After thinking it through repeatedly, he arrived at this solution.
Lose to Long Xingyun.
Long Xingyun stared blankly at him for quite some time.
He could never have imagined that this was the reason for Yu Qing’s late night visit.
After blinking several times, he finally nodded.
“Fine.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Yu Qing nodded.
There was nothing more to say to this man.
Opening his umbrella again, he turned and left.
Even he had not expected the negotiation to go so smoothly.
Watching Yu Qing disappear into the rain, Long Xingyun let out a cold laugh.
“That damned Scholar Laureate really thinks I’m some gullible fool. As if he’d suddenly become so kind. More likely he’s planning to lure me into the arena and finish me off.”