"What!?" Gu Ling Ling stood up abruptly, almost tumbling Da Bao in her embrace.
The onlookers stared at Gu Ling Ling in confusion, and the hall became eerily quiet. Gu Ling Ling smiled awkwardly a few times, realizing her reaction was indeed inappropriate.
"Thank you for your affection, Prince, but Ling Ling is just a commoner, not worthy of the Prince's royal status."
As she spoke, she tried to reach out and hold Da Bao again, but he coldly refused, struggling to get down.
Gu Ling Ling was somewhat angry. In such a public place where all eyes were on her, her son did not give her any face. But when she saw the direction Da Bao was headed, her motherly heart softened.
Behind the prince, Xiao Qing was waiting obediently. Seeing Da Bao toddling over, she smiled gently, opened her arms, and immediately hugged Da Bao.
The prince gestured to Xiao Qing, and she moved with Da Bao, going out through a side door.
"We are of the royal family, but we are not constrained by bloodlines. As long as the prince likes, it's fine," the crown prince was very open-minded, not concerned about status and lineage, knowing that it was not those useless restraints that had allowed the dynasty to rule these lands for hundreds of years.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince," Rong Rong, amidst a complex expression, rose and curtsied, "Our Worry-Free Pavilion has many duties, so I'm afraid I can't be the stable crown princess of Your Highness’s mansion."
Rong Rong, with a stable gaze and no trace of a woman's shyness in her movements, ignored Liao Feixing's attempts to hold her back. Instead, she forcibly pulled away from Liao Feixing's grasp, leaving Liao Feixing to clench and unclench her fists to ease the awkwardness.
Gu Ling Ling glanced at Rong Rong with grateful eyes. With Rong Rong's support, she felt less at a loss than she had just now.
Clearing her throat, she said somberly, "Exterminating all the demons in the world is my lifelong wish. Being the crown princess... is not suitable for me."
A clear refusal, but the prince seemed not to have heard, "Master's destiny matches mine extremely well. Isn't Master moved? As long as you're with me, you will get everything you want."
"Everything? I don't understand," Gu Ling Ling furrowed her brow, finding it hard to comprehend, "You didn't ask me, so how do you know if our destinies are suitable?"
The prince shook his fan, inscrutable and silent.
"The marital arrangements of the members of the Forget-Worry Pavilion must be approved by the headmaster."
The attention of the crowd instantly shifted to the entrance.
The sunlight outside was just right, casting a clear beam into the hall. A man in white stood with his back to the sun, the corners of his clothes lifted by a gentle breeze, evoking the image of pear blossoms blown by the spring wind in April. The whole area was shrouded in a halo of sunlight, bringing a palpable sense of awe.
The sunlight blurred his features, but his presence made the onlookers gasp in amazement. This was no ordinary man; he was a celestial being fallen to earth.
Luoyunzhen's eyes were deep and profound, but he didn't seem to notice the crowd, not because he felt they were unworthy, but rather he treated them as the gods treated ants, showing no interest in them at all.
Yet, no one found him arrogant; it was almost as if he was supposed to be this way, as though he was meant to be above worldly affairs, as if this was the way he should be.
Though his voice was not loud, it was as clear as the sound of snow falling in winter, easily heard by everyone present.
Luoyunzhen's voice was low and steady, each word falling on Gu Lingling's heart like a hammer, stirring her heart and controlling her rhythm.
Luoyunzhen exuded an air of immortal refinement and integrity without any deliberate effort, as if he were a straight bamboo always standing aloof from worldly affairs.
When the noble son saw Luoyunzhen, he smiled, but he repeatedly opened and closed the folding fan in his hand.
"Is this the head of the Worry-Free Pavilion?" The prince, who had seen so many people, had previously thought of the Worry-Free Pavilion as a sect of immortals who only dabbled in some strange arts and techniques, not following the right path. However, upon seeing Luoyunzhen, the prince was visibly shocked, feeling a sense of self-doubt. He continued, "I have heard of the number one young master of the Worry-Free Pavilion, and now that I see you, your reputation is indeed well-deserved. If the head of the Worry-Free Pavilion would be willing to stay as a guest in the palace, I would definitely not treat you unfairly."
The crowd couldn't help but start whispering, all expressing their admiration.
Tao Fan looked deeply at Luoyunzhen. Even without the sunlight, Luoyunzhen was still dazzling. This kind of talent should be hers. Only she and he together would be the perfect result, even if it meant giving up everything.
Luoyunzhen glanced at the prince's forehead, where only he could see the dark aura, but he did not answer. The noble son finally adjusted his folding fan and said friendly, "Just now, Luozhangmen said that the marriage and betrothal of the disciples in the pavilion must be approved by the head. May I ask, Luozhangmen, if you agree to the marriage of Gu Xianshi with me, I will cherish Gu Xianshi for the rest of my life."
"No."
The clear two words slowly flowed from Luoyunzhen's mouth, catching the prince, who was inquisitive and courteous, off guard, causing him to freeze in place.
There was something raging in Luoyunzhen's light brown eyes, seemingly about to break free and overturn everything.
Luoyunzhen calmly looked at him as if intentionally indulging the noble son's anger.
"At this moment, Gu Lingling, you use the stone men to explore the attic, Rongrong, Taoranru, Liaofeixing, be ready to act at any time."
Luoyunzhen's voice rang in their ears; it was a divine sense transmission. Upon receiving the command, everyone put away their own thoughts. Gu Lingling also stopped daydreaming about Luoyunzhen. Taking advantage of everyone's attention being on Luoyunzhen and the noble son, she took a few stones out of her pocket and lightly touched them with her sword. Limbs and heads grew around the small stones.
But this time, the stone men were noticeably different. Their limbs were no longer slender, but rather resembled human limbs, with clear bone and muscle definition.
Gu Lingling nodded to the small stone men behind her, and they responded before disappearing into the side door.
The small stone men bypassed the guards and arrived at the attic door. The huge wooden door was a huge obstacle for the small stone men, but they showed no difficulty. After a brief discussion, they split into two groups.
One group of stone men stayed at the door, while the other group cautiously crawled up the guards' pant legs and blew air into their ears in turns.
The stone men moved agilely and lightly, and the guards did not notice them. They only felt a cold wind around their ears. Initially, they thought it was just the wind, but as the cold wind continued, they started to become afraid, recalling the previous ghostly events at the attic.
The guards asked their companions if they sensed anything wrong, but their companions thought they were just being cowardly, and even made a few sarcastic remarks. But then, the door to the attic made a gentle knocking sound, like long fingernails tapping on the door, faint but slow.
Now both guards' hair stood on end, forgetting all protocols, and they screamed and ran away.
The small stone men converged again, chuckling while covering their mouths.
With no guards to interfere, the small stone men pushed open the heavy wooden door of the attic. The creaking sound spread through the dark attic. It seemed something inside had been disturbed and immediately fled to a place untouched by sunlight.
The small stone men jumped in one by one. The attic was eerily quiet, with dust floating everywhere. The scrolls on the walls were hanging up properly, but when the small stone men weren't paying attention, a strand of dark aura would emerge from the scrolls and quickly be absorbed back in.
The small stone men paid no mind to this, chattering away and throwing bean-sized fireballs at every corner of the attic. Although they didn't cause any substantial harm, they disrupted the equilibrium of the aura within the attic. In an instant, the strong demonic energy broke free from the shackles of the formation in the attic and rushed out in a frenzy.
Luoyunzhen's lips curled slightly, his greatest provocation to the noble son.
The light brown eyes changed, revealing the scale-like scar on his face.
Gu Lingling muttered to herself, feeling the need to disperse the people in the hall. But as she turned her head, she noticed that all the others had already passed out in their seats, their attendants either lying down or slumped on the ground. Only the prince was still sitting as if nothing had happened, but upon closer inspection, his deeply gleaming eyes seemed empty, like a puppet with no soul, even if his movements seemed human.
A few people drew their swords and slowly moved behind Luoyunzhen.
Luoyunzhen stood in place, light as a feather, without even drawing his sword.
"If you speak your intentions, perhaps I can spare your lives," Luoyunzhen suggested as he had long suspected their motives, wanting to see what they intended to do. However, he did not expect the noble son to constantly hover around Gu Lingling over these days, and now he went overboard by wanting to marry her.
The noble son seemed to find something amusing, sneering, "Who will spare whose life is uncertain." He then looked meaningfully at Gu Lingling, "If I take her away, I might consider it."
Tao Fanru on the side felt a little lost, and took out her Yue Ling sword, venting all her frustrations on the fox demon.
Rong Rong and Liao Feixing had already joined the battle with the fox demon, and although their skills were not as good as Tao Fanru's, their long-term tacit understanding allowed them to timely resolve each other's predicaments and know when to coordinate their attacks.
Tao Fanru seemed like an outsider, unable to integrate, but the two paid no attention to her presence and cooperated as needed.
Whether in the Jinglong Pavilion or the Wuqiu Gate, wherever Tao Fanru went, she was the center of attention, everyone always surrounded her, even during the Filth Extermination task, everyone cooperated with her. Now she was just an extra person.
Rong Rong and Liao Feixing's swords crossed, and the two swords collided in the air, and Tao Fanru hurriedly dodged to the side, but her obstruction caused the two to slow down their moves. When the sword energy fell, the fox demon's figure flashed, its folding fan attacking the center of Tao Fanru's chest.
The seemingly ordinary folding fan had sharp edges. Tao Fanru quickly blocked the attack with her Yue Ling sword, revealing the protective amulet on her chest due to the fierce fighting.
The protective amulet was formed by Duke Xiuming's divine consciousness, and when stimulated by demon energy, the divine consciousness was activated, emitting a faint light.
"Stay behind me and don't move."
"Head, she's Tao Fanru, are you willing to let her be harmed by the fox demon?"
Tao Fanru was almost injured by the fox demon, but Luo Yunzhen was not at all worried. Instead, he cautioned her not to move. Gu Lingling's mind was momentarily unable to catch up. It wasn't right. Although her appearance might change the course of events to some extent, the plot wouldn't change, just like two people led by a red thread, they would spark a romance no matter where they met.
"Who are you talking about?" Luo Yunzhen frowned, the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it from. He had been busy with affairs recently and had no extra thought to remember those messy names.
Gu Lingling found it strange, "Head, are you okay? Did you take the wrong medicine or are you sick? I know, it must be that the wound from last night hasn't healed yet, affecting your brain..."
"Shut up."
Luo Yunzhen gritted his teeth, but Gu Lingling still had a serious expression, as if she was going to take out a pill to feed Luo Yunzhen.
Despite the fox demon being entangled by three people and unable to break free, its full attention was on Gu Lingling. It had intended to take her away, but seeing her and Luo Yunzhen being intimate and even whispering secretly, the fox demon couldn't care less about openings and directly charged into Rong Rong's sword energy.
Rong Rong didn't expect the fox demon to act differently from usual. Although the sword energy hit the fox demon, it still broke the formation.
The fox demon, covered in sword wounds, rushed to the two, and Luo Yunzhen sneered, his Frostflow Sword carrying a palpable chill aimed straight for the fox demon's neck.
"If you want to take her away, you'll have to ask my Frostflow Sword."
The fox demon dodged swiftly, emitting demonic energy. "Is there a hidden agenda behind Head Luo's protection of a disciple?"
Although the fox demon looked disheveled, its tone was provocative.
A hidden agenda, could it be...?
Gu Lingling sneaked a glance at Luo Yunzhen, wondering if he had fallen for her? But she quickly felt ashamed of her wild thoughts. How could Luo Yunzhen possibly like her? It felt like a sudden relief to her, although she also felt slightly disheartened.
Luo Yunzhen's deep eyes showed rare anger. He raised his hand and released a powerful divine power. The fox demon couldn't avoid it and was blown back into a pillar.
Gu Lingling was startled by Luo Yunzhen's sudden outburst, reinforcing her belief - look, Luo Yunzhen didn't like her at all. He was just angered by the fox demon's words.
The fox demon's mouth oozed a little blood, but it still had a mocking smile. "Head Luo, did I hit the nail on the head? I guess that child..."
"Shut up!"
The fox demon's pupils contracted, and something with a gleam darted toward it, but it was already powerless to resist. Its body was like lead, not as agile as before. It rolled to the side with effort only to feel a swift wind beside its ear, followed by a clang as something inserted into the floor tiles at an angle. The fox demon breathed heavily and turned to look, then laughed.
The renowned Head of Wuyou Pavilion, Luo Yunzhen, who was known for his impeccable appearance and cultivation, had been provoked into an uncontrollable rage by just a few words from himself, and instead of using magic techniques, he threw the divine weapon, the Frostflow Sword, as if it were an ordinary and tossed it over.
The fox demon wanted to laugh, and the hall was filled with its untimely laughter, which even resulted in a few coughs.
If people from other immortal sects saw it, they would definitely think they were seeing things. The top-ranked scion of the Immortal Sect, known for his serene and transcendent demeanor, now looked like a child, displaying all emotions openly.
But this kind of Luo Yunzhen was much more vivid than the former state of cold and aloofness.
Luo Yunzhen's unusual state caused Rong Rong and Liao Feixing to hesitate, and they even wondered if something had gone wrong with the Head's cultivation or if he had gone off track.
In an instant, the Frostflow Sword, which had been firmly embedded in the ground, was instantly pulled out and flew back into Luo Yunzhen's hand.
At this point, the fox demon was completely injured, and it transformed back into its true form, with no demonic energy shielding its body - it turned out to be a fiery fox with red fur all over.
Every strand of its soft fur was distinctly visible. Its base was white, gradually transitioning to fiery red at the top, resembling a fluffy fireball.
Its nine long tails drooped down, and while Luo Yunzhen hadn't made a move, it took two steps and ran towards the door, not forgetting to glance back at Gu Lingling with lingering attachment.
"Immortal Gu, I'll take my leave. We'll meet again. By the way, I'm called Hong Luan; remember my name when we meet next time."
The fox demon didn't speak but used its divine consciousness to transmit its message, ensuring that everyone could hear it. Its pointed mouth was curled backwards, seemingly smiling.
Luo Yunzhen took a few heavy steps forward, suddenly lost his balance, and was about to fall. Liao Feixing, quick-witted, steadied Luo Yunzhen's arm in time.
Gu Lingling was worried, but she didn't dare to approach, especially after Luo Yunzhen's intense reaction to the fox demon's words, which suggested that he highly disliked it.
Pouting, with a dim gaze, Gu Lingling didn't want to look at Luo Yunzhen any longer. She told Rong Rong she wanted to go find Big Bao, then left through the side door.
Luo Yunzhen wanted to follow, but his internal energy was already in a state of flux, indicating excessive consumption of spiritual power. If he spent a little more, he would immediately return to the state of infant transformation.
"Head, do we need to go after that fox demon?" Liao Feixing knelt alongside Luo Yunzhen, feeling that Luo Yunzhen's condition was not quite right. His entire weight was leaning on him, and his usually calm eyes now showed signs of weariness.
Luo Yunzhen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then spoke with renewed strength, "No need, it's just a distraction. The real problem is in the attic."
Having left the main hall, Gu Lingling found herself in the Wang House courtyard, which was eerily quiet despite it being daytime. Only occasional birdcalls could be heard, but instead of bringing comfort, they made her uneasy, highlighting the eerie atmosphere and consuming her courage.
As she turned a corner of the long corridor, she saw a familiar figure sitting against a column not far away. Hurrying over, she gently pushed the previously bewitched Xiaoyin who was just coming back to her senses, still looking a little confused.
"Xiaoyin, where's Big Bao?"
Gu Lingling hastily asked. Since Xiaoyin was asleep, Big Bao would surely be asleep as well, but why were they not together? Had someone taken them away, or had something else happened?
Upon hearing the words "Da Bao," Xiao Qing suddenly became clear-headed and carefully recalled, "As soon as I came out, the young master didn't want me to hold him. I put him down, and then he walked toward the attic... Then I fell asleep..."
Xiao Qing tapped her head with one hand, wondering how she hadn't noticed falling asleep. If the young prince found out... The young prince? Xiao Qing's head started to ache. Her memories were confused. Why did the prince and her memory not quite match? And who was the person in black robes that flashed through her mind? Why did she see that eerie smile?
The attic... Gu Lingling felt dizzy. Could it be that Da Bao had gone into the attic? But when the little stone man came back, he didn't tell her that Da Bao was inside.