"Qingqing, be quiet!" a person who looked about twenty years old said sternly. He then cupped his fists towards Ling Luoyi and said, "Miss, I am Shangguan Ye, the heir of the Duan Royal Mansion of the Longqing Kingdom. Seeing that it is getting late, we wish to rest here. May I ask if you permit it?"
"Big Brother!" The girl named Qingqing was displeased with her brother for being so polite to people from a lesser country.
"Qingqing!"
Another girl beside her pulled her and said, "Qingqing, Big Brother must have his reasons for doing this. Don't cause trouble."
Seeing that she had persuaded her, the girl then said to Ling Luoyi, "Miss, we mean no harm. My sister is young and speaks without restraint. Please forgive her."
Ling Luoyi ignored her and said to Shangguan Ye, "This is not my territory, nor am I your master. What you want to do, why do you need my permission?"
Ling Luoyi's words were not polite at all, and she did not care about Shangguan Ye's identity, even though he had already stated it.
"You!" Shangguan Qing was furious and was about to say something else when the man beside her covered her mouth.
Shangguan Ye's expression was also a little awkward. He thought he had been very polite, but he didn't expect the other party to be completely unafraid of his identity.
Who exactly was she?
Shangguan Ye was sizing up Ling Luoyi while pondering her possible identity.
She was not from the Longqing Kingdom. Judging by her age, she should be around sixteen or seventeen. To be able to pass the genius selection and enter the illusion realm at such a young age, her most likely identity was...
Thinking of that possibility, Shangguan Ye's pupils widened, and he became even more respectful towards Ling Luoyi.
"Since Miss agrees, we will rest here." After Shangguan Ye finished speaking, he bowed to Ling Luoyi again.
Shangguan Ye led his people to set up their tents fifty meters away from Ling Luoyi's tent. There were four tents in total, and it seemed they were preparing to let the two girls share one.
It was not difficult for them to set up their tents; they were ready in a quarter of an hour. Of course, the tents were set up by three men, while the two girls stood aside.
Ling Luoyi paid them no mind and ate roasted meat and drank juice squeezed from spiritual fruits.
The aroma of the roasted meat permeated the air around them, lingering for a long time.
Shangguan Qing's stomach had been hungry for a long time. She had been enduring it, but Ling Luoyi's roasted meat kept tempting her. She couldn't stand it anymore. She walked a few steps in front of Ling Luoyi and stopped, unwilling to get too close. She said as if bestowing a favor, "Hey, you! Offer your roasted meat to this county princess, and this county princess will forgive your crime of not saluting me."
Ling Luoyi acted as if she hadn't heard her and put the last skewer of roasted meat into her mouth, eating it bite by bite.
Shangguan Qing looked at Ling Luoyi as if she had seen a ghost, seemingly not expecting that Ling Luoyi would dare to ignore her even when she was planning to let her off. Shangguan Qing couldn't stand it. She drew the long whip from her waist and lashed it fiercely at Ling Luoyi's face. The whip carried spiritual energy, aimed at disfigurement. The ferocity in her eyes was not concealed and was clearly visible.
Her once beautiful face now appeared ferocious and terrifying.
This County Princess Qing is truly wicked!
This was the thought of all the spectators, and even the King of Longqing looked on with scrutiny.
The King of Duan, sitting next to the King of Longqing, couldn't help but reprimand, "This fool!"
The King of Longqing turned to look at the King of Duan and said, like an elder brother caring for a younger one, "Fifth Brother, don't always think about things you shouldn't. It's more important to teach your children properly. Look at this Qingqing, what have you taught her?"
These words clearly had a hidden meaning.
The King of Duan was very angry but had to respond, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. This subject understands and will teach his children well."
"Mm." The King of Longqing was satisfied and continued to watch.
Shangguan Qing thought it was nighttime and the King of Longqing had already returned to the palace, so she revealed her true nature. She didn't expect the King of Longqing to still be here, and thus she was discovered.
In the secret realm, Ling Luoyi continued to pack up as if she hadn't noticed Shangguan Qing's attack.
Just as Shangguan Qing thought she would definitely hit Ling Luoyi, the whip seemed to hit something and flew back, hitting Shangguan Qing's face directly.
Shangguan Qing was still immersed in the pleasure of disfiguring Ling Luoyi's beautiful face when she felt a stinging pain on her face. She reached up to touch her face and only realized what had happened when she saw the blood on her fingertips.
She had been disfigured!
"Ah!!!"
A scream startled the birds flying around.
"Qingqing!"
Another woman heard the scream and ran over. Upon seeing Shangguan Qing's face, she was struck speechless.
"Second Sister, what should we do? My face is disfigured!" Shangguan Qing grabbed her hand, on the verge of collapse.
The other three also came over. Upon seeing Shangguan Qing's face, they recognized that it was her own whip that had caused the injury. They asked anxiously, "Qingqing, what did you do?!"
"Second Brother, I..." Shangguan Qing suddenly pointed at Ling Luoyi's back and shouted, "It's her! She did it! Second Brother, Third Brother, you must avenge me! I want to ruin her face!"
The other two were not foolish. The weapon that caused the injury was still in her hand, and the bloodstains on the whip were still there. They were also very familiar with the residual spiritual energy on the wound on her face, so how could they believe her words?
Seeing that she was still trying to frame someone, Shangguan Ye reprimanded, "Shangguan Qing! You hit yourself and are blaming others. Is this all our mother taught you?!"
"Big Brother, I, I am telling the truth!" Shangguan Qing retorted, "She really hit me!"
"Shangguan Qing! You haven't learned anything from Father and Mother's teachings. Go back!"
"Qingqing, let's go back and apply medicine first. After we leave the secret realm, we'll find Master Peng," the other woman, Shangguan Ting, said as she persuaded and pulled Shangguan Qing back to their tent.
Seeing them leave, Shangguan Ye stepped forward and said to Ling Luoyi, "I apologize for the spectacle, Miss. My younger sister is childish and did not intentionally frame you. Please forgive her."
Shangguan Ye's posture was very humble, his tone sincere, and his eyes genuine. He was truly apologizing to Ling Luoyi.
However, Ling Luoyi did not accept his apology and said, "Well, Young Master, I am in a good mood today, so I will kindly advise you: if your children are not well-taught at home, do not let them out. People outside are not their parents, and not everyone fears your status. If she provokes someone she shouldn't have, it might be your family that is destroyed, but if the entire Longqing Kingdom is destroyed, then she will be a sinner."
The other two men felt a surge of anger seeing Ling Luoyi show so little respect to Shangguan Ye.
Shangguan Ye stopped the two and said in an unchanged tone, "Miss is absolutely right. I will teach my sister properly."
"Big Brother!" Both of them were dissatisfied with Shangguan Ye's low posture.
"Be quiet!" Shangguan Ye reprimanded in a low voice.
Ling Luoyi frowned and said, "Alright, I don't have time to watch you discipline your siblings. I need to rest. Don't disturb me, or I'll kill you!"
Ling Luoyi said this seriously, and Shangguan Ye did not take her words as a joke. If she was indeed the person he suspected, with her cultivation, she could certainly do it.
"Miss, please rest well. I will not disturb you."
After saying that, Shangguan Ye forcefully pulled his two younger brothers back to the tent.
Ling Luoyi waved her hand casually and turned into her tent. Lying inside, Ling Luoyi couldn't sleep.
She really missed Gu Yuncheng's soft body, which was warm and comfortable to the touch. The long fox fur felt like silk, and the texture was incredibly pleasant.
Ling Luoyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Suddenly, she felt the bone jade emitting a faint warmth. She placed her hand over it and felt the temperature rise a little more, which pleased her.