The next day, Lu Ming left Thunderfire Hall (neighborhood government office).
However, just as he was about to enter the ward office as usual, he was suddenly stopped by the ward guards at the gate. He couldn't help but look at them in surprise. They were the same familiar faces from before, so why were they stopping him?
"Brother Xiao Ming, you can't just enter the ward office now. You need to announce your arrival first. Please wait a moment, I'll go in and call the young lady for you." The ward guard gave Lu Ming an apologetic smile, but didn't move aside.
Lu Ming seemed to be thinking for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your help."
The guard was grateful that Lu Ming hadn't made things difficult for him. Without saying much, he gave an order to another guard and hurried into the ward office to look for Zhou Fuling.
Lu Ming waited quietly at the entrance of the ward office. Before long, he heard hurried and light footsteps coming from inside the ward office. However, the footsteps suddenly slowed down when they reached the entrance of the ward office.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Ming saw Zhou Fuling's familiar, graceful figure, walking out of the government office with unhurried and leisurely demeanor.
Zhou Fuling arrived at the stone steps of the government office, crossed her arms, and looked down at Lu Ming. Her figure was already outstanding, and now that she was standing at such a high place, Lu Ming looked up slightly and immediately felt a sense of awe and awe.
Zhou Fuling was not old, but her figure was the most perfectly proportioned and graceful that Lu Ming had ever seen among girls her age.
As expected of a top noblewoman from the Imperial Domain, she has abundant resources and is very well-developed.
The voluptuous girl looked down at Lu Ming and said slowly, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
Lu Ming was speechless for a moment, then shook his head and said, "You're not the person I'm looking for."
"Then who are you looking for?!" Zhou Fuling's expression suddenly turned fierce.
"I'm looking for my senior sister, but you are so beautiful and elegant, with an extraordinary air about you, you don't seem to Non-Self senior sister," Lu Ming said seriously.
"Pfft."
Zhou Fuling couldn't help but chuckle, and spat, "After a month apart, your lips are as sweet as honey? Did you train with those noble ladies in the prefectural city?"
Lu Ming suddenly realized and said, "So you really are my senior sister. How have you become so beautiful and charming in just one month? Did you take some kind of beauty-enhancing pill?"
Zhou Fuling rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't stop the smile in her beautiful eyes.
"Stop being so cheeky, come with me." Zhou Fuling beckoned, and Lu Ming stepped forward to stand beside her.
"Do you know why you can't get into the ward office now?" Zhou Fuling said mysteriously in a low voice.
Lu Ming's eyes flickered slightly, and he said softly, "Could it be... His Highness has arrived?"
Zhou Fuling glanced at him with some surprise, then chuckled, "Quite quick-witted! That's right, Your Highness has arrived!"
Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat at that moment. This long-awaited benefactor had finally arrived in Qingyuan Market. Whether their Thunderfire Hall could survive this calamity depended on whether this benefactor was willing to lend a helping hand and extend a wing to shelter them from the Thunderfire Hall.
Zhou Fuling understood Lu Ming's purpose and immediately reassured him, "Don't worry, A Xi... no, Your Highness, she'll be easier to approach than you think. However, she's extremely serious and pragmatic, and dislikes boastful people, so just be a little careful."
"In addition..."
She paused, glanced into the depths of the ward, then leaned closer to Lu Ming and whispered in a sweet, fragrant breath, "Remember, never waste food in front of her. Whatever you eat, make sure it's all eaten cleanly."
Lu Ming was taken aback. What kind of rule was this? It was really strange.
However, Zhou Fuling obviously didn't elaborate on this, since it was His Highness's private matter. She wouldn't have given him this reminder if she wasn't worried that Lu Ming might inadvertently offend His Highness.
So Lu Ming followed Zhou Fuling into the government office, and then went straight to the largest inner courtyard deep inside the government office.
This inner courtyard is quiet and elegant, and it also has an artificial lake with a stone pavilion in the center, offering views of the lake.
Lu Ming could vaguely see figures near the stone pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Zhou Fuling led Lu Ming straight to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. After a while, as they approached, Lu Ming saw a beaded chain hanging down from the stone pavilion, obscuring the view. He could faintly hear the crisp sound of chess pieces falling from it, as if someone was playing chess inside.
Outside the stone pavilion, several figures stood.
Zhou Xuan and Cheng Shan were both there, along with Ye Yuan and Ye Ling, the two siblings.
When Ye Yuan saw Lu Ming, he gave him a friendly smile, while Ye Ling remained as indifferent as ever.
Lu Ming smiled in response, then turned his gaze to some unfamiliar figures present. First, there were two figures standing on the left and right sides outside the stone pavilion. On the left was an old man in white robes, who was thin and had an ordinary-looking three-foot iron sword at his waist. On the right was an old woman in black robes, who was expressionless and exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
Lu Ming keenly sensed a faint yet terrifying sense of oppression emanating from these two men, a kind of oppression he had felt from his maternal grandfather, Zhong Taiyue.
In other words, these two people are very likely two Nether Spirit Master.
This secretly shocked Lu Ming. As expected of His Highness's inspection tour, he was surrounded by powerful figures.
Besides that, Lu Ming also saw three young and unfamiliar figures outside the stone pavilion, two men and one woman. They were chatting and laughing in hushed tones, their demeanor composed and exuding a hint of arrogance, clearly indicating that they came from extraordinary backgrounds.
When Zhou Fuling brought Lu Ming here, it attracted the attention of the three young men and women, who immediately walked over with smiles.
" Fuling, is this the promising candidate you were looking for in Qingyuan Market to cultivate the ' Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner '? I don't see anything special about him." The speaker was the woman among the three. She was beautiful and was now scrutinizing Lu Ming with a playful look in her eyes.
Her voice was tinged with laughter, and she seemed somewhat nonchalant, clearly not caring much about this little genius from such a remote place.
" Han Yanzhi, if you can't speak properly, you should shut up," Zhou Fuling said calmly.
The young girl named Han Yanzhi blushed slightly after Zhou Fuling's words, but she understood Zhou Fuling's identity and could only snort sullenly, saying, " Zhu Chi has already mastered the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner and has long since reached the Major Accomplishment Realm. The people you've found, including that Ye Yuan, are probably no longer of use."
"Whether we need it or not is not up to you to decide," Zhou Fuling said coldly.
"Hehe, you two always argue whenever you meet. You haven't changed at all over the years." Just as the two women were arguing, a laugh came from the side. It belonged to a handsome young man in black robes. He was tall and slender, and had a very dignified air about him.
"Brother Qin Xiao, I wouldn't dare argue with the eldest daughter of the Zhou Lineage. I was just kindly reminding this new friend. After all, the foundation of Zhu Chi's ' Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner ' is so profound that even His Highness has praised it several times. He has eliminated all the competitors from the Imperial Domain who are also cultivating this banner." Han Yanzhi said, pouting.
Zhou Fuling glanced at the young man in black and nodded indifferently.
The young man called Qin Xiao smiled in return, then turned his gaze to Lu Ming, who had not yet spoken, and said, "My friend, my Qin Xiao, this is Han Yanzhi, and this is Zhu Chi... We all came from the Imperial Domain following His Highness."
He pointed to a young man dressed in dark red clothes next to him. The young man only glanced at Lu Ming briefly before looking away, showing no intention of greeting him.
It's clear that these three people are of high status and come from the Imperial Domain, presumably from a family of powerful individuals within it.
With this status, not only did they look down on Lu Ming, the genius of Qingyuan Market, but even the Ye Yuan and Ye Ling siblings from the prefectural city received some cold treatment.
Lu Ming glanced at the young man named Zhu Chi. Did this person also cultivate the " Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner "? Moreover, judging from their words, his cultivation level seemed quite high. If nothing unexpected happened, the position of the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner, one of the four banners, would fall to this Zhu Chi.
Indeed, just as Zhou Xuan and Zhou Fuling said at the beginning, he was only one of the candidates. Whether he could ultimately be one of the Four Banners depended on his own performance.
Judging from the current situation, this person will likely be chosen from among him, Ye Yuan, and Zhu Chi from the Imperial Domain.
" Qin Xiao and Han Yanzhi are also among the Four Banners, and they have already been selected, so they came directly with His Highness," Zhou Fuling said at this moment.
Lu Ming pondered. If that's the case, Qin Xiao should be the " Ten Thousand Thunder Banner," one of the four banners, while Han Yanzhi cultivated the " Azure Firmament Wind-Controlling Banner," and Zhu Chi cultivated the " Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner." If we add Ye Ling's "Nether Moon Nether Moon Spirit Spring Banner," then all four banners are gathered together.
The positions of Qin Xiao, Han Yanzhi, and Ye Ling as the three banner bearers should be confirmed.
The only thing that's currently wavering is the " Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner," but this so-called wavering is just his opinion. In the eyes of Qin Xiao, Han Yanzhi, and even that prince, this banner position most likely belongs to Zhu Chi.
This is not the outcome Lu Ming wanted.
After all, he had already invested so much time and energy into the " Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner." If he ultimately failed to obtain a promise of destiny from that prince through it, then all his efforts during this period would be in vain.
"The position of the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner Non-Self. You can go back after you receive your reward." Zhu Chi finally spoke, his words filled with undisguised arrogance.
In his eyes, Lu Ming was not even as good as Ye Yuan, and such a competitor was not worth worrying about.
Lu Ming didn't waste any more words with him, only lowering his eyes and remaining calm.
Zhou Fuling's pretty face turned cold, and she was about to speak, but at this moment, a clear and light voice came from the stone pavilion.
" Fuling, have you received the seedlings you were looking for?"