31: A pretty boy like him, does he even deserve it!

Qingxin Palace was nestled among the mist-shrouded mountains.

The white jade mountain gate towered high, surrounded by clear Qi, with the occasional long cry of immortal cranes, presenting a scene truly worthy of an immortal Sect.

When Wang Ming's carriage reached the mountain gate, it was stopped by two female mountain-guarding Disciples dressed in moon-white palace skirts and holding long swords.

"Qingxin Palace's mountain gate is a restricted area; unauthorized carriages and horses are not allowed to enter." One of the Disciples, whose Face was cold, stepped forward, her voice calm and steady.

A slender hand lifted the carriage curtain.

Ouyang Yaoxi poked half her Face out. She had regained her usual cold expression, though a trace of exhaustion still lingered deep in her eyes.

"Junior Sister Chen, Junior Sister Li." She nodded slightly at the two mountain-guarding Disciples. "It is I. This is my... friend, who is returning to the palace with me. I have matters to report to Revered Master."

When the two Disciples saw Ouyang Yaoxi, the frost on their Faces melted slightly; they clearly recognized her.

"So it is Senior Sister Ouyang returning to the palace." The Junior Sister Chen who spoke earlier glanced at the carriage, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Senior Sister Ouyang was actually sharing a carriage with a man?

But out of duty, she still asked cautiously, "Senior Sister, the palace rules are strict. Those who are not Disciples of this palace or specially authorized are not permitted to..."

"I will report everything to Revered Master myself. If there is any punishment, I will take full responsibility," Ouyang Yaoxi interrupted her.

The two mountain-guarding Disciples exchanged a glance and then looked at the carriage again.

"Since he is Senior Sister's friend, please enter. However, please head directly to Yaoguang Hall to report and do not wander around other places," Junior Sister Chen stepped aside to clear the path while reminding them.

"Thank you for your trouble," Ouyang Yaoxi lowered the curtain.

The carriage wheels turned as it slowly entered the mountain gate.

Only after the carriage disappeared at the end of the winding mountain road did whispering resume at the gate.

"Senior Sister Ouyang... actually rode in the same carriage as a man?" Junior Sister Li lowered her voice, her Face full of disbelief.

"Isn't she usually cold and indifferent toward men?"

Junior Sister Chen shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the direction where the carriage had vanished, her brow slightly furrowed. "Sharing a carriage... this is indeed unusual. Although Senior Sister Ouyang has a cold temperament, she is the most observant of etiquette and propriety..."

Junior Sister Li suddenly remembered something, and a look of anticipation for drama appeared on her Face. Her voice dropped even lower. "Say, if Senior Brother Xiao Ce finds out about this..."

Hearing this, Junior Sister Chen's expression also shifted.

Xiao Ce, the first Disciple of the Grand Elder, possessed extraordinary talent and a handsome appearance, earning him many admirers within the palace.

His feelings for Ouyang Yaoxi were almost common knowledge in the palace, but Ouyang Yaoxi had always remained distant and never responded.

If he knew that Ouyang Yaoxi had not only brought a strange man back to the palace but also traveled in the same carriage with him... "That man is likely to be in trouble," Junior Sister Chen said flatly.

Just then, another male Disciple who had been silent all along suddenly spoke up: "I just... caught a glimpse of the man in the carriage."

The two female Disciples looked at him.

This male Disciple was named Zhao Kui. His Aptitude was mediocre, and he had only secured this mountain-guarding job through family connections. He usually had little presence.

Zhao Kui's Face was expressionless, but his small eyes flickered with annoyance: "He looks... like a Pretty Boy."

He himself was coarse-looking, with dark skin and features that were barely considered orderly, nowhere near the word 'handsome'.

What he detested most in the palace were those brothers with outstanding looks who were the center of attention for female Disciples.

When the carriage passed by earlier, the wind happened to blow a corner of the curtain. In that fleeting glimpse, he saw Wang Ming's profile inside the carriage.

Sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with a well-defined silhouette; even with just a hurried glance, that kind of handsome and ethereal temperament made him extremely uncomfortable.

Why?

Why did an outsider look even better than the Senior Brothers in the palace?

And how could he get Senior Sister Ouyang to personally bring him in and sit in the same carriage?

Junior Sister Chen and Junior Sister Li glanced at Zhao Kui but did not respond to him.

They understood Zhao Kui's petty thoughts to some extent and couldn't be bothered with him.

Zhao Kui suddenly said, "Senior Sister Chen, Senior Sister Li, you two keep guarding. I... my stomach suddenly feels a bit uncomfortable. I'm going to relieve myself and will be right back!"

Without waiting for their reaction, he turned and quickly walked down a small path toward the interior of the palace.

Junior Sister Chen and Junior Sister Li exchanged a look, both seeing understanding in the other's eyes.

This guy... is probably going to tip someone off!

...Inside the carriage.

Wang Ming rested with his eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth curled into a playful arc.

With his Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer cultivation and a Divine Sense comparable to Core Formation, he had already silently covered everything at the mountain gate.

The conversation between the two female Disciples and Zhao Kui's little actions were all clearly reflected in Wang Ming's perception.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ouyang Yaoxi opposite him.

His gaze was half-smiling.

"Friend?" He repeated her earlier explanation to the mountain-guarding Disciples, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

Ouyang Yaoxi was staring out the window in a daze; hearing this, she turned her head and met his gaze.

"Saying 'friend' saves a lot of unnecessary questioning and trouble."

Wang Ming nodded, then changed the subject, his smile deepening:

"It seems you have quite a few admirers here in Qingxin Palace."

Ouyang Yaoxi's willow-like brows furrowed imperceptibly.

She was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing her words, before looking up at Wang Ming with a more serious tone:

"You don't need to pay attention to the others; at most, they'll just wag their tongues. They can't cause much of a stir."

"But there is one person you had better... watch out for."

"Oh?" Wang Ming raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Who has such great Face that you would specifically warn me?"

"Xiao Ce." When Ouyang Yaoxi spoke the name, her brow furrowed even tighter. "He is my Senior Brother and also the Grand Elder's Personal Disciple."

"He likes you?" Wang Ming chuckled.

Ouyang Yaoxi shook her head. "He has never said so explicitly, and I have always intentionally kept my distance from him. Aside from necessary Sect affairs, we have almost no interaction."

"But... I can feel that his attitude toward me is different from others."

"What is his cultivation level?" Wang Ming asked the key question.

"The same as yours, Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer," Ouyang Yaoxi replied.

Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer?

Wang Ming immediately felt at ease.

It was the same as his surface-level cultivation.

But as for actual combat power... He nodded casually.

A mere Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer—is he even worthy of me being wary?

If he really provokes me, I'll just kill him.

His patience had never been particularly good.

That Xiao Ce had better be a wise man who knows when to back down and not provoke him.

Ouyang Yaoxi added, "However, his talent... is far inferior to yours. Although he is also at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, he is already over thirty years old."

Wang Ming nodded again, this time without even a flicker in his eyes.

Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer in his thirties?

In Qingzhou City, he might be considered a figure of note, but in a great Sect, that's only upper-middle tier Aptitude.

Probably an experience pack or a Face-slapping tool prepared for Ye Chen?

Pity, the plot has long since gone off the rails.

If this experience pack really is blind enough to crash into me... then I'll just kill him!