Driven Away

Claude's brow furrowed slightly.

This person...

He didn't know Su Ye.

But he felt uncomfortable the moment he saw Su Ye.

Although he doesn't look the same as "Qi Ye" from Destruction Paradise, for some reason, seeing him makes Claude feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

It's like...

There was something about this person that he found repulsive.

Claude instinctively disliked it.

Then he heard words like "token" and "personally bestowed by the lord of the manor."

What happened?

Claude snorted coldly and said indifferently.

The guards immediately went to meet them.

"Lord Claude, a few strangers with unknown origins are trying to force their way in, claiming a token given to them by the lord. We're dealing with them right now."

"A token?"

Claude shook his head.

"The Lord of the Manor made some progress recently and has been in seclusion ever since, so we haven't even been able to see him. How could you possibly possess a token personally bestowed by him?"

"Swindling and cheating, they don't even know where to start!"

The guard captain, who had initially been somewhat suspicious of the dark blue Token in Su Ye's hand, immediately believed him after hearing Claude's words.

The suspicion on his face completely turned into ferocity.

"Good, so you dare to try and scam people right here at the City Lord's Mansion's mansion! Seize them all! Today I'm going to teach you bunch of swindlers a lesson!"

Several guards immediately swarmed around them.

That's enough.

Just as Xia Zhiqiu was about to argue further, Su Ye Xia Zhiqiu raised his hand and stopped her.

"Let's go."

"Ah?"

Xia Zhiqiu immediately became anxious and lowered her voice to transmit her thoughts.

"A'Su, didn't we come here to suck up to you and get some freebies? We haven't even stepped inside yet, and we're already slinking away like this? This is so humiliating!"

Su Ye glanced at Claude, then at the two guards.

The guards' expressions said it all... If Claude said black, they would never say white.

There's no point in arguing any further; it will only make us a laughingstock.

He glanced at Claude, then transmitted his voice to Xia Zhiqiu.

"It's easier to deal with the King Yama than his underlings."

Why waste time and lower yourself for a few gatekeepers?

"Besides... if they don't let me in, that's a loss for the Azure Mansion, not for I Su Ye."

"Does I Su Ye, who wants to participate in the Myriad Worlds Prodigy Battle, lack the Azure Mansion?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiqiu blinked. Although she still felt aggrieved, she couldn't find the words to refute him.

The group exchanged glances, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Behind them, the captain of the guard watched the departing figures, sneered, and made no attempt to hide his mockery.

"Hmph, what are you pretending for? Trying to climb the social ladder by clinging to the Lord of the Manor? Don't you even know your own limitations!"

"Get out of here, you're smart to know what's good for you!"

After saying that, he turned around, his face once again plastered with a fawning smile, and jogged towards Claude.

"Lord Claude, this way please! I'll show you the way!"

Claude ignored him and strode into the City Lord's Mansion.

Seeing this, the captain of the guard was not discouraged and followed him in with great enthusiasm.

Unaware at all, the Desperate Old Man's aged eyes narrowed slightly, and a barely perceptible Divine Power flew from Desperate Old Man fingertips, merging into the bodies of the guards.

The City Lord's Mansion quickly returned to calm.

It was as if that little disturbance had never happened.

Claude entered the City Lord's Mansion, and after many twists and turns, he soon arrived at a Waterside Pavilion.

Listening to the Rain Pavilion.

It was an exquisite pavilion built over a lotus pond, surrounded by rippling blue water, fragrant with lotus blossoms, and shrouded in mist, reflecting the sky and clouds—truly a place of serene elegance.

The water is a spiritual spring drawn from deep underground in the Azure Mansion. It is crystal clear, and the bottom of the lake is covered with fine white sand, each grain of which is glowing.

The lake is home to fish, each about the size of a palm. Their Scale shimmer with a faint Golden Light as they swim. Every now and then, one of them leaps out of the water, flicks its tail, and can stay suspended in mid-air for a fraction of a second before falling back down, splashing a ring of golden water.

Inside the Waterside Pavilion, a woman leans against the railing, intently feeding the fish in the pond.

Her long, black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her skin was as white as snow, her features were exquisite, and her eyes and brows exuded an innate nobility and elegance.

It was none other than the Seventh Princess of the Azure Mansion... Lan Luoqing.

Her movements were extremely elegant; she picked up a pinch of fish food with her fingertips and gently sprinkled it into the water.

And as the fish food fell into the water...

Several figures suddenly leaped out of the water in the pool.

Those were several koi carp, their bodies gleaming with Golden Light, their Scale resembling armor.

Each leap sent up a spray of water everywhere.

Each one exudes a faint aura of divinity.

These koi fish are all God Level!

Claude stood three steps away, and had been standing there for quite a while.

Lan Luoqing was so focused on feeding the fish that she completely ignored him, as if she didn't even see Claude.

Claude stood there, motionless.

He knew, of course, that Lan Luoqing was deliberately ignoring him.

From the day he lost to Qi Ye and discarded the Myriad Forms Soul-Misleading Jade, Lan Luoqing's attitude towards him grew colder day by day.

His arrival today, Lan Luoqing's behavior, were clearly intended to give him a warning.

Claude felt a chill in his heart, but dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He took a deep breath and considered for a moment.

After waiting a moment, he finally spoke.

"Seventh Princess Your Highness, your subordinate... has returned to the Destruction Paradise and participated in the Challenge Platform matches. He has now accumulated another twenty consecutive victories."

Silence fell once more within the Waterside Pavilion.

After a moment, Lan Luoqing finally stopped feeding the animals.

She slowly turned around and looked at Claude. In her usually indifferent eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible hint of satisfaction finally appeared.

"Twenty consecutive wins?"

"Hmm, not bad."

"I am very satisfied that you can admit your mistakes, correct them, and know how to start anew."

This casual compliment finally put Claude's mind at ease.

He knew it all too well...

Lan Luoqing's coldness just now was a deliberate warning.

Fortunately, Lan Luoqing is now willing to praise him.

This means she's willing to move on.

I'm willing, at least for now.

In fact, Claude was one of the most Central Heaven people in Lan Luoqing's hands, and she was hoping that Claude would participate in the crucial Myriad Worlds Prodigy Battle in her place.

So, while we may give them a warning, we will still provide all the benefits they deserve.

Lan Luoqing paused, her tone softening slightly.

"Tell me, how's your cultivation going lately? Is there anything you need guidance from a master? Or... are there any resources you might need?"

"I heard that someone from your Family is causing you trouble over the Ore Vein?"

Claude was secretly pleased, knowing that Lan Luoqing was giving him a way out.

He immediately composed himself and replied respectfully.

"Your Highness, my cultivation has been progressing smoothly these past few days. However... I've been haunted by my defeat at the hands of Qi Ye that day, and I still feel a deep sense of unease. If Your Highness could Your Highness some guidance, I might be able to gain some insight."

As he spoke, he carefully observed Lan Luoqing's expression.

Lan Luoqing nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Having suffered a defeat, you've learned your lesson and are now striving to improve—excellent. Since you have this ambition, I will naturally not treat you unfairly. Later, I will have someone send some top-quality Cultivation Resources to your residence."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Claude was overjoyed and immediately bowed in greeting.