章 132: Meeting Xue Qinghe!
On this day, there were only three people at the dining table.
The room was ghost-quiet, except for the occasional sharp clanking of utensils, the crunchy sounds of fresh vegetables, and the gulping of water.
Wulin, Ning Fengzhi, and Gu Rong were already experienced with this silence and felt comfortable within it.
The three of them felt a tinge of awkwardness in the beginning, as well as loneliness.
They could no longer hear the crisp, bird-like laughter of the beautiful girls as they were busy with their cultivation.
At first, Wulin felt a slight obligation to make conversation but soon ran out of topics, and the awkwardness grew.
Thankfully, Ning Fengzhi is a very experienced person and expressed to Wulin that it was unnecessary.
Before Wulin and the rest came to reside in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Ning Fengzhi often ate alone or in silence with Gu Rong and Chen Xin.
He was just happy to have the company of Wulin with him, and the knowledge of his daughters being in the Clan soothed him.
Wulin was admiring the tender and delicious steak of an Emerald Tiger Spirit Beast when Ning Fengzhi had something to say.
"Son, I have received a letter from Qinghe. He said that he would visit the Clan today, do you mind receiving him at the gates?"
It was one of the minor breakthroughs in the relationship that Wulin and Ning Fengzhi had made.
Instead of referring to each other as in-laws, Ning Fengzhi cautiously requested to call each other more intimately.
Naturally, Wulin was quick to accept the request, but he was embarrassed to call someone Father in the beginning.
In his previous life, he had never experienced marriage, so Ning Fengzhi is his first father-in-law.
Wulin swiftly swallowed the steak that seemed to melt in his mouth and nodded his head.
"Yes, Father. I will go and meet Xue Qinghe at the gate entrance."
He finished eating breakfast before going ahead to the gate entrance to wait for Xue Qinghe.
According to Ning Fengzhi, Xue Qinghe was scheduled to arrive soon.
The gate was a colossal wooden structure that split open vertically in the middle.
Slightly larger stone walls encased the wooden gate and spread outwards, surrounding the entire living area of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Wulin stood in some shade under the gate with a pair of guards that controlled the traffic.
It wasn't bustling, but many Clan members travelled, so there was a bit of traffic coming in now and then.
After greeting the guards, Wulin closed his eyes and allowed his senses to be free.
The elegantly rising sun gently bathed Wulin's body in a comforting warmth, even while he was in the shade.
His temperature was naturally regulated by the passing wind, which delicately caressed his face before carrying some heat away.
He listened to the gentle wooshing of the wind, which caused the leaves of nearby trees to rustle together in a symphony of nature's music.
Young birds and bird-like Spirit Beasts played the vocals, sonorously chirping as they communicated to each other, it was a sign of peace within the forest.
Wulin inhaled a fresh breath of air, and it had a slightly sweet taste, like a ripe orange.
This world was void of advanced technology that destroys the atmosphere, so the air was incredibly pure.
Wulin didn't even have the time to become bored as his sensitive ears picked up the sound of hooves clopping against the ground.
Opening his eyes, Wulin saw the familiar imperial carriage, fully decorated with beautifully elegant white ornaments.
The imperial coachman directed the horse type Spirit Beasts to stop in front of Wulin.
The Spirit Beasts were extremely mild-mannered and obedient, standing in position and making small huffing noises.
The coachman acknowledged Wulin with a nod before jumping down and placing a step ladder by the carriage door.
He gracefully opened the carriage door and knelt, "Your Highness!"
A few seconds passed before a white hand grabbed the side of the carriage, and Xue Qinghe's handsome white face popped out.
Xue Qinghe immediately found Wulin and smiled graciously, descending the step ladder quickly.
"Little Brother, I am so glad you came to receive me. I hope I am not disturbing your precious training time?"
Xue Qinghe spoke in a gentle and soothing voice, and the concern he expressed made it impossible for one to dislike him.
His noble aura naturally diffused into the air, causing everyone around to look up to Xue Qinghe in respect instinctively.
The only person who was unaffected was Wulin. However, he was impressed by how well Qian Renxue was able to play her role.
She assumed her identity as Xue Qinghe since she was young, so it wasn't that surprising.
Being the daughter of Spirit Hall, she already had an innate noble aura, so she assimilated well.
"Your Highness, my father is eagerly awaiting your arrival. He sent me to receive you."
Wulin slightly bowed as a show of manners. It was a minimal amount of respect that one should give royalty.
However, Xue Qinghe was not offended at all. Rather, he felt that it was too much.
"Little Brother, do not call me so unfamiliarly. I may be the crown prince, but your status far exceeds mine. Let us forget these positions and treat each other as friends."
Xue Qinghe was eloquent, and he insisted on breaking down the barriers between the two.
Wulin didn't dispute either, as he wished to become closer to the person that is Qian Renxue.
Despite murdering Xue Qinghe and assuming his identity, Qian Renxue hadn't done many wrongs.
She only followed what the grandpa she loved so much taught her.
Wulin wished to influence Qian Renxue even if it is just a little bit and slowly convert her onto the right path.
His ultimate goal wasn't just to mindlessly slaughter everyone affiliated with Spirit Hall.
Instead, he wanted to destroy the Elder Palace, which had the most significant say in all the actions of Spirit Hall.
He also didn't plan to let Bibi Dong run free. She was a massive threat to Wulin and the rest of the continent.
Returning his mind to the present, Wulin nodded his head and replied, "Alright, Big Brother. I will lead you to the palace, where my father will meet you."
Xue Qinghe smiled happily and walked beside Wulin, who guided him towards the palace.
Standing so close to Xue Qinghe, his scent unintentionally penetrated Wulin's nostrils.
It was a gentle and pure smell, with a hint of sweetness like a blooming white daisy.
It wasn't the smell one would associate with a man. However, Wulin, who saw Qian Renxue's authentic appearance, thought it matched her perfectly.
At the same time that Wulin was smelling Qian Renxue, she was also unable to stop Wulin's scent from invading her space.
To Qian Renxue, Wulin had a dominating smell like someone who interacted with nature for years.
He wasn't dirty, nor did he smell sour, he had a unique smell that Qian Renxue wasn't able to understand.
However, she was intrigued by the smell and found that she appreciated it the more she breathed.
Wulin saw Xue Qinghe slightly dazed as he took deep breaths, so he awkwardly asked, "Are you alright?"
Light returned to Xue Qinghe's eyes, and he quickly nodded his head, "Y-yes, I was just appreciating the smell of the air,"
"It is much fresher than the air of the Imperial Palace, and it gives me a free feeling."
Xue Qinghe had a straight face, and he spoke calmly, despite inwardly feeling embarrassed.
He looked around the area of the Clan and saw some construction in the distance.
Pointing towards it, he asked, "Little Brother, what are they building over there?"
However, as if he suddenly realised the inappropriateness of the question, he apologised.
"Ah, sorry. It is inappropriate to ask about private matters."
Wulin saw through Qian Renxue's attempt to coerce information from him by acting kindly.
Realising her own 'mistake' and correcting it, she could build affinity with Wulin, and have him expose information more easily.
However, Wulin didn't consider the tournament a secret, so he didn't mind telling Xue Qinghe about it.
"They are constructing a couple of stone arenas for the tournament I am hosting tomorrow," Wulin answered.
Xue Qinghe became interested once he heard Wulin would be hosting a tournament.
"You are hosting a tournament? Can you tell me the details about it?"
Wulin nodded his head readily, "Of course. It is a small tournament for the children who have yet to receive their first Spirit Ring."
"Recently, we have discovered an Immortal Herb and determined that it can increase the talent of someone at the Spirit Trainee realm."
"As a result, I decided to host a friendly competition for all the children in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
Xue Qinghe nodded his head while in thought, his white hair moved like a waterfall to his movements.
"I see, that is a good idea! Although, it is a shame that the Immortal Herb only affects Spirit Trainees."
Xue Qinghe was calm and impartial. His face didn't show a trace of greed, and his breathing was completely even.
As Wulin suspected, by saying that the Immortal Herb only affected Spirit Trainees, Qian Renxue was uninterested in it.
She also didn't think that Wulin was lying about its effects.
If it affected people in higher grades, he definitely wouldn't offer it as a reward to others.
"If His Highness is interested, why don't you come and watch the tournament tomorrow?"
Wulin generously invited Xue Qinghe to attend the competition, but the latter declined.
"It's alright. I have some things to do at the Imperial Palace tomorrow, so I will be unable to attend."
Wulin didn't try to convince him and guided Xue Qinghe to the main palace, occasionally chatting along the way.
"It is magnificent! The palace has an elegant and noble aura to it."
Xue Qinghe admired the main palace from outside, fascinated by the delicately decorated stones that built the palace.
"Haha! I also felt this way when I first saw it. The architecture of this place is amazing, isn't it?"
Xue Qinghe nodded his head, "Right, it is amazing!"
The large palace towered over all the other building in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
The stones were sculpted so smoothly and delicately that Xue Qinghe thought it was even better than that of the Imperial Palace.
Wulin stepped into the empty courtyard. The wooden paddles that hung from the trees clacked against each other harmoniously.
"What are those for?" Xue Qinghe asked curiously.
"That is a machine I built to help improve spatial awareness and dodging capabilities."
"You step inside the area and push the wooden paddles. Then, they will fly around in random directions, forcing you to think hard and dodge desperately."
Xue Qinghe nodded his head in understanding, "It is outstanding that you were able to come up with these inventions!"
But Wulin shook his head, "It is nothing. It becomes useless after a while."
Wulin led Xue Qinghe into the lounge hall before letting him sit on the couch.
"I will go and notify my father of your arrival. Make yourself at home here."
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