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The sunlight bathed the bustling streets, with people coming and going. Passersby couldn't help but turn their heads to admire their outstanding looks.

Wen Qiao looked somewhat listless, walking aimlessly.

It wasn't until the man holding her hand suddenly stopped that she turned to look at him, her eyes lacking focus.

"Chui," Ning Yuzhou suddenly called her.

Wen Qiao let out a confused "Huh?"

Ning Yuzhou smiled, "We've got nothing better to do, so why not explore the imperial city?"

"Oh," Wen Qiao still seemed stunned.

Ning Yuzhou had already taken her hand, strolling through the bustling Changping Street, and all the way to the highest Bell and Drum Tower in the imperial city. They then went to a lakeside restaurant by Mingze Lake for a fish banquet, and later to the peach forest in the western mountains to drink peach blossom wine...

That day, Ning Yuzhou took her all over the imperial city.

These were places she had only heard of as a child but had never been to before.

Her body used to be extremely weak, spending over twenty days a month bedridden, the three days practicing with her sisters, and the remaining days sitting quietly in the Jishui Courtyard.

She rarely went out, not only because her body wouldn't allow it but also because no one would accompany her. No one wanted to go out with a sickly girl who could collapse at any time.

After buying two strings of candied haws made from spiritual fruits for a single yuan pearl, Ning Yuzhou handed one to her and took a bite of the other. Even though it was something undignified, he managed to make it look exceptionally elegant and charming, causing the female cultivators on the street to glance back at him.

"Quite sweet," Ning Yuzhou said, "You should try it too."

Wen Qiao slowly took a bite, finding the taste ordinary.

She held the candied haw, absently nibbling on it, feeling utterly bored.

"Chui."

Wen Qiao looked up at the man beside her, only to see him standing on the dimly lit street, smiling at her with utmost tenderness.

"I regret it," he said, his voice so soft it seemed to dissolve into the lights, "If only I could have come earlier... I would have gone to find you, instead of waiting until after your coming-of-age ceremony. Such a lovely girl, and I missed the time of her growth, missed the chance to know her earlier... Even though Wen Boying had already betrothed his daughter to me, why didn't I come to find you sooner?"

Wen Qiao was stunned, her face flushing. Her fingers tightened around the candied haw, and she asked awkwardly, "Why do you always call my father by name? It's impolite."

She had noticed this long ago. When Emperor Chenghao arranged their marriage and they first met at Lingxu Pavilion, he called her father by name several times. At the time, she thought it was because he, as a prince, was proud of the royal family. Their marriage had been arranged by their elders, and he seemed too calm and rational, as if observing everything from the sidelines.

Ning Yuzhou smiled, "When I awakened the Emperor Xi bloodline, I saw many things, foreign memories. At the time, I hadn't yet separated my emotions from those memories, so..."

Wen Qiao looked at him, still not fully understanding.

Ning Yuzhou leaned in, gently brushing the corner of her lips where there was a trace of sugar.

Wen Qiao finally blushed deeply, instinctively glancing around to see if the cultivators on the street noticed. Only when she saw that they hadn't did she let out a sigh of relief.

Ning Yuzhou looked at her with a smile, as if unfazed by his sudden closeness. Seeing her glare at him in embarrassment, he took her hand and led her away.

By the time they returned to the Seventh Prince's residence, Wen Qiao's mood had calmed down.

Ning Yuzhou then spoke seriously, "That Yuanzong stage cultivator has already self-destructed. The person behind this will likely find out soon. We don't know what their next move will be, so we need to be careful."

Wen Qiao nodded, concerned, "Will it bring harm to Dongling?"

If the target was only herself, Wen Qiao naturally wouldn’t be worried. What she feared was that the people behind it had ill intentions toward Dongling.

"It shouldn't be," Ning Yuzhou analyzed. "Since the opponent's target is you, they probably have no interest in the remote Dongling. Moreover, judging from recent events, the other party can only send cultivators at the Yuanzong stage, and they dare not openly confront us, which shows they have some fears or constraints."

Seeing her expression relax slightly, Ning Yuzhou hesitated for a moment and said, "Chui, the person behind the scenes could be an enemy of the Min clan, or it could be the result of... family rivalry."

Otherwise, the powerful Min clan of Shangzhou Island wouldn't bother with a newborn baby, much less wish for her descendants to die miserably.

With calm resolve, Wen Qiao said, "No matter the reason, I will avenge them."

Chapter 359

The grand competition in Dongling was in full swing, with events proceeding vigorously. All cultivators from Dongling could sign up to participate, and the top three winners in each realm would receive generous rewards.

Many cultivators specially rushed to the imperial city, and the once prosperous imperial city had become even more bustling.

This Dongling competition was presided over by the Ning clan, with the assistance of the three major families. On the surface, it was a competition organized by the four major families to test the practical combat skills of Dongling cultivators, but in reality, it was to select exceptional talents. The chosen ones would be sent to the Central Continent for further cultivation, where there would be a broader world and more resources for cultivation.

Of course, not many people knew about this, and even those who did kept their mouths tightly shut, fearing that even the slightest leak would attract more competitors.

This competition also formed a fixed pattern, with Dongling holding a grand competition every ten years. Each time, the selected cultivators would get an opportunity to go to the Central Continent for cultivation.

After more than half a month, the competition finally ended.

The Ning clan elder in charge of the competition reported the results to Ning Yuzhou, "A total of 500 people have been selected, 300 at the Yuan Yu stage, 200 at the Yuan Ming stage, and 100 at the Yuan Wu stage..."

The origins, names, cultivation levels, habits, etc., of these 500 people were thoroughly investigated by the four major families. If they could grow in the future, they would undoubtedly become Ning Yuzhou's most steadfast support and the reliance of Dongling.

After listening, Ning Yuzhou said, "Good, besides these 500 people, there are also 100 spots. Distribute them, and if any family has good seedlings, they can also send them over."