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

Indeed, no one dared to make a move as they came from the small town.

Lin Chong stood nervously atop the city wall, his eyes filled with fear. He had just witnessed a terrifying battle. If those with malicious intent were to make a move in Luo City, he feared he wouldn't be able to stop them!

However, his cousin standing beside him was very calm.

"After Princess Zi Ji enters the city, everyone coming in and out of Luo City must be thoroughly examined," his cousin remarked before hurriedly departing.

「Inside the city!」

The Tianxuan Saintess was waiting.

Liu Changqing from the Martial God Academy was also waiting.

Several princes were lying in wait. They had momentarily given up their assassination plot, but they were even more aware that Zi Ji, away from the depths of the palace, was an easier target than if she remained sequestered within its grounds.

An opportunity would slip away if not seized. They were all waiting.

「A teahouse.」

An old man was telling a story about Princess Zi Ji. When he reached an emotional part of the tale, he couldn't help but choke up slightly. "Her Highness has faced a hard fate. Leaving on this journey to slay ferocious beasts, she has actually stepped into a vortex of slaughter. Though she has escaped one disaster, it's inevitable that others will strike again… alas…"

"Exactly!"

Someone else countered, "A princess born of a common woman, even if she possesses some innate talent, should have perished young in the depths of the palace. It's a miracle she has survived to this day."

Everyone has their own destiny, all different.

Such is fate, and such are its joys and sorrows.

Some empathized with Princess Zi Ji's fate, while others scoffed, believing that most people in the world faced destinies far worse than hers.

Although she was born of humble origins, her father is the Emperor; this hardly counts as a life fraught with misery.

Was this all? Did she still need to play the victim? She could obviously live a better life by joining the Martial God Academy or following the Tianxuan Saintess. Why insist on staying in the Great Zhou Dynasty? Was this truly considered a hard fate?

The old man sighed repeatedly, unable to offer any rebuttal. He lifted the cup of wine from the table and downed it in one gulp.

Who truly knows? he thought.

Before long, Princess Zi Ji stepped into Luo City. At that moment, the dream lingering in the depths of her mind surfaced once more. The scene was the same as always; the only difference was that the blurred figure was beginning to clarify.

It turned out to be… Hmm? No wonder!

In that single instant, all of Princess Zi Ji's doubts about Chen Pingping vanished. So, he was the man from her dreams. Wasn't it Wen Yuqing? Could Wen Yuqing be a man? Or perhaps there was a connection between Chen Pingping and Wen Yuqing? Was he sent here on a mission? Yes, that must be it!

Lin Xiao, leading a group, approached. "Lin Xiao of the Lin Family pays his respects to Princess Zi Ji."

Princess Zi Ji nodded.

Lin Xiao added, "I have prepared accommodations for Your Highness."

Princess Zi Ji shook her head. "I am here to slay the ferocious beasts."

Lin Xiao stated, "The ferocious beasts are already dead."

Princess Zi Ji continued, "I need to meet someone."

Lin Xiao said no more and stepped aside.

Although his family relied on the lands of the Great Zhou Dynasty for survival, they were, after all, a Cultivator family with a long heritage and considerable strength. If Princess Zi Ji graced them with her presence, he would naturally play the perfect host. But if Princess Zi Ji had her own agenda, he would say no more. Her life or death was of no concern to him, Lin Xiao.

The princess strode forward, soon stepping onto Long Street.

Unlike usual, where the street would be bustling with people, today it was eerily silent, devoid of a single soul. Only a few Cultivators were hidden in the shadows, observing.

Perhaps out of fear, passersby had all scurried away to avoid the area.

Liu Changqing of the Martial God Academy strode forward. "Would you be willing to join our Martial God Academy?" he asked, quite directly.

A light breeze rustled his robes.

His handsome features and smile combined perfectly. From a distance, he resembled an exiled immortal, every gesture exuding an extraordinary charisma.

This was the foremost prodigy of the Martial God Academy.

Many onlookers showed surprise upon seeing Liu Changqing take action personally. "The Martial God Academy is truly determined this time, to compete with the Saintess," they murmured.

"However… Princess Zi Ji isn't interested in the Martial God Academy!"

"That was before…"

"Previously, a senior Divine King had come. Now that Liu Changqing is personally involved, perhaps the chances of success are higher!"

"Moreover, the last time this was mentioned, she was still within the deep palace. Now that Princess Zi Ji is traveling abroad, perhaps this is the very reason for her journey."

Ultimately, it was an opportunity.

Just as Princess Zi Ji was about to speak…

The Tianxuan Saintess descended from the sky, her white dress billowing, her long hair cascading to her waist. She emanated an ethereal grace and beauty that captivated countless young men.

They all sighed in admiration. "The Saintess truly is the second most beautiful woman in the Central Continent!"

Chen Pingping watched with keen interest. The woman before him was exquisitely beautiful, he thought, but… not as beautiful as his own Master, Wen Yuqing. Now *she* was a true fairy. This Saintess, at best, was a mortal princess.

He asked curiously, "Who is the first?"

"The Moon God!" The others looked at him strangely. How could anyone from the Central Continent not know of the Moon God? they wondered.

Chen Pingping pressed, "Is she a senior? Or a young woman?"

"You're not from the Central Continent?"

"No! I just arrived!"

"No wonder…" The man chuckled. "Heh, let me tell you, young brother, the Moon God is young, the most beautiful woman in our Central Continent. Unfortunately, very few have ever seen her true face. It's quite a shame." He shook his head.

The Moon God was also the Tianxuan Saintess's greatest rival.

A peculiar expression crossed Chen Pingping's face.

The man continued, "Don't even think about it. Even though you're good-looking, the Moon God wouldn't spare you a glance just for your looks…"

"I'm not thinking about it!"

"Oh, you were too!"

Alright! I did think about it for a moment, Chen Pingping thought, secretly rolling his eyes. He took a sip of tea and then stood up to leave.

The man, startled, hurriedly grabbed him. "Young brother, where are you off to?"

"To recruit an apprentice!" Chen Pingping said, a note of urgency in his voice. "If I don't go now, Princess Zi Ji might be snatched up by someone else! Ah… my Master's orders are hard to defy!"

Hearing his latter words, the Cultivators in the inn all turned to stare at him. After a moment of stunned silence, they burst into laughter. "Did I hear that right? You want to take Princess Zi Ji as your apprentice?"

"You're mistaken. It's not me who wants to take her as an apprentice; it's my Master," Chen Pingping replied helplessly.

"Young brother, I don't think you understand," the man sneered. "Princess Zi Ji is cold and aloof by nature. Though talented, she doesn't seem to enjoy cultivation. Besides… she has refused both the Martial God Academy and the Tianxuan Saintess. You think you can just show up? Princess Zi Ji probably wouldn't even deign to look at you."

"That's alright!" Chen Pingping said with a smile, still determined to go.

But the man held him fast, advising earnestly, "Young brother, I'm not trying to hold you back; I'm trying to save you!"

"Consider Princess Zi Ji's status! And then consider yours! When she travels, she is the focus of myriad eyes, with countless hidden enemies lying in wait. Not long ago, in that small town, even five Divine Kings from the Chong Tower appeared. Setting aside whether you can even persuade Princess Zi Ji, even if she agreed, would you have the strength to protect her?"

The man sighed. "Don't go. Listen to an old hand's advice."

Chen Pingping's expression darkened. "My friend, I'm here on orders! If I fail to recruit Princess Zi Ji, my Master will definitely break my legs when I return!"

The man replied, "Better a broken leg than death." After a pause, he added, "What's more important than being alive?"