The Empire was divided into fifty-one administrative zones, each independently governed; normally, the "Imperial Gate," which oversaw the entire Empire, would not interfere with the autonomous jurisdiction of the administrative zones.
Xia Feng resided in Zone 51, where the most powerful noble family sported the crested zephyranthes as their emblem: the Liszt family.
Under Prince Liszt's command was a trusted force known as the Six-tailed Society, and Xia Feng was a member of this group.
The marriage contract Cha Naixue gave him had been consented to by Prince Liszt, so if he wanted to cancel the marriage, he would have to see if Prince Liszt permitted it.
Of course, he didn't want to cancel the marriage right now.
[Active time remaining: 50 minutes]
Gazing out at the swiftly retreating traffic, Xia Feng's heart tightened, "Master, can we go any faster?"
According to the information he had received earlier, Mu Qingtong should currently be attending a noble ball hosted by Prince Liszt's manor.
After escaping from the hospital, he had rushed to the manor at top speed, but the distance was indeed a bit far.
The minutes ticked by, second by second.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, brother, are you rushing to be reborn or what?"
Seeing the driver's impatience, Xia Feng looked out the window, pursed his lips in silence for a moment, and then let out a sigh of resignation, as if talking to himself, "My wife is giving birth, and the doctor says it's likely to be a difficult delivery. He told me to prepare myself, I... sigh..."
The driver, catching the look of anxious sorrow in the young man's eyes through the rearview mirror, paused, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, and suddenly felt like slapping himself.
Taking a deep breath, the driver's eyes hardened with resolve, "Alright, hold on tight little brother! Today, I'm going to show you what a Qiuming Mountain driving god is like!"
With a sudden acceleration, the driver seemed to don a golden coat, like a hero facing death without fear!
"Driver big brother, you are my god!"
After transferring a large sum of money to the driver, Xia Feng arrived outside the zephyranthes manor.
[Active time remaining: 30 minutes]
He directly presented the Six-tailed Society's identity mark, and entered the manor without obstruction.
Sprinting through the corridors and quickly crossing the large double doors framed in gold, he entered the dazzling gilded hall.
Graceful classical court music echoed throughout the hall.
Gentlemen and ladies dressed in magnificent attire flitted through the grand ballroom from corner to corner, some pairing up to dance, others gathered around luxurious salons whispering softly, ladies occasionally giggling behind their hands, tickled by the witty humor of young nobles.
Xia Feng glanced around, the crowd was bustling, and there was no sign of Mu Qingtong.
Fortunately, with about twenty minutes left, there was still ample time. One had to admit, the driver's skills were commendable!
Xia Feng took a deep breath and quickly made his way upstairs.
The second floor was less crowded, but after a quick search, he still didn't find Mu Qingtong. Leaning on the balcony railing, looking down at the hall from the second floor, he could clearly see Prince Liszt's son, dressed in an elegant tailcoat, sitting at the center stage playing Moonlight Sonata on the piano.
"If it really comes to it, I have no choice but to make a contract with this guy..."
Having swiftly confirmed a backup plan, Xia Feng continued to scan the vast ballroom.
[Active time remaining: 20 minutes]
Regrettably, there was no sign of Mu Qingtong throughout the hall.
Perhaps Miss Witch, the Destructive Witch, was not inside the hall but taking a walk in the back garden, or enjoying the moon in a secluded courtyard.
There was still plenty of time, so he decided to look outside, glancing through the window at the courtyard:
"Mu Qingtong, oh Mu Qingtong... where on earth are you?"
A cool and distant voice suddenly sounded from behind him, "Are you looking for me?"
"!゜ロ゜" Xia Feng startled, his shoulders jolting as he turned around stiffly.
In a dim corner of the sofa, a woman in an elegant and restrained black lace dress sat with her legs crossed, a thick book laid open on the skirt.
She seemed about to turn the page, but at that moment, she lifted her head, her mature little face framed by silver-white hair, adorned with a pair of elegant and intelligent half-framed gold-rimmed glasses, her pale golden eyes gazing at him from behind the lenses.
Xia Feng's dark pupils dilated slightly, undetectably.
The image of the woman before him slowly overlapped with that of the Destructive Witch known for her capacity to tear heaven and earth asunder in his memory.
His instinct was to retreat, but he suppressed the urge. Oh boy, when had this woman sat down there? She was like a ghost...
But this could not have been better!
Destructive Witch, your power, it's mine now! Xia Feng thought to himself.
The Evil Demon Heart inside his left chest began to beat rapidly, mysterious auras circulating as an invisible wave instantly radiated from the center of his chest outward.
A dark chain flashed for a moment between him and the woman in the black dress.
[Target: Mu Qingtong※ Contract successful——]
[Active time extension successful——]
[Active time remaining: 19 minutes→3 days]
[Synchronization of strength begins——]
[Your Spiritual Pressure has been greatly increased!]
[Your Cultivation has risen from Apprentice Spirit Master to First Rank Spirit Master!]
[Your understanding of Fighting Skill has improved....] Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel·fire·net
[Your physical attributes have been enhanced across the board (sense of smell, hearing, vision, neurological reaction, Combat Premonition....)]
[Your comprehension of Spiritual Clothes has improved, successfully mastering six N-grade Spiritual Clothes (Illumination Clothes, Fireball Flash, Ice Soul Blade, Messenger Elf, Eye of Reconnaissance, Bronze Mask)]
[Your comprehension of Spiritual Clothes has improved, successfully mastering one D-grade Spiritual Clothes (Concealment Clothes)]
[Your understanding of...]
I'm so doomed!! Xia Feng almost forgot to breathe, almost wanted to hug the Destructive Witch's leg and cry 'daddy' from the shock in his heart.
Spiritual Clothes, officially called Spiritual Energy Outfit, were known as Martial Arts Skills in Xianxia dramas and called magical circuits in fantasy dramas.
Originally, he was just an Apprentice Spirit Master with only one incomplete Illumination Clothes in his possession, and studying the intricate Spiritual Particle structure of the Illumination Clothes had left him dizzy from the complexity and struggle.