But Gongyang Ying’s eyes widened with fury as she said resentfully, "Just because you wanted to send out the Thousand-year-old White Ginseng, you killed Gong Bei Qiang and put our Imperial Advisor Mansion on the rack over the fire?"
Her voice was almost a roar, devoid of any empathy.
In response, Sikong Jing replied with a cold laugh, "What’s the problem? If you don’t want the Imperial Advisor Mansion to be put on the rack by me, then you shouldn’t be monitoring me. Just let me smoothly send the item out, and all will be well, won’t it?"
In other words, monitoring me and having designs on the Thousand-year-old White Ginseng comes with a price.
Sikong Jing’s words left Gongyang Ying at a loss for words.
Still, unable to let it go, she retorted, "So are you saying that it’s our fault that you harmed the Imperial Advisor Mansion?"
"There is no right or wrong, only a mutual lack of trust between us."
Sikong Jing shrugged his shoulders and added, "Besides, I killed Gong Bei Qiang, but I believe the Imperial Advisor could easily smooth things over. See, hasn’t the matter been perfectly resolved? We found a rather good scapegoat."
The scapegoat he spoke of was Sikong Jing himself...
Continuing on, Sikong Jing said, "The Thousand-year-old White Ginseng has been sent out. Now, my purpose is to wait for Wang Ge and incidentally look for an opportunity to rise again. I wonder if I might still be able to stay in the Imperial Advisor Mansion?"
"Or perhaps, does the Imperial Advisor and Miss Gongyang want to abandon the secret of the Moon Soul Battle Body and tear me to pieces?"
His tone was casual and indifferent. All Sikong Jing wanted was to temporarily remain in the Imperial Advisor Mansion.
Gongyang Ren and Gongyang Ying furrowed their brows tightly again.
After a long while, Gongyang Ren said, "You go down and rest first. We will think it through."
Sikong Jing clasped his fists and said, "By the way, Imperial Advisor, please don’t assign me any personal guard this time. Just throw me in a corner; all I need is to wait for the Wangyou Sect."
This time he mentioned the Wangyou Sect, and then Sikong Jing left the pavilion, led to his room by Aunt Mian.
Grandpa Gongyang and his grandson naturally missed the significance of the three words "Wangyou Sect."
In the pavilion, Gongyang Ying curled her lips and said, "He refuses to be my personal guard again. There’s always something fishy about that guy."
For some reason, the feeling of him refusing to be her personal guard was really annoying.
Gongyang Ren spoke softly, "If Wang Ge really is Soul Eater’s infatuated lover, everything makes sense. He hasn’t touched you since he captured you, not even lifting your veil. That isn’t something a normal man could do."
"His refusal to be a personal guard, claiming he’s afraid of being misunderstood, is probably because he doesn’t want to be misunderstood by Wang Ge."
Gongyang Ying had vented about this fear of being misunderstood in front of her grandfather, so Gongyang Ren was aware.
As Gongyang Ying heard this, she subdued her emotions and said tentatively, "Could it be that the villainous Soul Eater is truly an infatuated man? But why wouldn’t he seek out Wang Ge directly, instead of waiting in our Imperial Advisor Mansion?"
Something about this reason still seemed strange and quite unsettling.
"Supreme Forget Love Technique, absolute heartlessness and lack of conscience!"
Gongyang Ren spoke somberly, "If there’s indeed some affection between Soul Eater and Wang Ge, then Wang Ge has probably already forgotten him, or the Wangyou Sect will absolutely not allow them to meet again. So, he must find the opportunity to meet her while he’s with us."
"Perhaps, Soul Eater just wants to steal a glance at Wang Ge."
As these words came out, Gongyang Ying was deeply shaken.
Anyone who attains the Supreme Forget Love Technique must be a person of shallow emotions and lack of conscience.
Or was it that, aside from the Wangyou Sect, there was nothing in the world that could hold his affection, leaving Soul Eater merely lovesick?
"Grandpa, is Soul Eater infiltrating the Imperial Advisor Mansion and even refusing to be my personal guard, all just to secretly glance at Wang Ge?" Gongyang Ying asked, her voice tinged with the whims of a young girl.
Gongyang Ren shook his head and said gravely, "It’s hard to say, we can’t fully trust Soul Eater. Maybe it’s all just a load of nonsense."
Despite the logical arguments, Gongyang Ren couldn’t possibly trust the wily leader of the Soul Eater.
"Anyway, let’s set this matter aside for now, Grandpa will continue to send people to watch him."
"Just as he said, we’ll toss him aside for the moment, and after the matter with Sikong Jing is dealt with, we’ll thoroughly investigate."
To this, Gongyang Ying could only nod...
The banquet in three days’ time is what truly matters. In theory, Sikong Jing dares not come, but who knows if he might be audacious enough to show up?
What’s more important is to settle down the various events happening in War Soul Imperial City.
Afterwards, they would have all the time they needed to investigate Soul Eater.
They had no idea that the man they saw as the Soul Eater Leader would not give them the chance to investigate. After the banquet, he would leave the Imperial Advisor Mansion, regardless of whether the assassination of Mo Ci was successful or not.
They also didn’t know that Sikong Jing came back just to secure a three-day stay in the Imperial Advisor Mansion.
One day, two days, three days...
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
In those three days, other than secretly taking control of Flowing Cloud Flying Squirrel and making arrangements for the Mansion’s Great Array, Sikong Jing made no other moves.
Indeed, he was thrown into a corner, and apart from being monitored by the Hidden Guard, he was left unbothered.
On the evening of the third day, the Imperial Advisor Mansion was bustling with excitement, and the banquet had begun.
The young talents arrived at the Imperial Advisor Mansion one after another, wondering whether the Sikong would emerge from his ’hole,’ becoming the focus of discussion for the entire gathering.
It could be said that every notable personage of the War Soul Dynasty was present.
Included among them were Dou Youchuan from War Soul Star Palace, Qiu Bai Chu from War Soul Sacred Dragon Palace, and Xu Youyou from War Soul Heavenly Dao Palace...
Also present were the students from the three Main Academies. The only one not killed was from the Heavenly Dao General Academy. They were originally here for the Three Academies Exchange Meeting, but with so much happening, the event was obviously suspended.
The student leading the Heavenly Dao General Academy group was also a formidable presence within the top fifty of the East Plain Thousand Tyrant List.
Beyond the young talents, the leaders of the three War Soul Branch Academies were also in attendance, receiving Gongyang Ren’s hospitality. The Heavenly Dao Academy still just watched the spectacle, whereas the other two were intent on finishing Sikong Jing!
Of course, the War Soul Sacred Dragon Palace was just putting on a show.
Apart from the Three Academies, all the young talents from the major families of the Imperial Capital had arrived...
Suddenly, a guard from the Imperial Advisor Mansion loudly announced, "His Highness the Fifth Prince has arrived..."
The crowd shuddered, and all eyes turned in that direction, but for the students from the Three Academies, the princes of the War Soul Dynasty weren’t worth mentioning.
On the other hand, the young talents from the major families hurried forward to greet him...
A noble young master asked with clenched fists, "Your Highness, you have come too. Do you think Sikong Jing will show up tonight?"
The fifth prince, named Lu Chi, was the full-blooded younger brother of the third prince, Lu Ding, so naturally, he had come for revenge.
Hearing this, Lu Chi confidently declared, "With such an array, he surely wouldn’t dare come. There’s no need to speculate."
The noble young masters and misses loudly agreed, but dissenting voices also emerged, "It’s hard to say. The Imperial Advisor said that if he defeats Miss Gongyang, he will be ensured safe passage out of War Soul Imperial Capital. Maybe he really will have the courage to come?"
"Hmph, if he dares to come, he dies," Lu Chi’s voice was extremely cold.
The nobles clapped their hands one after another, each filled with anticipation. Whether Sikong Jing came or not, it was all a spectacle for them.
If he did show up, they would mock him; if he didn’t, they would deride him for being as timid as a mouse. Either way, they were in an invincible position.
"Overlord Commerce, Hua Lidian, Ren Dongmeng arrives."
Just as the scene was bustling with incredible activity, the guard from the Imperial Advisor Mansion called out once again.