"Bang—"
Nan Yu Xin angrily smashed a blue jade vase onto the floor. The maids beside her were terrified and hurriedly tried to calm her down.
"Why was he so fierce with me?"
"I wasn't trying to cause him trouble. I was just curious about him!"
"Honestly, he doesn't know how to treat a woman with tenderness at all!"
Nan Yu Xin sat in her chair, fuming as she cursed. The maids exchanged glances. Young Master Jun?
As maids of the Great General of the Nation's residence, they had naturally heard Young Master Jun's name. They had never expected their young lady to seek him out and return filled with anger.
Could it be that Young Master Jun did not know their young lady's identity?
The maids secretly wondered. Within the Gan Yue Kingdom, even disciples of the Three Great Sects would not dare put on airs before Nan Yu Xin. After all, her father, Nan Meng, was a transcendent existence in the Mortal Transformation Realm.
The words "Mortal Transformation" said it all!
"Who dared make my precious daughter so angry?"
At that moment, a hearty laugh came from outside. A burly middle-aged man strode in with the gait of a dragon and tiger. Nearly two meters tall, broad-backed and thick-waisted, he stretched his black brocade robe taut. His face carried an imposing anger even at rest, and the cold glint in his thick-browed, large eyes was enough to make others shudder.
He was the publicly acknowledged strongest expert of the Gan Yue Kingdom, the Great General of the Nation, Nan Meng!
"Father..." Nan Yu Xin called out with a pout.
"Tell me, who has the ability to provoke you?" Nan Meng laughed heartily, making Nan Yu Xin feel there was something behind his words.
She could not help spitting, "Who else but that Young Master Jun? He actually showed me no respect at all."
"Young Master Jun?"
Nan Meng's brows immediately knitted together. So Young Master Jun's name had already reached the imperial court.
During that morning's court session, Qin Yu had boldly recommended Guan Yu and claimed that Guan Yu was in no way weaker than Nan Meng. This secretly annoyed him, and he also remembered the names Young Master Jun and Guan Yu.
"Yes. Xin'er went to find him out of curiosity and wanted to spar with him, but..." Nan Yu Xin found the rest difficult to say. It was too humiliating. There had been so many onlookers at the time.
Still, she did not hate Qin Jun. Their brief exchange had made her realize that she truly was no match for him. It was merely Qin Jun's cold attitude that infuriated her.
"Did you see the bearded brute under Young Master Jun?" Nan Meng asked casually.
With the contest between the two kingdoms approaching, he was confident he could win one round, but the other two were uncertain. This time, the Cang Lan Kingdom had actually sent two Mortal Transformation Realm experts, shaking the court and leaving the emperor deeply worried.
Only those in high positions knew how important the two contests were. Resources were wagered in every contest. The losing side not only had to pay compensation in resources, but would also be at a disadvantage in the negotiations that followed.
"No, I only saw Young Master Jun." Nan Yu Xin shook her head. After a pause, she gritted her teeth and said, "That guy even acted all mysterious. He wore a veil and refused to show his true face."
Nan Meng's frown deepened further. It seemed this Young Master Jun had other intentions.
At the capital's city gates.
Chang Qianqian skipped along in front. Behind her followed the Xuanling Sect's Great Elder, Xu Hai, as well as disciples such as Chang Hao, Zhuo Junjie, and Zhong Ling. The group numbered twenty in total, and their distinctive Xuanling Sect attire made the commoners and cultivators along the way step aside.
"The Xuanling Sect is here too!"
"The Purple Light Sect arrived this morning. Now only Burning Mountain Valley is missing."
"Tsk, the Purple Light Sect and Xuanling Sect have never gotten along. They might end up clashing."
"Have you noticed? Even some major sects from the Cang Lan Kingdom have sent people."
"The contest is held once every five years. The last one was in the Cang Lan Kingdom, so it is equivalent to the capital hosting it only once every ten years. We're in for quite a spectacle."
The cultivators among the commoners discussed animatedly. Within the capital, cultivators and ordinary people were not far apart in status, and cultivators did not dare make trouble for commoners, for this was beneath the Son of Heaven's feet.
"I really want to see Qin Jun soon."
Chang Qianqian turned and smiled at everyone. Apart from Chang Hao, whose expression was somewhat gloomy, the rest all laughed.
Most of the disciples who had come to the capital this time were a generation senior to Chang Qianqian, so none of them felt jealous.
Zhuo Junjie clenched the longsword at his waist and said calmly, "I'll challenge him again! This time, I won't be careless!"
Zhong Ling looked at Zhuo Junjie, who had already recovered from his low point, her face filled with relief.
The group chatted and laughed as they walked. After turning through several streets, they encountered a group of cultivators dressed in elegant purple robes. They were from the Purple Light Sect, one of the Three Great Sects.
"Well, if it isn't Zhuo Junjie? I heard you were defeated by an outsider within the Xuanling Sect?"
The speaker was a handsome young man fanning himself with a feather fan. His peak Foundation Establishment Realm aura was fully on display, making the cultivators on both sides of the street tremble in fear.
"Lu Xuanfeng, don't stir up trouble!"
Zhong Ling shouted in a deep voice. This young man with the feather fan was the Purple Light Sect's greatest genius, Lu Xuanfeng, who ranked only below Zhuo Junjie within the Gan Yue Kingdom. Both were leading figures among their sects' younger generations.
Xu Hai snorted coldly, but as an elder, it would not be appropriate for him to interfere in a dispute among juniors. It would be humiliating if word got out.
"No matter who defeats me, I can still defeat you, my beaten opponent." Zhuo Junjie stared at Lu Xuanfeng and smiled disdainfully, prompting the fellow disciples behind him to applaud and cheer.
The surrounding commoners and cultivators could not help sighing in admiration. Worthy of the kingdom's number one genius—his words were truly domineering!
Lu Xuanfeng's expression also darkened. He snorted coldly. "I will defeat you. But before that, I will first challenge the capital's most renowned Young Master Jun!"
"Young Master Jun?"
Confusion appeared on Zhuo Junjie and the others' faces. Chang Qianqian blinked her large eyes, which were filled with intense curiosity. Just from the name alone, she could tell this person was no simple figure.
Lu Xuanfeng lightly waved his feather fan, turned around, and smiled. "Zhuo Junjie, no matter how strong you are, you are ultimately limited. Compared to Young Master Jun's methods, you are far inferior!"
With that, he led the Purple Light Sect disciples away.
Yet his words made Zhuo Junjie's expression turn gloomy, and the surrounding cultivators also felt that he was right.
Young Master Jun himself possessed decent cultivation, and he had even subdued a super expert. He also had a Sacred Spirit Root genius under his command. Once he grew in the future, he would undoubtedly become a formidable figure in his own right. In comparison, Zhuo Junjie merely possessed great individual talent. Whether he could become the Xuanling Sect Master was still uncertain, since Chang Tianyou was far from the time of stepping down.
The people of the Xuanling Sect exchanged looks, but they all remembered the name Young Master Jun.
Luoya Inn.
"Knock, knock!"
Qin Jun, who was cultivating, was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. He could not help asking, "Who is it?"
"This humble woman is You Fenghuang. I hope Young Master Jun will honor me with a meeting."
A woman's voice, clear as silver bells, came from outside. Judging by the voice alone, she should be a beauty.
Qin Jun pondered silently. He had never heard the name You Fenghuang before, but he was not afraid. The Howling Celestial Dog was lying nearby, sleeping.
"Come in."
"Thank you for agreeing, Young Master."
As soon as her voice fell, the door was pushed open. It was none other than one of Luoya Inn's mysterious guests whom no one dared provoke—a woman in green.