As Qin Li’s star rose, the grand hall was packed to the rafters every time he visited the academy. Many students even brought their own small stools, and the vast majority of them were female. Even Princess Zhao Qianqian could no longer trail by his side as she once had. So, she shifted her focus to Qin Li’s residence.

After all, Qin Li spent most of his time at home, cultivating.

Zhao Qianqian pushed open the door. Seeing that both Leng Yao and Bu Yunyan were present, her cheeks flushed slightly. She greeted them, "Bu, Leng."

Bu Yunyan and Leng Yao could joke around freely in front of Qin Li, but they couldn’t be so casual when facing a princess of Zhao Qianqian’s esteemed status. Still, Zhao Qianqian didn’t put on any airs. She was as easygoing as the girl next door, which made it impossible for the two women to dislike her.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

The two women stood and said in unison.

"Oh, come on, you two don’t have to be so formal. Just think of me as your little sister," Zhao Qianqian said with a smile.

The words were spoken casually, but Bu Yunyan and Leng Yao heard a deeper meaning. They exchanged a look, and a thought crossed their minds: ’It seems this esteemed princess is determined to be with our young master.’

"Hehe, we’ll let you two talk. We have some things to attend to, so we won’t disturb you." With that, Bu Yunyan and Leng Yao excused themselves and left.

Zhao Qianqian watched the door close, then playfully stuck her tongue out before smiling at Qin Li. "I’m not disturbing you, am I?"

Qin Li replied irritably, "You knew you’d be a disturbance, yet you came anyway. Don’t you know who you are? You’re the princess of a kingdom! Aren’t you afraid of the impression this gives?"

"What’s there for me to be afraid of? That day... that day at the martial arts arena, in front of all those people, I was brave enough. Why would I be afraid now?" Zhao Qianqian’s cheeks flushed crimson, but her expression was resolute as she spoke.

"That day... AHEM, that day was a special situation." Qin Li felt a bit embarrassed bringing it up. He was well aware of the Little Princess’s feelings for him, but how was he supposed to talk to her about it?

In principle, Qin Li really didn’t mind having a few more women. He wasn’t some staunch supporter of monogamy. However, until Shangguan Shiyu married him, Qin Li would not accept any other woman!

This was a matter of principle—his bottom line.

He’d already been driven into a corner these past few days visiting those old Celestial Level masters. Which of those great families didn’t have a girl or two? As a result, no matter whose house he visited, he was met with the grandest, most enthusiastic reception, which always ended with a shy, beautiful girl being pushed forward to meet him.

That old coot, Prince Pingnan, was even more ruthless. He simply called out a whole flock of his great-great-granddaughters and told Qin Li to take his pick. Naturally, Qin Li fled in disarray.

He could refuse all those other people bluntly, but when it came to Zhao Qianqian, Qin Li just couldn’t bring himself to be so harsh. After all, the girl had already given him her heart, hugging him in front of so many people. The story of the two of them had already spread throughout the entire Cyan Dragon Kingdom.

Although His Majesty the Emperor hadn’t said anything to him, Qin Li understood it was only because Zhao Qianqian was still too young. In another year, if he didn’t bring it up, he was sure the emperor would.

’What a headache!’

Qin Li felt a wave of frustration. Once upon a time, a romantic encounter was something you could only hope for, never expect. Now, here were all these stunning beauties, and he had to force himself not to be moved.

This wasn’t just because of Shangguan Shiyu; it was also because Qin Li had higher aspirations on the path of the Martial Dao!

Zhao Qianqian gazed at Qin Li’s handsome face and suddenly said, "Actually... I know there’s someone else in your heart, isn’t there? And I don’t mean Bu or Leng. There’s someone else, right?"

Qin Li was taken aback. He couldn’t help but look at this beautiful fourteen-year-old girl in a new light. Seeing no unusual expression in her eyes, he nodded silently and said, "When I was young, my family arranged a marriage for me. Later, the Qin Family’s fortunes declined, and I had to leave my home behind. But that engagement was never canceled. And the other party... they never broke it off, even after what happened."

A flicker of sorrow passed through Zhao Qianqian’s eyes. In fact, her father, Emperor Zhao Yuanli, had already asked her about this in private. Marrying Qin Li was fine, but she had to be the primary wife!

For a dignified daughter of the Royal Family, a princess of the kingdom, to be anything less than the primary wife would be far too humiliating, wouldn’t it? At the same time, Zhao Yuanli understood the temperament of talented Martial Artists. They hated being constrained. This was especially true for a genius among geniuses like Qin Li, which made the emperor tread carefully. He didn’t want what should be a happy occasion to turn into a disaster.

Therefore, he hoped his daughter could first ascertain Qin Li’s feelings. Because, although he was reluctant to admit it, Zhao Yuanli had to acknowledge that from the very beginning, it seemed to be his own precious, adorable daughter... who was doing the pursuing.

A girl’s heart is always sensitive. Zhao Qianqian had keenly sensed this back in the forest at the academy. Amidst that perilous scene, she felt that the shadow of another person lingered in Qin Li’s heart!

Later, at the martial arts arena, she became almost certain of it. When she had embraced him, there was gratitude on Qin Li’s face, but his body was somewhat stiff. And deep in his eyes, she saw a faint, almost imperceptible hint of resignation.

But so what if there was someone else? Though born into the Royal Family, Zhao Qianqian never used her status to pressure others, nor did she ever put on the airs of a princess. She had the same vibrant, youthful heart as any other girl her age, and a positive outlook. Once she set her mind on something, she would do it, regardless of the outcome.

For instance, she liked Qin Li. It was that simple. She would never care what others thought or said about it.

So, after confirming her suspicions, Zhao Qianqian tilted her face up, smiled at Qin Li, and said, "I won’t give up!"

Qin Li shook his head with a wry smile. He suddenly felt he ought to do something for this girl. ’Perhaps once she truly steps onto the Martial Dao, her heart won’t be so fixated anymore!’

Being in debt never felt good, especially a debt of the heart.

"Qianqian, would you like to be able to increase your strength as quickly as I do?"

Sure enough, the bait this certain someone dangled was far too tempting for Zhao Qianqian to even consider refusing. She blinked her bright, lively eyes and nodded vigorously.

...

Having temporarily dealt with the young lady, Qin Li breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since he had performed a Marrow Cleansing for Zhao Qianqian and asked her to keep it a secret, she had been thrilled. To her, sharing a secret with Qin Li was the happiest thing in the world. Of course, what made her even happier was that her already impressive aptitude had become even more perfect after Qin Li’s intervention.

The Imperial Family already possessed a powerful foundation that ordinary people could scarcely hope to match. Thus, one could foresee that in a few short years, a young and powerful female expert would emerge in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom.

With these chaotic matters settled, Qin Li finally remembered he should pay a visit to the old headmaster of the Advanced Academy. He had been hesitating for a long time after what Elder Yi told him that day. After all, his first impression of that old beggar had been far too deep-seated. Based on that and what Hu and the others had said, Qin Li’s opinion of the old beggar was not good at all.

’He clearly knew about the huge flaw in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable combat technique, yet he went and created a huge pile of them to hand out to anyone he met. Isn’t that just harming people?’

So, deep down, Qin Li did not like Elder Yi. However, looking at it from another angle, it wasn’t that big of a deal. In the later stages, most people learned of the massive flaw in the Only I am Venerable combat technique. If they still couldn’t resist the temptation and chose to cultivate it, then their deaths didn’t really have much to do with Elder Yi.

It was like in his previous life, when he was a gang boss. In the eyes of most people, he wasn’t a good person either.

Yi Ning’s temperament was somewhat similar to Leng Yao’s—very cold and detached. Even though Qin Li had now become the pride of the entire Cyan Dragon Kingdom, you couldn’t see the slightest hint of adoration on Yi Ning’s face.

Upon learning that Qin Li was looking for her father, Yi Ning silently led him through the forest behind the academy. They arrived at an inconspicuous house, where she said flatly, "We’re here." Then she turned and left, as if... she wasn’t too keen on facing her father.

Qin Li didn’t pay much mind to Yi Ning’s coldness. He had met far too many enthusiastic girls; receiving a cold shoulder once in a while was actually quite nice.

He knocked on the door. Elder Yi’s voice, sounding somewhat weary, came from within. "Come in."

The room was dimly lit, and the furnishings were simple: a table, a chair, and a wooden bed. Everything was tidy.

Elder Yi was sitting there, his attention focused on a book. Qin Li recognized it at a glance—it was the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable combat technique! The script was all too familiar to him.

"You’re here. Have a seat." He glanced at Qin Li and gestured toward the wooden bed.

Qin Li smiled but remained standing. "Elder Yi, how did you know that I am *that* Qin Li?" Since his cover was blown, there was no point in continuing the charade. It was better to be honest and direct.

"Hehe, your Disguise skill is very strong! And those people with you, you brought them from Yellow Sand City, didn’t you? Sigh, if I hadn’t recognized you, I wouldn’t have even recognized Hu, Yunyan, and Little Leng Yao. They’ve changed so much!"

Qin Li could tell Elder Yi didn’t mean to use them as a threat; he was just sighing with emotion, so he said nothing.

Elder Yi continued, "That day, the kick you used to send Xiahou Feng flying wasn’t one of the striking techniques from the Only I am Venerable combat technique, but it used its essence! It seems you’ve already cultivated the first layer to the peak of perfection! And that shout of yours that day—didn’t it utilize the second layer of the Only I am Venerable combat technique?"

"You... you actually know that much?"