Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!

After the troop left, he silently rose and hurried toward another door, just in time to see another contingent setting off, their ranks also grand and majestic. It was led by a powerhouse in the Realm of Divine King.

After activating his Hetero Pupil, he saw the little girl inside the carriage; she was also very nervous.

Chen Pingping came to a conclusion and was about to get up and leave.

Unexpectedly, he was stopped by a young man in white. He was slender, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and his smile was like a breath of fresh air—gentle and scholarly. The man in white didn't speak, but wielded his sword and slashed down.

He was very strong. Extremely strong. A late-stage Divine King.

His Sword Dao was just as formidable; its momentum was majestic, and the hidden Power Path within it felt as heavy as Mount Tai. His strike shook the surroundings with its sheer aura and pressure.

Chen Pingping's expression tensed as he stepped back several paces, neatly avoiding the sword. He didn't get angry but instead assessed the man before him.

For no reason at all, why did he strike? Could it be that he saw me dashing over from the other side and mistook me for a formidable enemy plotting to assassinate the princess? If that's the case, then the man in white must be one of the Emperor's men.

"Not bad skills," the man in white chuckled lightly. As his words fell, another sword strike followed.

Chen Pingping retreated again. "I have no grudge against you, sir; why do you strike at me?"

"Because you deserve to die," the man in white said.

A second strike, a third, a fourth...

Although his Sword Dao and cultivation realm were very strong, Chen Pingping was unfortunately at the same level—the late stage of the Divine King. Moreover, the Tao he cultivated was far superior to that of the man in white. His Sword Dao was even overwhelmingly powerful, but Chen Pingping didn't attack, continuously dodging.

This surprised the man in white. Staring intently, he asked, "Which family are you from?" With his own strength, he had struck several times, yet he could not overcome the person before him. Besides, Chen Pingping's face was unfamiliar; he had never seen him before.

"What is your name?" Chen Pingping countered.

"I asked you first."

"Oh, I come from a distant land." Chen Pingping pointed in the direction of the Nan Zhanbu Province.

"..."

The other's face darkened. What does he mean by 'distant'?

"Now it's your turn to answer," Chen Pingping said.

"Zhou Huaian," he declared, his eyes glinting with immense confidence. These three words represented an extraordinary genius, an era that belonged to him alone. Anyone who heard this name reacted with fear and awe.

However, Chen Pingping remained calm, merely uttering an "oh" before sitting down.

Zhou Huaian: "???"

He heard my name, Zhou Huaian, and yet he's so calm? Isn't he afraid? Shouldn't he be terrified and withdraw from this assassination attempt? Damn it! Within the Great Zhou Dynasty, someone actually dares to disregard *this young master*!

Zhou Huaian pointed his sword. "Come, let us fight."

The other rolled his eyes.

"If you won't fight, then scram." Zhou Huaian was genuinely infuriated. If not for his mission, he wouldn't have wasted so many words on Chen Pingping and would have attacked decisively much earlier.

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the official road behind them. Someone had made a move. Attacks from dozens of powerhouses rained down, their target clearly the carriage.

Chen Pingping's gaze sharpened. Looking at Zhou Huaian again, he noticed the man was serene, seemingly not at all worried that something might go wrong.

He probably knew the person inside wasn't Princess Zi Ji. After all, he was one of the Emperor's men, lurking in the crowd, seeking out formidable enemies plotting assassination.

He got up, ready to leave. Chen Pingping wanted to check the other two gates, but... he quickly noticed a little boy following behind Zhou Huaian. The boy was dressed plainly and looked ordinary, with a thin frame, probably around ten years old. During the battle on the official road, the little boy's expression remained calm, his eyes clear and undisturbed.

Seeing this, Chen Pingping quietly sat down again and continued to observe the boy. He noticed something: the boy's skin was very fine and pale, his eyelashes curved, and his eyes were beautiful—not like those of a child from an ordinary family.

Then, he covertly activated his Hetero Pupil and saw the boy's Dantian. It was vast and immense, incredibly large, like an endless expanse of land.

Such a Dantian...

Chen Pingping couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. He had figured it out: this little boy was definitely Princess Zi Ji. In the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, there was only one peerless genius of about ten years old—Princess Zi Ji—and no other.

Good heavens! The Emperor is truly cunning, taking the opposite approach. Instead of deploying a large number of powerful protectors, he only had Zhou Huaian escort her alone. What an impressive move! Those enemies lurking in the shadows, they'd never dream that the Princess Zi Ji they were so fixated on was actually right there, mixed in with the crowd, would they?

About ten minutes later, the battle ended. All the powerful enemies who had taken action were slain one by one; only a few narrowly escaped with their lives.

Zhou Huaian watched the outcome with keen interest and smiled. "People from Chong Tower sure are bold, accepting any kind of job."

"What is Chong Tower?" Chen Pingping couldn't help asking.

"Oh?" Zhou Huaian asked, surprised. "You don't know?"

"Should I know?" Chen Pingping was puzzled.

"It's an assassin organization," he explained briefly. Chen Pingping's question also dispelled his lingering doubts.

How could someone who doesn't even know about Chong Tower be part of a group aiming to assassinate Princess Zi Ji?

But he still felt something was off and maintained a certain level of vigilance.

Zhou Huaian waved his hand. "I'm leaving. Goodbye."

"Me too!" Chen Pingping got up. "I'm heading to Luo City. And you?"

"..."

He had to avoid an awkward situation. For instance, if Zhou Huaian had mentioned going to Luo City first, it would be entirely different from Chen Pingping stating it proactively. By speaking first, he wouldn't make Zhou Huaian suspect that his true target was Princess Zi Ji. It would simply seem like a coincidence.

Zhou Huaian pursed his lips and said indifferently, "I'm just wandering, no particular destination in mind. You go ahead!"

Indeed, he wasn't suspicious, but he still maintained the necessary vigilance. After all, he bore a heavy responsibility, with Princess Zi Ji in tow.

Chen Pingping smiled and strode forward.

Zhou Huaian stared at his departing figure until it disappeared, then finally spoke, "There's something off about that guy."

Zi Ji remained silent.

「Night fell!」

Zhou Huaian led her to a deserted spot in the mountains. To ensure the princess's safety, he even abandoned the Great Tao, choosing instead some narrow, winding paths, willing to take a longer route and make detours.

However, an accident still occurred. There was a fire ahead; upon approaching, they saw it was Chen Pingping...

Chen Pingping feigned surprise. "Brother Zhou, what are you doing here? You couldn't be following me, could you? Whoa... I'm not into men, you know."

Zhou Huaian's face darkened. He was suspicious of Chen Pingping, alright, feeling that there was something off about him, but he never expected to encounter Chen Pingping in this deserted part of the mountains, especially after taking bypaths and detours. If he himself had arrived first, it would mean Chen Pingping was a major problem. But Chen Pingping had arrived earlier; the fire was already lit, and there was meat roasting beside it, golden-brown and fragrant, its aroma wafting through the air.

What more could he say?

"My apologies for the intrusion," Zhou Huaian said, intending to leave with Zi Ji.

Chen Pingping quickly said, "Now that you're here, why not eat something?"

"No, thanks!"

"It's so dark. Are you still planning to travel?" Chen Pingping didn't insist, his gaze never once falling on the little boy.

"It's not dark; I can see!" Zhou Huaian insisted on taking Zi Ji away.

But at that moment, Princess Zi Ji spoke, "I want to eat!"