"How about we meet outside the city gate at the second quarter of the chen hour?" Zhao Yanran naturally wouldn’t refuse.
"That sounds good, I’ll prepare more food for tomorrow." Mu Wuxia was looking forward to the outing.
She was bored in the palace, so the chance to go out was something she eagerly anticipated.
The group chatted away, and soon it was time for dinner.
The eldest prince personally came over to invite everyone to the evening banquet.
Naturally, no one refused.
Because of what Zhao Yanran had mentioned earlier, Mu Rufeng, while making casual conversation, had frequently glanced at Jian Yifeng and noticed that he mostly stayed in one pavilion, holding a sword and staring blankly at the lake.
Even when some outstanding peers or fellow sect disciples spoke to him, he neither responded nor showed any interest, yet there were still some young fans chattering beside him.
Jian Yifeng didn’t seem annoyed in the slightest.
At the same time, Mu Rufeng also noticed that Jian Yifeng had looked over in his direction several times, and they even made eye contact once.
Mu Rufeng could tell that this person was mostly looking at his Seventh Sister Mu Wuxia.
"Could he really be interested in my Seventh Sister?" Mu Rufeng felt somewhat puzzled in his heart.
This man was a sword fanatic, a blockhead—how could he possibly be interested in Mu Wuxia? It seemed like it was their first meeting, right?
It couldn’t possibly be love at first sight? Could a sword fanatic experience love at first sight?
Unable to figure it out, Mu Rufeng decided not to dwell on it.
He followed Zhao Yanran and his Seventh Sister to the banquet to fill their stomachs.
They hadn’t eaten lunch and had chatted all afternoon; their stomachs were growling with hunger.
Soon, under the lead of the eldest prince, they arrived at a palace where everything was already prepared, and they could sit and eat immediately.
The trio of Mu Rufeng naturally sat together.
However, Mu Rufeng was speechless that the eldest prince gave a long speech for exactly two quarters of an hour before they started serving the dishes.
"Little Nine, your strength has weakened, but how come your appetite has improved so much?" Mu Wuxia, sitting beside Mu Rufeng, was a bit surprised by his eating manner and amount.
"Seventh Sister, since my strength has weakened, I need to eat more. The more I eat, the faster my cultivation will recover," Mu Rufeng replied with a smile, then continued devouring his meal.
It must be said, the Imperial kitchen’s food was extraordinarily delicious, far surpassing the spiritual food made in his own residence, containing much more power.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yanran ate with small, restrained bites, but Mu Rufeng noticed that she had a big appetite, eating quickly despite the small bites.
After all, whether male or female, anyone who follows the path of a martial artist tends to eat a lot, and their physique varies from person to person.
There are martial artists like Mu Rufeng with well-proportioned figures, as well as those large and burly types.
Among the women, there were graceful ladies like Zhao Yanran and Mu Wuxia, as well as more robust women.
After dinner, the Seventh Princess returned to her own palace. Today’s great battle had provided much insight, so she needed to retreat and digest her experiences.
Mu Rufeng didn’t linger there either, and left the Imperial Palace together with Zhao Yu Yan.
Some of the outstanding elites saw how close Mu Rufeng and Zhao Yu Yan were walking and were so envious they ground their teeth.
Especially a few of them, who looked ominously gloomy.
"Miss Yanran, I shall bid you farewell here and will come to pick you up at the chen hour tomorrow," Mu Rufeng said, standing in front of a carriage, to Zhao Yanran.
"Alright, Your Highness, I’ll be waiting at the Lingyan Pavilion," Zhao Yanran smiled, then stepped onto her luxurious carriage.
Mu Rufeng immediately climbed into his own carriage.
Liu Feng promptly slapped the horse’s rear, and the carriage quickly started moving.
By now, it was already eight o’clock in the evening, and it had long since grown dark.
In the Imperial City, there was also a curfew, applicable to both the inner and outer city.
From seven in the evening to five in the morning the next day, those caught by patrolling soldiers during this time were inevitably thrown into the dungeon.
Since it was already past curfew, there were no people on the streets, residential houses had mostly turned off their lights, except for some wealthy households, which were still brightly lit.
Patrolling guards occasionally passed by; seeing the carriage, they initially intended to approach and investigate, but upon recognizing it as the prince’s vehicle, they immediately cleared the way and respectfully bowed.
Once the carriage had passed, they straightened up and resumed patrolling.
Curfew? For those with power, it practically didn’t exist.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa~~!"
Suddenly, Liu Feng, who was driving, sharply pulled the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt.
"Why did we stop?" Mu Rufeng, who had been resting inside the carriage, opened his eyes and asked.
"Your Highness, there’s someone ahead, and they’re a master," Liu Feng spoke seriously.
"A master?" Mu Rufeng frowned slightly.
Xiao Cui immediately lifted the curtain to take a look outside, "Your Highness, there’s someone, but it’s too dark to see clearly."
Mu Rufeng didn’t say a word, moved forward, and lifted the curtain completely.
"Heaven Sword Sect’s Jian Yifeng pays his respects to Your Highness," Jian Yifeng approached with slow steps, bowing with a clenched fist.
"Jian Yifeng? Brother Jian? What brings you to halt my carriage?" Mu Rufeng was surprised. He hadn’t expected the person stopping his carriage to be Jian Yifeng.
Mu Rufeng flashed out and disappeared from atop the carriage, reappearing in front of Jian Yifeng.
This person’s strength was formidable, and his background was not inferior to his; he was a personage indeed, and naturally, Mu Rufeng got down from the carriage to show respect.
Although Mu Rufeng’s Ghost Power had been unsealed, he had sealed it back himself because he dared not use it for fear his strangeness would be discovered.
He had sealed it because he had found that his skills could also be activated through his own Qi Blood Power.
Upon activation, the power was almost the same, except for one thing—the Ghost Gloom.
He couldn’t use the Ghost Gloom, but he could still use the Martial Arts Domain, that is, the Qi Blood Domain.
Similarly, it was attainable at Level 5, meaning almost any martial artist could possess a Martial Arts Domain.
However, the Martial Arts Domain differed greatly from the Ghost Gloom; the latter could alter space, enhance one’s abilities, and had many other uses.
While the Martial Arts Domain didn’t have as many features, it had one: it enhanced the martial artist’s strength, whether it was their own Qi Blood Power, Martial Arts, or Secret Techniques.