Princess Qing

While Zhang Zixuan was introducing himself, his mother had already prepared to bind Li Tianming with those chains.

It was a deathtrap. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way to break it. Running into something like this truly meant his luck was rotten.

Just then—

"Who's over there? Come out!" Zhang Zixuan's father was treating the Blue-Tailed Poison Scorpion when he suddenly raised his head, stared toward the rear, and asked in a deep voice.

Someone else had arrived?

The woman gripped the chains and was already standing before Li Tianming. Even she had been drawn in now, turning to look toward the rustling grass and trees behind them.

Thanks to this third party's arrival, Li Tianming was temporarily out of danger.

Who could it be? Li Tianming had also noticed movement in the vegetation. Judging by the aura, it was not a savage beast, but other people.

The depths of Fire Sash Mountain were sparsely populated. One could wander here for a month without necessarily meeting anyone else. What had been going on lately? Why were people everywhere?

The next instant, two young women parted the forest and appeared before Li Tianming.

It was Jiang Feiling and Qing'er!

Qing'er was undoubtedly heaven's chosen talent, nobly born and breathtakingly beautiful—a focal point wherever she went. Yet when she appeared beside Jiang Feiling, Li Tianming's gaze naturally still fell upon Jiang Feiling.

That ethereal tranquility, like a fairy descended from the heavens into the mortal world—no matter how he looked at her, she was flawless.

Weren't they supposed to return to the Flame Capital? Why haven't they left yet? Li Tianming wondered.

But the key issue now was that the Thunder Lord Manor people wanted to kill him! Why had they appeared here?

No matter how outstanding Qing'er's talent was, she could not possibly defeat these two elders. Besides, she guarded against him as though he were a thief, so she might not even help him.

The only benefit was that their arrival had drawn Zhang Zixuan's parents' attention. Li Tianming seized the chance to slip away, but before he could get far, the chains had already wrapped around his feet.

Escape was hopeless!

"Princess Qing!"

Just as Li Tianming was feeling miserable, he suddenly saw Zhang Zixuan and his parents staring at Qing'er with immense surprise and unavoidable respect. Then all three dropped to one knee and saluted her.

"Zhang Chong of the Thunder Lord Manor, along with his wife and son, greets Princess Qing." The middle-aged man lowered his head and bowed with utmost reverence.

Princess?

In the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, only one kind of person could be called a princess: the daughters of the Vermilion Bird King, the royal family of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom!

No way. Li Tianming had sensed that Qing'er's status was quite high, but he had never imagined it would be this high.

Someone of a princess's standing was beyond even his reach three years ago at Yanhuang Academy. Lin Xiaoting, the Thunder Lord Manor's favored son of heaven and the current number one genius of the Heavenly Court, would still have to salute a princess just like Zhang Chong did!

After all, she was the king's daughter!

No wonder she was so exceptional. She was Princess Qing of the Vermilion Bird Valley.

Li Tianming remembered how he had cursed at her two days ago, asking whether something was wrong with her brain. Thinking about it now, he had truly been testing the edge of death like a madman...

He could only roughly guess at Princess Qing's strength. Looking at it now, even if she was not Lin Xiaoting's equal, she should be around the same level.

After all, the Vermilion Bird royal family had ruled the Vermilion Bird Kingdom for thousands of years, with countless foundations and inheritances. They absolutely surpassed a great clan like the Thunder Lord Manor.

"You may rise." Qing'er waved her hand with an indifferent expression, then fixed her gaze on Li Tianming.

There was a hint of smugness in the way she looked at him, as if she were saying: Little thief, now you know who I am. Let's see how arrogant you dare be now.

That gloating, mocking look made Li Tianming somewhat awkward. After all, he had never expected a lofty princess to appear in this desolate Fire Sash Mountain.

"Why has Princess Qing come to Fire Sash Mountain? There are many savage beasts here. If Your Highness has no one protecting you..." Zhang Chong asked with his head slightly lowered.

"Who said I have no one protecting me?" Qing'er directly cut him off.

"Please do not take offense, Princess. Zhang Chong is merely concerned for Your Highness's safety, and concern has clouded his judgment. With Your Highness's status, how could there possibly be no experts by your side?" Zhang Chong's wife hurriedly tried to smooth things over.

As for Zhang Zixuan, he was still holding his dagger. Even his parents had lowered their heads, so naturally he did not dare speak.

The atmosphere fell into dead silence. Only Jiang Feiling smiled and winked at Li Tianming. The moment he saw her smile, he knew he definitely would not die today—but Qing'er would definitely mock him for a while...

"You are from the Thunder Lord Manor, and your name is Zhang Chong?" Qing'er stood with her hands behind her back. Now that her identity had been exposed, she truly looked the part of a princess, her noble bearing fully revealed.

"Yes, Princess Qing." The middle-aged man could only lower his head and nod.

"What are people from the Thunder Lord Manor doing here? I saw several people two days ago, and they were from your Thunder Lord Manor too." Qing'er asked.

"This..." Zhang Chong hesitated. After all, this was a place discovered by the Thunder Lord Manor, and the divine source belonged to the Thunder Lord Manor.

"Do you want to be beheaded?" Qing'er asked.

"Please do not be angry, Princess. I'll tell you." Zhang Chong hurriedly replied. His embarrassed appearance was worlds apart from the cold, domineering manner he had shown earlier.

Sure enough, one thing always subdued another. No matter how formidable someone was, there would come a time when they had to bow their head.

"Hurry up. Stop dawdling," Qing'er said.

Li Tianming was actually quite curious about this as well. What were these people from the Thunder Lord Manor doing here?

"It's like this. Our Thunder Lord Manor discovered a divine source in Fire Sash Mountain, so we selected seven disciples to compete for it. Whoever can seize the divine source may take it away. We elders came along without participating in the competition, mainly to protect their lives," Zhang Chong explained in one breath.

"What grade of divine source?" Qing'er's eyes lit up. Truthfully, even the lowest Yellow-grade divine source was a supreme treasure. Even if she could not use it herself, it could still be sold for an astronomical price.

"Princess Qing, it is an unranked divine source, not even worthy of being called a Yellow-grade divine source. At most, it can only evolve a lifebound beast to the sixth rank." Zhang Chong lowered his head as he spoke.

"Unranked?" Qing'er was a little disappointed and seemed to lose interest. She glared at Zhang Chong. "Do you know what will happen if you deceive me?"

"How would I dare? Besides, my son does not have much hope either. Naturally, I would not deceive Your Highness. It truly is an unranked divine source." Zhang Chong gave a bitter smile.

In truth, even an unranked divine source would be an unparalleled treasure in Lihuo City.

In the entire Vermilion Bird Kingdom, the only ones who might disdain it were the most elite geniuses of the Heavenly Court and the Vermilion Bird royal family.

"I'll assume you lack the nerve. Fine, you may get lost now." Qing'er waved her hand, impatience showing in her beautiful eyes.

"Many thanks, Princess. The Zhang family shall take its leave first." Zhang Chong felt as though a huge burden had been lifted. He signaled to his wife and Zhang Zixuan with his eyes. His wife picked up the chains, intending to take Li Tianming away with them.

"Wait." Qing'er glanced at Li Tianming and said irritably, "Leave that pig behind."

Li Tianming's face darkened. Being led around on chains was bad enough—she actually called him a pig?

"Princess? This man is merely a local mountain villager. He just launched a sneak attack and injured my son's lifebound beast. We were preparing to teach him a lesson." Zhang Chong had never expected Qing'er to take notice of Li Tianming.

"Your Highness, could you show mercy and allow me to avenge my lifebound beast..." Zhang Zixuan gathered his courage and said. He had already planned to execute Li Tianming by a thousand cuts. This sudden turn left him miserable beyond measure.

When one was starving, and the meat already in one's mouth suddenly flew away—that was exactly how it felt.

"That's right. I want this pig. You may get lost now." Qing'er said with a stern face.

Li Tianming hated it. This girl was taking the chance to insult him, and the key was that he could not talk back. If he did, what if she decided not to save him?

"Princess..."

"Get far away. Do not make me say it again." Qing'er was incomparably domineering. Those final words left Zhang Chong and the others with no temper at all.

Zhang Zixuan was so furious that his face turned purple, but he could only remain silent as Zhang Chong forcibly dragged him away. His entire body trembled as he left, as though he were constipated, and he even turned back to look at Li Tianming several times.

"What are you staring at? Never seen a handsome man before?" The Little Yellow Chick perched atop Li Tianming's head. Having escaped death, it showed no awareness of the danger at all and remained as shameless as ever.

After being mocked by the Little Yellow Chick, Zhang Zixuan could not even turn back. It nearly angered him to death.

Only after they had left did Li Tianming have to face Princess Qing.

"What are you looking at? Are you unhappy that I called you a pig?" Qing'er glared at him. Still, the way she puffed up with anger was rather adorable.

"I'm happy with it. You are Her Highness the Princess—how could I possibly be unhappy?" Li Tianming said.

"Qing'er, don't be so rude to Brother. When Brother saved me that time, he was not as high and mighty as you." Jiang Feiling said. Once Zhang Chong and the others had left, she ran over to Li Tianming and asked after him with concern. "Brother, you're not hurt, are you?"

"No. Ling'er is truly thoughtful. There are not many kind girls like you," Li Tianming said with a smile.

"What do you mean by that? Are you mocking me for not being kind?" Qing'er's delicate brows shot up again.

"I never said that." Li Tianming said, "Still, I should thank you this time. If not for you, I would have lost my life."

"As long as you know gratitude. Be more polite in the future. If you had not saved Ling'er last time, and you dared speak to me like that, I would have chopped off your head long ago," Qing'er said.

"Understood." Li Tianming had no intention of offending her. Though she spoke somewhat arrogantly, she was not ill-intentioned. Besides, she was a princess. Someone of her status was not someone he could afford to offend at present.

"I misspoke. There will be no 'future.' Go home and farm in peace. We are returning to the Flame Capital too. Goodbye—no, never see you again." Qing'er grabbed Jiang Feiling, as though afraid Li Tianming might get close to her.

"Qing'er, stop talking. I can't even get a word in. I have something important to tell Brother. Stand to the side and don't speak," Jiang Feiling said.

Sure enough, one thing always subdued another.

Li Tianming smiled.

No matter how proud Princess Qing was, she still had to listen to Ling'er.