Chapter 241: Getting Cold Feet

Chu Liuyue was speechless. She increasingly had the feeling that Rong Xiu had prepared everything and was just waiting for her to agree to it.

“What if I didn’t come this time?” she asked.

Rong Xiu glanced at her. “If not this time, then next time and the time after. You’re bound to show up eventually.”

Chu Liuyue could not help but laugh. “Prince Li is so confident. What if I never agree? Won’t all those preparations be in vain then? Oh right, Prince Li can always just get someone else and…”

Rong Xiu’s tone was calm. “It’s just for you. If you never agree, I’ll just burn everything.”

Since everything was prepared for her, there was no point in keeping them if she did not want them. Of course, Rong Xiu had never thought about doing this because he had his eyes set on her.

Chu Liuyue paused.

His tone is even as if he is stating a fact. It’s like he doesn’t realize how startling this is to me.

She paused, then asked. “Wh-when did you begin preparing those things?”

Did Rong Xiu fall for me when we met for the first time? The bloodied and muddy me?

Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes. “A long time ago.”

A long time ago? How long?

Chu Liuyue wanted to continue asking, but Rong Xiu had carried her into the transportation formation.

Countless streaks of light formed a barrier around the pair. Everything turned black, and the pair entered the transportation formation’s void!

…

The pair quickly returned to the middle of the woods.

The barrier around the two only disappeared after they exited the lake.

Chu Liuyue turned and glanced around. It was noon, and the mist above the lake had dissipated a little. The transportation formation beneath the lake had also turned invisible.

From the outside, everything seemed normal.

“There’s a barrier outside the lake. Regular people can’t get near it, so it naturally won’t be discovered,” explained Rong Xiu as if he could read her mind.

Chu Liuyue nodded but thought of another matter. “In that case, you purposely let me in back then?”

Rong Xiu glanced at Xue Xue with a half-smile.

Xue Xue looked up proudly.

What about it! I did it on purpose! If I did not take the initiative, who knows when Master can get married!?

Hmph!

Tuan Zi looked at Xue Xue with contempt.

With such a shameless master, the fiend is definitely the same.

Xue Xue bared its teeth at Tuan Zi.

Tuan Zi shook its tail and stuck its butt out at Xue Xue.

Chu Liuyue laughed. For some reason, Tuan Zi was not afraid of Xue Xue. It would even challenge Xue Xue from time to time.

In theory, Tuan Zi wouldn’t have dared to do this since Xue Xue was an advanced fiend, and Tuan Zi was of a lower stage. But when she thought about how Tuan Zi wasn’t even afraid of the black flying python, she did not think much of it.

She would study Tuan Zi in detail when she got the chance.

“Right! There’s the Qing Jiao Competition today!”

As Chu Liuyue looked at the bright rays of light reflecting off the trees, she suddenly recalled that there was another competition today.

“At this time… the competition must’ve begun.”

Rong Xiu smiled. “You really seem to care about this Qing Jiao Competition.”

Chu Liuyue nodded frankly. “The competition isn’t important. What’s important is the reward!”

Even though she had become the top warrior in this year’s Qing Jiao Competition, it was good to get more benefits from it since she had signed up for the Xuan Master competition.

As he stared at Chu Liuyue’s bright-eyed behavior, Rong Xiu began to reflect.

Perhaps I did not gift her enough things last time?

“You still want to take part in the Qing Jiao Competition?”

Chu Liuyue shrugged. “I don’t think I will make it in time even if I go now.”

Rong Xiu smiled. “If you want to take part, then it’s not too late.”

…

Yan Ge anxiously waited for news of Chu Liuyue in Zhen Bao Pavilion. Since he was afraid of setting off alarm bells, he did not go out to search for her personally. However, he did send out a number of people discreetly.

Time passed, and noon was almost over, but there was still no news.

His heart was in his throat when he pondered whether he would have to resort to extreme measures if there was still no news by evening.

Then, he suddenly felt something. He quickly took out the palm-sized geomantic compass from his chest.

Master uses the geomantic compass to send messages, but he has not used the compass more than thrice in the past three years. I did not expect it to move now!

The needle—carved out of purple jade—pointed in a specific direction after spinning for a while.

Without hesitation, Yan Ge dashed out!

…

Jia Nan Square.

The entire square was silent, and the arena was filled with Xuan Masters.

Since the Xuan Master competition required high concentration, everyone remained silent. However, the atmosphere was tense because it was a competition.

Bang!

A soft sound could be heard.

In the arena, three stars had lit up on the stone stage in front of a Xuan Master. This meant that the student had solved three Xuan formations!

“That’s Sheng Yiming from Nan Feng Academy. He’s only 18, but he’s a stage-four Xuan Master. He can be considered one of the best amongst these students.”

“There are less than ten students who are above stage-four Xuan Masters, correct? The top Xuan Master should be amongst them…”

“Look, Xi Wanwan has also solved three formations!”

“Nan Feng Academy’s Xuan Masters seem rather strong! But then again, Tian Lu Academy’s Elder Sun is a Xuan Master himself, so he should produce rather outstanding students. However, none of Tian Lu Academy’s Xuan Masters have solved the third formation yet.”

“That Si Ting seems to be his student, right? I heard he’s rather strong, but I wonder how the others are…”

“Hey, isn’t Chu Liuyue a Xuan Master too? She could even activate a fourth-level black Xuan formation crystal! Why don’t I see her?”

In the arena, Si Ting held a chess piece in his hand, but he did not set it down. He turned and glanced at the empty seat next to him and frowned.

Chu Liuyue still isn’t here yet. Knowing her, there is no reason for her not to show up after signing up… Master seemed a little anxious earlier, and I wonder if it has anything to do with Chu Liuyue.

He pondered for a moment before he suppressed his uneasiness and set the chess piece down.

Bang!

The third formation was solved!

“Look, Si Ting has solved it as well!”

“He seems to be a stage-four Xuan Master too?!”

“But he still ranks quite far behind. It seems like first place will belong to Nan Feng Academy…”

The crowd debated softly.

Situ Xingchen was seated in her seat. She seemed to be watching the happenings in the arena, but she would occasionally glance at Tian Lu Academy.

Chu Liuyue actually did not show up today…

Cheng Han noticed her gaze and naturally figured out what she was thinking. He scoffed. “Xingchen, there’s no need to look! That Liuyue must have fled because she got cold feet!”