Chapter 120

The tears almost spilled from his nose.

Wu Ming deliberately found a corner where nobody was around.

He had thought that this incident had already made him embarrassed enough,

but he did not expect to bump into Cheng Guang just as he came out.

What was more embarrassing was,

that dog Qiao Songshan, who had no awareness, actually dared to reveal his scars right to his face.

Good, good, good.

I have noted this vengeance.

Wu Ming took out the little notebook in his heart and made a note for Qiao Songshan.

After hurriedly greeting Cheng Guang, he quickly stood up and left.

As he left, his steps were hasty.

He somehow resembled a certain top brother who carried the train and fled overnight.

Cheng Guang chuckled, shook his head, and dispersed the fragmented thoughts from his mind. After parting with Qiao Songshan, he returned to Duke Zhen’s Mansion alone.

He had now mostly figured out the identities of the men in black robes.

Most of them were those listed under the Martial Arts column, marked with words indicating ‘ominous’.

As for whether there were others, Cheng Guang did not know.

Even whether teachers from the Martial Academy were involved, besides the academy’s students, was something Cheng Guang did not know.

If, aside from the academy’s students, even the Martial Academy’s teachers were involved, that would be truly remarkable.

It would mean that those hidden behind the scenes had already infiltrated the power center of Great Zhou.

The teachers of Great Zhou’s Martial Academy were all veterans who had come down from the Border Area battlefields, with illustrious military achievements. Many of them possessed no trivial amount of power and influence.

If these people were infiltrated by the forces behind the scenes, Cheng Guang dared not imagine how many more such people there were inside Great Zhou.

When a cockroach is seen under the sunlight, it signifies an overflow in the darkness.

The more he thought about it, the more alarmed Cheng Guang became.

Over the next few days, Cheng Guang did nothing else and began to carefully scrutinize all students participating in the Martial Cultivation tournament from both countries, even those who had clear Martial Arts listed, Cheng Guang did not let it slide.

Just to be cautious,

Cheng Guang also specially reviewed the Martial Cultivation teachers who would be participating in the tournament as well as some high-ranking officials.

He found that most did not show anything particularly unusual.

Only one or two Martial Academy teachers appeared a bit abnormal, disappearing frequently during this period, nowhere to be found, and then returning to their homes the next day.

With the information gathered by the Bureau of the Lamp, Cheng Guang, sitting at home, was able to trace subtle clues.

If someone unaware of the situation saw this data, even if it was laid out in front of them, they would at most be curious whether these two Martial Academy teachers had been to the brothel late at night?

They would not investigate further.

The members of the Bureau of the Lamp are not gods; it’s normal for some information to slip through the cracks.

But with just a glance, Cheng Guang could keenly perceive something amiss.

This is the advantage of foresight.

As Cheng Guang methodically prepared, time gradually elapsed.

Soon, the day of the martial arts tournament arrived.

With the night sky gradually fading, a faint light began to appear at the edge of the sky.

Initially, it was just a hazy gray, but with the passage of time, the faint light gradually brightened.

As the first light of dawn slowly spread across the land,

Bai Shuxuan lazily stretched, opened the window, quickly freshened up, dressed, and headed towards Cheng Guang’s bedroom.

Her attire was not glamorous, but it had a simple beauty.

She wore a light blue dress adorned with carefully embroidered white cherry blossoms along the hem. Around her waist was a delicate belt, inlaid with exquisite jade that twinkled with a soft glow. Her hair was pulled up in a high bun, a silver hairpin swaying lightly with her graceful steps.

She walked into the bedroom with light, soft steps, and the gentle light poured through the window into the corner of the room.

The bedroom was filled with a faint fragrance.

Qing Luan had already lit incense candles in the room, preparing toiletries for the Princely Heir ahead of Shuxuan.

Bai Shuxuan felt a tinge of jealousy, spurring a competitive thought in her heart.

She gently approached the bed.

“Princely Heir, it’s time to get up,” her voice was soft and sweet, like the morning breeze.

Cheng Guang heard the voice and lazily turned over. Bai Shuxuan smiled slightly and patiently called out again, “Princely Heir, it’s time to get up.”

“The contest is today.”

Finally, Cheng Guang languidly opened his eyes.

What he saw was Bai Shuxuan’s affectionate smile; what he heard was her gentle words.

He stretched.

Yawned.

“It’s finally this day.”

“Today, the two of you should stay at home, don’t go anywhere.”

As Qing Luan helped Cheng Guang dress, she heard his words. Her hand paused while tying his brocade belt, “Princely Heir, you don’t want us to go with you?”

Cheng Guang nodded.

“There could be some accidents; I’ll be fine on my own.”

Qing Luan’s expression momentarily faltered, “Accidents?”

She murmured to herself.

For a moment, she couldn’t figure out what kind of accidents Cheng Guang was talking about.

She wanted to ask, but Cheng Guang had apparently lost interest in continuing the conversation and slightly closed his eyes.

Qing Luan puffed up her cheeks in irritation, her red lips looking even more tempting.

Hmph.

The Princely Heir was being cryptic again.

Bai Shuxuan then said with a smile, “Princely Heir, if you’re not taking Qing Luan, how about taking me with you?”

Bai Shuxuan brought her jade-like face closer.

The scent of her hair tickled Cheng Guang’s nose, making it itch.

Cheng Guang, with half-closed eyes, sized up Bai Shuxuan thoughtfully.

The mission system mentioned that the restrainer could block the use of Qi.

But it didn’t say it could block demonic power, did it?

Would Bai Shuxuan be unaffected if she were there?

Suddenly, a light bulb went off for Cheng Guang. He felt that with Bai Shuxuan around, he had an added layer of protection for his life. He immediately nodded in agreement.

“Alright, you can come with me today.”

“Yay!”

Bai Shuxuan cheered, running around happily. Her laughter was crisp and loud, like a string of silver bells swaying in the wind.

She seemed inexplicably childlike.

When she cheered, Bai Shuxuan also gave Qing Luan a smug look, lifting her eyebrow in triumph.

Qing Luan silently turned her head away, indicating she didn’t want to talk anymore.

After a simple preparation, Cheng Guang was about to leave when Qing Luan, just before he departed, stuffed a pouch into his hand.

“What’s this?”

Qing Luan’s lips were slightly pursed, and her face looked charming, “Princely Heir, this is a safety talisman from the Purple Cloud Temple in the Capital city. Qing Luan has worn it since childhood; they say it’s useful. You mentioned there might be accidents, and Qing Luan doesn’t dare to ask more. How about you take this with you?”

Cheng Guang felt a warmth in his heart.

After ruffling Qing Luan’s hair, he hung the pouch at his waist and stepped out of the courtyard.

Only when Cheng Guang and Bai Shuxuan’s figures disappeared from view did Qing Luan slowly turn around and return to Million Specie Garden, silently tending to the flowers and plants.

The Princely Heir wasn’t there.

It was quite lonely.

Not taking me with him but taking Bai Shuxuan.

Huh.

I’m getting angry.

Qing Luan squatted down, picked up a stick, and started poking holes in the ground.

Whether she felt as though she were poking at Cheng Guang instead, the force in her hands grew weaker.

……

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[Trust my integrity; each chapter is around ten thousand words, rarely four thousand.]