Chapter 1092: Walking with the Princess

A new day dawned, and the Mu family gambling house was as lively as ever.

Somehow, today’s gamblers were all more reserved than usual, hesitating before placing their bets. It was mainly due to yesterday’s shocking events: a renowned gambling god had been utterly defeated by the house, losing over thirty rounds in a row and even wagering away his family’s heirloom treasures.

Eh?

When Ye Chen and Nian Wei descended the stairs, every gambler’s eyes turned sharply toward them, followed by a collective stunned silence.

Am I seeing this right?

Zi Ling Gongzhu?

Is Zi Ling Gongzhu here to gamble? And who is that young man beside her, walking shoulder to shoulder with Zi Ling Gongzhu?

Amid the murmurs, some gamblers bowed with clasped hands, their expressions full of respect. She was the only direct princess of the Zhuque family, her status as noble as that of the nine great princes.

Nian Wei remained indifferent, walking lightly alongside Ye Chen. It wasn't until they left the gambling house that the crowd of gamblers snapped out of their daze.

The streets of Youdu were still bustling, even more so today.

Most of the thronging crowds were heading in one direction: the site of today's alchemist selection in Youdu. To ensure fairness and prevent any underhanded dealings, the event was being held under public scrutiny.

However, the appearance of Ye Chen and Zi Ling Gongzhu immediately caused a massive uproar.

After all, Zi Ling Gongzhu’s status meant she rarely visited the second level of Youdu unless for something special. Combined with her stunning beauty, she turned heads from nearly everyone on the street.

Naturally, Ye Chen became the center of attention too. It had been years since any man had walked side by side with Zi Ling Gongzhu.

Damn!

In the midst of the discussions, a bold and brash wolf-like howl rang out.

It was Fan Tong, on his way to watch the alchemist selection, but he was completely dumbfounded at the sight of Zi Ling Gongzhu and Ye Chen. His curiosity about Ye Chen’s identity peaked.

In the crowd, Hu Xian Er was also there, hoping to see Ye Chen at the alchemist selection. But seeing him unexpectedly, she was surprised, though she quietly lowered her eyes in quiet resignation. In her view, Ye Chen and Zi Ling Gongzhu made a perfectly matched pair.

Off to one side of the crowd, a pair of patrolling guards stood. One of them spotted Ye Chen and felt utterly uncomfortable—it was the guard who had been at Youdu's city gate earlier, the one who had scolded Ye Chen when he first arrived, looking utterly flustered now.

How could he be...!

Elsewhere, a white-haired elder froze in place—it was the Youdu elder who guarded the teleportation array on the second level. He had scolded Ye Chen twice before, and now, just seeing him made the elder feel aches all over.

In the western part of the crowd, a group of eight traveled together—they were eight Zhun Huang, Ye Chen’s former neighbors. When they saw him walking with Zi Ling Gongzhu, they were so startled they nearly wet themselves. Not long ago, they had scolded him themselves.

As they walked, Nian Wei maintained her aloof expression, staying by Ye Chen’s side.

Ye Chen, however, felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention and instinctively pulled a mask from his storage bag to cover his face. He should have kept a lower profile if he knew being with Nian Wei would draw so much notice.

But the moment he put on the mask, his eight Zhun Huang neighbors scratched their heads, as if something clicked for them.

Damn!

A second later, the eight of them let out a collective wolf-like howl, realizing that Ye Chen was the one who had stolen the Immortal Lotus Spirit Milk in the demon beast forest that day, leading to their frantic chase by the Scarlet Flame Lion King.

It wasn't just them—many who had gone to watch the spectacle that day also recognized Ye Chen, their mouths twitching wildly.

The discussions on the street grew louder, and the news spread from the second level all the way back to the ninth level of Youdu, drawing even more attention. Even Ruotian Zhuque was taken aback upon hearing it.

Zi Ling Gongzhu traveling with that Ye Chen?

When Yue Zhen heard the news, his brows furrowed. It was completely unexpected, leaving him at a loss.

These days had been one trouble after another.

A few days ago, the people he sent to hunt Ye Chen never returned. Not only did he fail to obtain Ye Chen’s true fire, but he also lost a group of subordinates.

Just yesterday, the white-clad young man he sent to cause trouble at the Mu family gambling house not only lost miserably but was carried back beaten. Upon investigation, it turned out the mysterious figure who had defeated him thirty rounds in a row was Ye Chen.

Now, hearing that Ye Chen was traveling with Zi Ling Gongzhu made Yue Zhen even more furious. A minor Tianjing cultivator had disrupted his plans time and again, and he couldn't tolerate it any longer.

“Elder, this...”

“Annoying!”

Yue Zhen didn't speak, but the white-clad young man snarled like a mad dog.

“Kill him, kill him!” Even now, his face was still bruised and swollen. Thinking about how Ye Chen had beaten him thirty rounds straight and how he was thrashed by a group of gamblers in a back alley, he felt an overwhelming urge to murder someone.

“Shut up!” Yue Zhen snorted coldly, glaring fiercely at the white-clad young man.

“I...”

Under Yue Zhen’s glare, the white-clad young man instantly fell silent.

“Elder, we can't let him pass the selection.”

“Do I need you to tell me that?” Yue Zhen snapped, rising and heading outside. “With me here, he won't succeed.”

After Yue Zhen left, the white-clad young man grew more agitated and followed. “My master dotes on me the most. If he steps in, we can kill that brat. I've never suffered such a loss, Du Chuan. Yes, kill him.”

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ye Chen and Nian Wei arrived at the alchemist selection site, Wangtian Pavilion.

Wangtian Pavilion was a massive pavilion that formed its own realm. Its area was three to five times larger than the venue for the former Dan City alchemy competition, easily accommodating over a hundred thousand people.

When Ye Chen and Nian Wei entered, gazes swept over them again, each one filled with astonishment.

Ye Chen cleared his throat awkwardly.

Nian Wei smiled and took his hand, leading him into a private room on the third floor of Wangtian Pavilion.

As always, Nian Wei was Nian Wei, but also the princess of the Zhuque family, incredibly noble and thus entitled to special privileges. Ye Chen was just benefiting from her status.

Once in the private room, Ye Chen plopped down on a chair, rubbing his brow as he listened to the discussions below.

“Holy Lord, have some tea.” Nian Wei personally served him tea, brewed from various divine materials.

“Nian Wei, in your hundred years on Zhuque Star, have you ever encountered anyone who has reincarnated?”

“I don't know.” Nian Wei shook her head gently. “There are ninety million cultivators in Grand Chu, and I haven't met them all. Even if I had, their appearances might have changed. After all, I don't have your secret techniques for divining the heavens and earth.”

“That’s true.”

“Holy Lord, if you can, I hope you'll help my ninth imperial brother.” Nian Wei bit her lip. She was playing the role of Zi Ling Gongzhu from the Zhuque family, with memories from both her past and present lives, so she still had feelings for the family, especially for her ninth imperial brother.

“If I can, I will help.” Ye Chen smiled. “But you must understand, this isn't Grand Chu. I don't have my overwhelming power here. There's only so much I can do, and I have a more important mission.”

“I've been foolish.” Nian Wei took a deep breath, knowing Ye Chen was searching for reincarnated individuals and couldn't stay long.

“Yue Zhen.” As Nian Wei pondered, Ye Chen uttered the name coldly, his eyes sharply fixed on the man entering outside. He was tall and slender, with a gloomy face and an air of superiority—it was Yue Zhen.

Accompanying Ye Chen were several others, all with impressive bearings. As soon as they entered, many people bowed to them.

“They're all disciples of Ku Yue,” Nian Wei explained. “From front to back, they're Yue Shan, Yue Hai, Yue Zong, Yue Mo, Yue Jin, and Yue Zhen. They're the six great disciples under Ku Yue, all sixth-tier alchemists. Each has their own students and grand-students, forming a vast network. Because of Ku Yue, they've been throwing their weight around in Youdu for years, harming countless alchemists just to get their true fire.”

“It seems Ku Yue is collecting true fire.” Ye Chen sneered. “I've been hunted by them before.”

“Is that so?” A cold glint flashed in Nian Wei’s beautiful eyes.

“Just some minor underlings.” Ye Chen chuckled. “But I'm surprised Youdu is taking the alchemist selection so seriously, assigning a prince to host and bringing six sixth-tier alchemists.”

“Holy Lord, you might not know this, but over ninety percent of Youdu's alchemists are under Ku Yue's influence. That's a force we can't ignore. The ancestor arranged for my ninth imperial brother to host this time, with deeper intentions—to select talented alchemists for careful training and bring them to our side, preparing for future confrontations with Ku Yue and his followers. But it's bound to be a tough and lengthy path.”

“So Ku Yue is competing with the Zhuque family for alchemists.” Ye Chen mused. “That's why he's sent his six great disciples.”

“Exactly.”

“It looks like another silent war.”

“The Zhuque family is in a difficult position now, stuck between a rock and a hard place.” Nian Wei sighed helplessly. “The ongoing wars with Qinglong Ancient Star have drained us greatly, and we're no longer at our former peak. We desperately need the alchemists led by Ku Yue. That's why his influence has grown so rapidly. Add to that the appeal of alchemists, and he's even penetrated the Zhuque family's higher ranks. His power is staggering, enough to rival ours directly. The connections are incredibly complex, and even our ancestor, with his Zhun Sheng cultivation, doesn't dare act rashly.”

“I understand.” Ye Chen rubbed his brow. “The Zhuque family's situation is indeed precarious. They can't push too hard, or Ku Yue might defect to Qinglong Ancient Star, which would be devastating for us.”

“My ninth imperial brother is here.” As Ye Chen rubbed his brow, Nian Wei murmured.

“Damn.” Ye Chen jumped to his feet, cursing involuntarily, his eyes lighting up as he stared at the newly arrived Ruotian Xuan Yu.