Upon hearing Cheng Bai’s voice and glancing over at Ye Beiming, who stood leisurely aside, Yun Sheng’s face flushed slightly, and she scolded Zhou Quan, "How could there be a stranger at our camp?"
Zhou Quan grumbled, "That man claimed to be your servant. He looked decent and didn’t seem like a swindler to me."
The Hunter Soldiers nearby all clamored loudly.
"Zhou Quan, you’re being dishonest. That handsome young fellow clearly said he’s Young Master Yun’s man, worried about Young Master Yun heading out on a mission and running into danger. He wants to hit the road with us all," they said.
In the military camp, where gruff men spoke without restraint, calling someone your ’man’ was enough to make even the thick-skinned Yun Sheng blush.
"Who said he’s my man! I have absolutely nothing to do with him!" Yun Sheng had no idea what the fox Ye Huli had been filling these men’s heads with during her absence.
"Hey, cut it out, Young Master Yun. You women always play this game. My wife says that the more you ladies say ’no, no,’ the more you actually mean ’yes, yes!’" The men bellowed with laughter.
Yun Sheng nearly choked with irritation.
She glared at Ye Beiming and pulled him aside.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, not hiding her annoyance.
"I’m naturally here to help you. I’m your servant, and when you’re in danger, it’s my job to stand in front and be your meat shield," Ye Beiming said with a flirtatious smile.
His words were overheard by the eavesdropping Hunter Soldiers.
The crowd jeered, "Just accept it, Young Master Yun. With such a fine man, once you pass this village, there won’t be such a chance again."
"Do you know who he is? He’s the Beiming King of Great Zhou," Yun Sheng said irritably.
Whoosh--- The Hunters were all startled, staring at Ye Beiming incessantly.
"Young Master Yun, your man is actually a Prince, that’s incredible," the Hunters expressed even greater admiration for Yun Sheng, who not only possessed medical skills but also had connections with a personage like the Beiming King.
"Gentlemen, there’s no need for alarm. Whether I’m a Prince or Miss Yun’s servant, from the moment I stand here, just treat me as a member of the Hunting Corps. Cheng Bai, distribute the wine and meat we brought to our brothers," Ye Beiming said with a cheery smile, instructing Cheng Bai to take out all the prepared food and drinks.
The sight dazzled the crowd, and their perception of Ye and Cheng instantly changed.
For these hunting soldiers, good brothers were those who brought meat and wine.
After weighing her options, Yun Sheng decided to accept the mission.
Setting aside personal grudges, the Six-leaf Purple Ginseng was very important to her. To prevent Yun Canglang from objecting, Yun Sheng ordered everyone not to divulge their mission to Hou Qin to him.
Regarding Cheng Bai and Ye Beiming, Yun Sheng ultimately chose only Ye Beiming to accompany her. As for Cheng Bai, she decided to leave him within the Hunting Corps in case they received other assignments during her absence.
Additionally, Yun Sheng selected several more Hunter Soldiers led by Zhou Quan, considering that the terrain where the Purple Ginseng appeared in Luoxia City was mostly wetlands and marshes, an environment rife with miasma.
As Yun Sheng’s knowledge of poisons was limited, she decided to bring Qi Yi along.
The Sky Hunting Corps was thoroughly prepared for this mission to Hou Qin.
But on the day of departure, Yun Sheng encountered something that greatly displeased her.
"Where is everyone? We agreed to meet at the East City Gate at noon, and now there’s not even a shadow in sight."
After waiting for more than an hour, she finally saw a few sedans stop in front of the East City Gate.
Seeing those few sedans, both Yun Sheng and Ye Beiming raised their eyebrows.
In Great Zhou City, the only one who dared to use a golden-roofed sedan was Crown Prince Ye Beilian.
As expected, when the sedan was set down, the first to alight was Crown Prince Ye Beilian of Great Zhou, followed by the exceedingly charming and beautiful Chen Lianlian, and inside the last sedan was a man with a strange face.
"How come you’re here?" Chen Lianlian, like a peacock spreading its feathers, stepped out of the sedan, her face lighting up with joy upon catching sight of the handsome Ye Beiming.
But soon after, she saw Yun Sheng standing shoulder to shoulder with Ye Beiming.
Ye Beiming was dressed in black as dark as ink, while Yun Sheng was clad in a blue Mage’s robe. Standing together, they presented an indescribable harmony that involuntarily drew the attention of everyone present.
Upon seeing Yun Sheng, Crown Prince Ye Beilian’s face showed a look of amazement, while Chen Lianlian’s face revealed a color of hatred.
She had always believed she was the most outstanding woman inside Yujing City.
Yet, Yun Sheng standing next to Ye Beiming shattered that belief.
Yun Sheng was not the kind of woman who appeared astonishing at first glance, but the moonlight-like radiance emitting from her and her indifferent demeanor toward everything and everyone irresistibly attracted people’s gaze.
At first, Chen Lianlian didn’t recognize Yun Sheng, as Yun Sheng had undergone significant changes in appearance and stature after her advancement.
But when she saw the Magic Wand tucked at Yun Sheng’s waist, she immediately understood her identity.
Who would have thought that the little girl who was still wet behind the ears a few months ago, would transform into a charming beauty in such a short time?
"I am the Deputy Captain of the Hunting Corps that you hired. Whether I should be here is not important, what’s important is you made the entire Hunting Corps wait for an hour; should you not apologize," Yun Sheng didn’t care whether Chen Lianlian was the employer or not.
"How insolent! Who is this ignorant girl daring to insult the future Crown Princess Consort," from the entourage of the Crown Prince, a man with a hooked nose stepped forward.
The man’s name was Wuxiong, and he deliberately touched the Summoner’s Ring on his hand while he spoke, his face full of arrogance.
Within Great Zhou City, Summoners were exceedingly rare, and Wuxiong himself was a Scepter Summoner.
He wasn’t originally from Da Zhou People but came from a minor branch of a small family in Penglai Country, where Summoners were plentiful and he was merely seen as mediocre.
Because of this, he was undervalued in his family and lived a frustrated life until he came to Great Zhou City.
Coincidentally, the Crown Prince Mansion was recruiting staff, and Wuxiong, being a Summoner, received a high level of treatment.
Wuxiong had joined the Crown Prince Mansion but never had the chance to stand out.
When he accidentally learned that the Crown Prince was planning an incognito visit to Hou Qin, he took the initiative, claiming he had been to Luoxia City, and wanted to use this opportunity to impress the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Ye Beilian’s trip was a secret mission, and he didn’t dare bring too many people; apart from a few Hidden Guards for protection in the shadows, he only brought two Mages and the Summoner Wuxiong.
Wuxiong had barely finished speaking when he received a slap across his face, sending him flying out.
The crowd only felt a cool breeze across their faces, followed by a fleeting shadow, and the next moment, Wuxiong was gone with a whoosh.
"Who! Who dares to hit me, the master," Wuxiong hadn’t seen at all who struck him.
In fact, except for Yun Sheng, no one saw clearly who had made the move.
"It was I who hit you. What about it, do you wish to strike back?" The cold voice instantly lowered the temperature of the surroundings to freezing point.