Heaven Dou City, Moonlight Pavilion.
"The boundless horizon is my love."
"Flowers bloom beneath the rolling green mountains."
"What kind of rhythm..."
"..."
"Come on, girls, dance!"
Wei Fan led a dozen noble boys and girls in a dance in the main hall of the Moonlight Pavilion.
"Stop!"
A clear voice rang out. A beautiful woman in sumptuous court attire stood on the stairs, watching the "demons dancing wild" in the hall.
"Wei Fan, come here!"
"Yuehua, you wanted me?"
In a flash, Wei Fan was already on the second floor.
"From now on, you are not to lead them in that so-called Square Dance of yours."
"I've told you many times. That sort of dance has no place in a refined setting!"
Tang Yuehua's brows knitted slightly. With Wei Fan around, her Moonlight Pavilion was becoming harder and harder to manage.
"Yuehua, Square Dance is easy to learn, strengthens the body, and relieves mental fatigue and tension..."
"Absolutely not!"
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Family's annual celebration is about to begin. Don't be late!"
This time, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family had specifically requested a performance from the Moonlight Pavilion.
If Wei Fan kept fooling around like this, he would ruin the whole thing!
"Huh?"
"You want me to dance?"
"Not happening!"
What a joke!
He had spent over six months at the Moonlight Pavilion, but he had not learned a scrap of noble ballroom dancing. He had come here purely to slack off.
"All our students at the Moonlight Pavilion must participate in this performance. You're one of us, so of course your name is on the list."
"Who put my name down? Once I find out, she's getting a blast from me!"
"What, you're going to hit me?"
Tang Yuehua frowned, displeased.
"Oh, it was you, Yuehua? Then I'll spare you that blast."
Wei Fan did not want to dwell on the matter anyway. He would not be coming back.
So whether his name was on the list or not...
It made no difference!
With their conversation over, Wei Fan returned to the first-floor hall of the Moonlight Pavilion and sat in the lounge, sipping hot tea.
"What are you looking at me for?"
"Keep the music playing, keep dancing!"
Wei Fan spoke as he looked at the dozen noble youths staring blankly at one another.
Just then, a sweet-looking girl with short golden hair walked in.
"Princess Xue Ke is here!"
"Princess Xue Ke has gotten even prettier lately."
"I heard Princess Xue Ke has already secured the right to play at the Heaven Dou Empire's celebration."
"Obviously. Who else could do it besides Princess Xue Ke?"
"..."
Xue Ke's arrival drew everyone's eyes away from Wei Fan and onto the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Especially the male noble students!
If they could win Princess Xue Ke's favor and become the Heaven Dou Empire's prince consort, wouldn't their lives be like skyrocket fireworks?
Straight into the sky!
"Hey, hey, Princess Xue Ke is looking at me."
"Bullshit! She's clearly looking at me!"
"She's coming toward me."
"Toward me!"
"Princess Xue Ke is even blushing..."
"..."
As Xue Ke approached step by step, all the young noblemen grew excited.
Could something they had never dared dream of actually be happening?
While they were beside themselves with excitement, Xue Ke walked straight past them and up to Wei Fan, who was sitting in the lounge.
"Wei... Wei Fan, are you free this Sunday?"
"I'd like to treat you to a meal..."
Xue Ke's voice grew softer and softer. Her slender, pale fingers clutched the front of her dress, tightening again and again.
Heaven only knew how much courage she had mustered to say those words.
She had noticed Wei Fan the very first time he came to the Moonlight Pavilion.
A genius Soul Master, the reigning champion of the elite tournament!
As a princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, she had grown up surrounded by admirers, like the moon cradled by a host of stars. Everyone wanted to curry favor with her.
She had assumed Wei Fan would be the same, but she had been wrong.
For the past six months, Wei Fan had acted as though he had never even noticed her.
The more he acted that way, the more she wanted to get to know him. Driven by that feeling, she had finally taken the initiative to invite him today.
"You want to treat me?"
Wei Fan smiled.
Now, this was interesting. Usually, he treated other people to meals. It was rare for anyone to treat him.
"Sure, let's make it today!"
He did not turn down Xue Ke's invitation. As it happened, he had something he wanted to ask the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Under everyone's jealous stares, Wei Fan led Xue Ke out of the Moonlight Pavilion.
The Heaven Dou Royal Hotel.
This was a place reserved for royalty and nobles of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Even ordinary nobles had no right to enter.
"Who's that person who came with Princess Xue Ke?"
"I've never seen him before. Judging by his clothes, he doesn't look like a royal noble."
"The strangest part is how Princess Xue Ke acts. She's like a little bird nestling against him. Where's her usual princess demeanor?"
"Could he be the Heaven Dou Empire's prince consort?"
"Prince consort? Impossible!"
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Family has never announced that they're choosing a prince consort."
"..."
The hotel staff gathered to talk, and the topic of their discussion was Wei Fan's identity.
In a special private dining room, the two sat facing each other.
Xue Ke rested her cheek in her hand, her red lips curving upward. Wei Fan was surprisingly easy to ask out.
"Little princess, does your imperial family have a Swan Tower?"
Wei Fan spoke as he spoke.
"Yes. Our imperial family's Swan Tower was built based on our Martial Soul. From the outside, it looks like a swan in flight."
"Inside are all the imperial family's precious treasures, along with tribute from the surrounding kingdoms and duchies..."
Xue Ke spoke on and on, telling him everything about the Swan Tower.
She did not even realize how much she had blurted out.
Just as I thought!
Wei Fan thought to himself.
What he had learned was almost exactly the same as what Xue Ke had told him.
"Then where in the imperial palace is the Swan Tower?"
Wei Fan asked again.
"Hmm... it's... after you enter the palace gates..."
Xue Ke spoke as she thought it through.
It was as though she were walking the route herself in her mind.
So that's how it is?
Now something's wrong.
This was completely different from what he had heard from the young noblemen at the Moonlight Pavilion.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing the slight change in Wei Fan's expression, she paused with her fork suspended in midair.
"Nothing!"
"Thanks for treating me. It's getting late. Let me take you back."
Wei Fan smiled and patted Xue Ke's little head.
Xue Ke's pretty face instantly turned as red as a ripe peach.
After a moment of stunned silence...
"Oh... okay!"
She answered dazedly, her mind still lingering on that irresistible head pat.
It was already late at night by the time he had taken Xue Ke back.
Wei Fan walked alone along the silent street.
"Who should I believe?"
After turning it over in his mind, he decided to believe Xue Ke's account. She was a princess, after all, and had grown up in the imperial palace.
How many times a year could those noble brats from the Moonlight Pavilion even enter the palace?
Before you continue