Wandering Swordsman |

He sized up Shen Mo: although he had handsome features and an extraordinary demeanor, he didn't seem to be a good match for Murong Qing at all. In the eyes of the gatekeeper, Murong Qing's beauty could be described as ethereal. Especially when the words "fiancé" came out of Murong Qing's mouth, his eyes almost spit fire.

"So it's the 'Falling Goose' beauty, one of the Four Beauties!" He suppressed his jealousy and forced a smile. "Please come with me."

As they walked through courtyards and halls, the faint sounds of clashing weapons could be heard from among the carved beams and painted rafters, clearly indicating that the martial arts alliance was already teeming with experts. Before long, the group arrived at a spacious side courtyard, where many members of the Murong family had already gathered, sitting and chatting with relaxed expressions.

Upon seeing Murong Qing and Shen Mo arrive, everyone stood up and greeted them in unison.

"Seventh Miss! It's so good to hear you're alright!" An older young man from the Murong family rushed forward, his voice filled with relief. "We were so worried. If we hadn't seen you soon, we would have gone to report this to the Alliance Leader."

The other person laughed and said, "Luckily we're alright. If anything had gone wrong, the patriarch would probably have dragged us all back to be questioned."

Although this was said in jest, it also revealed a certain truth—Murong Liang, as the head of the family, doted on Murong Qing. If something were to happen to her, the members of the royal family who were traveling with Murong Qing would likely be held responsible.

Seeing this, the disciple who was leading the way smiled even more broadly, but his tone was somewhat perfunctory: "It's getting late, and there's still some time before the opening ceremony. We'll arrange accommodations for you tonight, so you can stay in the alliance for a while."

As he spoke, he deliberately led the two of them in two different directions, one to the west wing and the other to the east pavilion, intentionally creating distance between them. As he walked, he glanced back at Shen Mo, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of envy and a hint of resentment.

Shen Mo noticed the gaze, his brows furrowing slightly, but he remained silent. He knew that some things couldn't be solved with strength alone. For example, his status as Murong Qing's fiancé would inevitably attract the jealousy of others.

Murong Qing seemed unconcerned about these details, simply smiling faintly and saying softly, "Shen Mo, see you tomorrow morning."

The night breeze stirred, ruffling her long hair and dispelling the last trace of weariness in his heart. Shen Mo watched her figure gradually disappear into the distance, a premonition rising within him—entering the 'Elite Academy' seemed unlikely to be peaceful.

......

As night fell, the main hall of the Huangfu family was brightly lit.

Huangfu Hui stood alone in the center of the hall, his face as pale as snow, his eyes revealing a hint of unease and tension.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth to confess to his father, Huangfu Haotian, who was sitting in the main seat: "Father, there is something I need to confess to you."

Huangfu Haotian, who had been engrossed in reading a document, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, put down the paper, and his gaze shot towards his son like lightning. "Speak, what makes you so uneasy?"

Huangfu Hui swallowed hard and mustered his courage to say, "Regarding Murong Qing and Shen Mo... I commissioned the Blood Shadow Tower to ambush and kill them on their way to the Martial Alliance."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Huangfu Haotian's face instantly darkened, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. "What have you done?" His voice was low and stern, like a winter wind whistling past your ear. "Do you know the consequences of this? If anything happens to Murong Qing, do you think Murong Liang will let it go? Once it's found that you were the one who did it, the Huangfu family will be plunged into war with the Murong family!"

Faced with his father's questioning, Huangfu Hui lowered his head, not daring to meet his father's authoritative eyes. "Father, the Murong family will never trace this back to me." But his voice remained firm, "Because all the assassins of the Blood Shadow Tower, including the tower master himself, disappeared after carrying out their missions."

"Missing?" Huangfu Haotian sneered. "How is that possible? What kind of place is Blood Shadow Tower? It's not something that can be easily erased. You've created an even bigger problem for yourself."

Huangfu Hui gritted his teeth, his heart filled with remorse. "I know I was wrong, Father, please punish me."

Huangfu Haotian remained silent for a moment, his gaze gradually becoming deep and complex. He knew he had to remain calm and not let things escalate further. "I will handle this personally; you don't need to worry about it," he finally spoke, his tone revealing an undeniable determination. "Right now, the most important thing is to ensure the safety of Murong Qing and the others, and not give the Murong family an excuse to attack us."

Seeing that his father did not immediately fly into a rage, Huangfu Hui breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately added, "Father, rest assured, the entire Murong family has arrived at the Martial Alliance. There were no casualties."

"As for you," Huangfu Haotian ignored Huangfu Hui and changed the subject, "go with your elder brother to the Martial Arts Alliance's 'Elite Academy' to report for duty."

"Me too?" Huangfu Hui looked up in surprise, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

Huangfu Haotian's gaze became even more serious. "Of course we have to go. The Nine Sects, the Eight Great Families, and the Four Great Academies have all sent their future successors there."

"Furthermore, attending the 'Elite Academy' is a great opportunity for you to connect with more people and resources, which will greatly benefit your future."

After listening, Huangfu Hui remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, "I understand, Father."

Huangfu Haotian stood up, walked over to Huangfu Hui, and patted him on the shoulder. "Remember, after you go to the Martial Alliance, no matter what, you must think of your family. Every decision you make could affect the fate of the entire Huangfu family."

Huangfu Hui looked up at his father, a resolute glint in his eyes, "Father, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

As Huangfu Hui turned and left, Huangfu Haotian returned to his seat, picked up the unfinished document, but couldn't turn the page for a long time.

......

The following morning, the Nanjing Martial Arts Alliance was bathed in the soft morning light, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of grass and trees.

Murong Qing, Shen Mo, and the members of the Murong family clan got up early to visit the Martial Alliance.

The Elite Academy is located on the east side of the Martial Arts Alliance, covering a vast area of ​​several dozen acres.

The courtyards are arranged in a pleasing, orderly fashion, shaded by green trees and adorned with flowers and plants, making them exceptionally elegant.

The main building is a three-story pavilion with flying eaves and brackets, and is magnificent in appearance. It is surrounded by a training ground, a library and a rest pavilion.

The entire school is exquisitely designed, both dignified and full of lively beauty, like a fairyland hidden away from the mortal world.

At this time, there were still ten days left before the official opening of the "Elite Academy". All the young people who arrived at the Martial Alliance in advance were arranged to freely visit and learn within the Martial Alliance in order to familiarize themselves with the environment. The Murong family group was no exception.