Two invitations lay before Mu Qingge. In truth, both came from the same place, yet there was a distinction between them.

After sending Jiang Li off, Mu Qingge lowered her gaze and focused on the two invitations.

One was an invitation from the Wanxiang Building auction.

The other was from Han Caicai.

That this enchanting Han Caicai was also in Tiandu surprised Mu Qingge somewhat. By her calculations, it had been a year or two since they last met.

Mu Qingge pondered and picked up the invitation sent under Han Caicai’s personal name.

"Han Caicai actually wants to meet me tonight? When did he become so polite?" Mu Qingge remarked in surprise, reading the invitation’s contents again.

She remembered that Han Caicai never took others’ opinions into consideration in his actions, coming and going as he pleased.

Even if he were to meet with her, he would never do so in such a proper manner.

"What’s he up to?" Mu Qingge murmured, tossing the invitation aside.

Then, she picked up the other invitation.

This was the invitation to the Wanxiang Building auction, one which she believed many in Tiandu had received. The auction would be held in half a month, coinciding with the Linchuan Conference?

Mu Qingge mentally calculated the timing. The Linchuan Conference was five days away and would last about a month, with a three-day rest after each round of competition.

The auction at Wanxiang Building would precisely occur during the rest period after the first round.

"Looks like the people at Wanxiang Building have planned this meticulously," Mu Qingge said to herself.

She lowered her gaze and opened the invitation.

It only detailed the auction’s time and place, the names of the invitees, and some participation rules. There was no information about the auction items.

Mu Qingge frowned, feeling a bit hesitant.

The overall strength of the third-class countries meant that securing more than the remaining four slots required an all-out effort. This "all-out effort" involved more than just cultivation; it required planning and strategy at every step.

What kind of strategic planning and deployment could ensure the highest chance of final victory!

This time, with three representing countries from the third-class, Mu Qingge naturally hoped that all three would qualify. However, this increased the pressure on the team leaders like her.

Worried daily about the Linchuan Conference, she really couldn’t muster much interest in the Wanxiang Building’s auction.

After a moment’s thought, Mu Qingge murmured to herself, "I’ll meet Han Caicai tonight first, and then see."

With that, she put away the auction invitation and Han Caicai’s post together.

...

As night fell, Tiandu seemed to transform into another world.

By day, Tiandu was grand and elegant, like the cherished daughter of a wealthy family. By night, it became alluring and enchanting, each corner exuding its unique charm.

Mu Qingge left the post house alone, without bringing anyone along to the appointment.

As soon as she stepped out, she sensed prying eyes around her. A faint smile on her lips, Mu Qingge strolled nonchalantly into the night market.

During the day, she had been privately summoned to the Li Palace, likely provoking many to palpable curiosity, eager to uncover her relationship with the Holy King.

Fully aware since leaving the Li Palace, Mu Qingge knew people were keen to discover her ties to His Majesty.

Blending into the crowd of the night market, Mu Qingge made the covert observers’ task more challenging.

Street vendors lined the roads, selling a variety of peculiar items.

Fireworks and river lanterns by the lakeside made it livelier than ever.

Meandering ahead, Mu Qingge’s leisurely pace added to the difficulty for those attempting to discreetly tail her.

"Boss, how much for this mask?" Mu Qingge stopped at a mask stall, arbitrarily pointing at a mask with bold brush strokes and a grotesque expression.

"Five wen... uh..." The vendor looked up to answer but was momentarily entranced by the enchantingly beautiful face before him.

When he regained his senses, the bewitching face was nowhere to be seen, and the grotesque mask was gone, replaced by five forgotten coins on the stall.

"Am I seeing things? Could that handsome young man have been a spirit in disguise?" The vendor rubbed his eyes and murmured.

Upon picking up the five coins, their tangible weight assured him everything was indeed real.

As he struggled to discern dream from reality, two or three men burst into his stall, glancing around nervously.

"Uh, looking for a mask, sirs?" the vendor eagerly asked, spotting potential buyers.

Instead, one of them seized the vendor’s collar, yanking him forward: "Did you see a very handsome youth in red here earlier?"

The menacing tone frightened the vendor.

After stammering a while, he managed to say, "He... he left long ago..."

"He’s gone? Damn it!" The man cursed after hearing this, shoving the vendor aside before he and his group plunged back into the crowd.

Pale and scared, the vendor hurriedly packed up his stall and carted it away.

The group quickly vanished into the crowd but overlooked a figure standing among them, wearing a grotesque mask.

Behind the grim mask, a pair of clear, penetrating eyes glimmered, calm and deep enough to peer into the soul.

Only once the tails vanished did she turn and head in another direction. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Wearing the grotesque mask, she appeared neither terrifying nor menacing; instead, there was an intriguing allure. It seemed no one matched her grace as she moved among the masked revelers in the night market.

...

In Tiandu City, there was a beautifully scenic lake.

The winding, picturesque lake covered an expansive area, a favorite day spot for Tiandu’s residents and at night, a meeting place for countless couples whispering sweet nothings.

Boats floated leisurely on the lake under the moonlight.

From these boats came the faint sound of strings and flutes, silhouettes dancing, singing, and feasting in celebration.

Amidst the broad lake, one boat stood out.

It was odd not for its revelry but for its quiet. There were no lithe dancing girls, no enchanting melodies.

Its quietness made it clash with its surroundings.

But this was, after all, just its surface demeanor.

Mu Qingge sat inside the spacious cabin, the grotesque mask casually set aside.

She surveyed the cabin’s decor: garish pink with gold embellishments, a decadent style perfectly suiting Han Caicai. Mu Qingge could never forget the first time she saw Han Caicai emerge from that ostentatiously decorated carriage.

No one else could match Han Caicai in flamboyance and garish taste.

She arrived as expected on the boat reserved by Han Caicai, yet the host was missing. Such uncouth behavior seemed in line with her impression of Han Caicai.

Suddenly, shadows flickered behind the curtain.

In a blink, four or five maids entered, carrying wine and exquisite dishes, quietly filling the table before Mu Qingge.

After arranging the table, they quietly withdrew.

They neither glanced at Mu Qingge nor spoke a word.

Once they left, Mu Qingge lowered her gaze to the table before her.

The mask she casually discarded was carefully placed aside. The remaining seats were adorned with a golden silk handkerchief, upon which seven or eight dishes and a pot of fine wine were placed.

The bowls and chopsticks for the meal were crafted from top-quality mutton-fat jade, exquisitely refined.

Mu Qingge glanced at the dishes, subtly raising her brows. Almost half of these dishes were specialties from Qin Country, while the others seemed to be famed dishes from the Holy Yuan Empire.

Such a thoughtful feast truly gave Mu Qingge a feeling of being overwhelmed by unexpected favor.

Taking her gaze off the dishes, Mu Qingge did not pick up her chopsticks.

She looked at the empty host’s seat, her eyes narrowing slightly: "Han Caicai, I’ve come as promised, do you intend to continue this charade?"

No sooner had she spoken than countless petals began to fall from the sky.

The fluttering petals blurred her vision. Vaguely, she seemed to see a figure descending slowly like a demon, lazily reclining on the chair at the host’s seat.

When the petal rain stopped, it carpeted the cabin floor. The entire space was infused with a more enticing sense of allure.

Mu Qingge couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth, her eyes cold as she looked at Han Caicai.

This enchanting figure had finally appeared. Still wearing the same garish floral robe, his neckline slightly open, teasing glimpses of his alluring collarbone and chest line.

In the time they hadn’t seen each other, he seemed to have grown even more otherworldly in beauty.

The seductive aura surrounding him seemed even denser.

As for his taste... Mu Qingge still couldn’t bring herself to praise it.

Unable to bear it, she shook her head and said, "Every time you make an entrance, does it have to be so... unique?"

Mu Qingge’s disdainful tone didn’t faze Han Caicai; instead, he seemed quite pleased and said, "Fine food and wine naturally require beautiful scenery and company. See how good I am to you?"

Mu Qingge internally rolled her eyes, retorting, "I admit the food and wine, but this beautiful scenery and company, surely you don’t mean this flamboyant petal rain and yourself?"

Han Caicai’s long eyes narrowed slightly, a glint that seemed dangerous flickering in the slits. His lazy voice dropped a few notches, warning, "Mu Qingge, don’t belittle my efforts."

"Haha, thanks a lot." Mu Qingge clasped her hands perfunctorily.

With a beckoning gesture, Han Caicai had a wine cup lifted from the table into his hand. Holding the cup, he toasted Mu Qingge from afar, "Welcome to Tiandu."

Mu Qingge wasn’t shy, picking up her own wine cup and also toasting from afar, "Thanks." With that, she stylishly drained the cup in one gulp.

Her attitude added an indistinct gleam to Han Caicai’s eyes.

He drank the wine in his cup thoughtfully.

After finishing his drink, Han Caicai said, "To welcome you, I specially invited a famous chef from Qin Country. Try these Qin dishes and see if they’re authentic."

Mu Qingge’s gaze fell once more on the Qin Country specialties, feeling a bit puzzled.

Though she and Han Caicai were not enemies, they certainly weren’t friends either. Why did he keep extending kindness to her?

The last time, he suddenly appeared in Qin Country to help her repel enemies.

Then came a round of probing words, making her feel as though her secrets were known to him.

After that, they each became busy, not crossing paths again.

Seeing him again this time, his ’eagerness’ once again puzzled Mu Qingge.

As she pondered, she nevertheless picked up her chopsticks and tasted a small portion of each dish. Setting the chopsticks down, she nodded, "Hmm, not bad."

Her response seemed to add a hint of amusement to Han Caicai’s eyes.

"What did you call me here for?" After setting the chopsticks down, Mu Qingge directly looked at Han Caicai and asked.

Her question condensed the smile in Han Caicai’s eyes slightly.

His voice also cooled a bit, "Can’t I just call you for a chat and a casual meal?"

Mu Qingge shook her head, "It’s not that it’s impossible, but this isn’t your style, Han Caicai."

"Hmph." Han Caicai snorted haughtily. His long eyes slightly lowered, his lashes shielded his true emotions. "You have many admirers, yet you fancy none. Isn’t there some hidden reason?"

Such an obvious probing question—how could Mu Qingge not catch on?

Moreover, Han Caicai wasn’t even trying to hide his motives.

Mu Qingge inwardly sneered. This man was indeed scheming against her. Whatever his reason for wanting to ascertain her gender, she had no intention of admitting it before him.

With a slight smile, she answered frankly, "Affection cannot be forced. If you had to reciprocate everyone who fancied you, I doubt you’d have time to sit and drink with me now."

"Such a sharp retort, indeed from Mu Qingge." Han Caicai’s lips curved into an enchanting smile.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice lazy and suggestive as he asked, "Is it that you haven’t met the one, or are you just incapable?"

Mu Qingge’s cheeks suddenly reddened, but she quickly returned to normal.

She coldly replied, "Do I need to explain my capabilities to you?" She paused, curious eyes narrowing at Han Caicai, "Why is Han Caicai so interested in my personal affairs?"

"As a friend, it’s normal to care a bit," Han Caicai squinted, smiling.

But Mu Qingge raised her brows, "Friend? Since when did we become friends? As far as I see it, we’re at most partners in certain ventures."

"Isn’t that a bit heartless?" Han Caicai shook his head slowly.

Nothing in his voice betrayed any emotion.

Mu Qingge shrugged with a smile, "There was never any love between us, so how could there be heartlessness?" She spoke the truth; her dealings with Han Caicai had started with mutual manipulation.

Even though cooperation followed, it was merely for mutual benefit.

Indeed, in Qin Country, he had assisted her. But afterward, though she verbally refused, she still sent a modified grenade gun to Wanxiang Building as thanks.

Moreover, she believed Han Caicai wasn’t helping her out of sheer goodwill; he was trying to glean something from her.

Perhaps... her gender.

Since they had never been candid with each other, how could there be any friendship?

"Mu Qingge, has anyone ever told you, you’re quite heartless?" Han Caicai’s tone suddenly became dangerous.

Mu Qingge, however, indifferently replied, "Why, thank you for the compliment."

"If the purpose of calling me here was to inquire about my personal feelings, then I’ll take my leave. Thank you for the hospitality." Mu Qingge glanced at the untouched delicacies, then stood up without any reluctance.

"Wait." Seeing her about to leave, Han Caicai quickly spoke up to stop her.

This time, his tone was more normal, at least, to Mu Qingge’s ears, more like the Han Caicai she knew.

"Are you in such a hurry?" Han Caicai asked with narrowed eyes.

Mu Qingge shook her head, "Not exactly in a hurry, just loath to waste time on trivial matters."

"Are you calling me trivial?" A hint of danger laced Han Caicai’s tone.

Mu Qingge straightforwardly said, "Hmm, perhaps a spar with you might be less trivial."

Since their first encounter, a sense of balance marked her interactions with Han Caicai. She somewhat anticipated a good match with him someday.

Especially after encountering the lunatic Shen Bicheng, she felt that evenly matched contests might hone one’s skills considerably.

But Han Caicai merely snorted disdainfully at her comment.

He seemed uninterested in fulfilling her request.

"I heard the Hua Family approached you, only for you to refuse? Then what kind of relationship do you have with the Empress Jiang from the Ancient Witch Country?" Han Caicai suddenly asked.

Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed, she slowly sat down again, and said with a smile, "It seems Wanxiang Building’s information is indeed well-informed!"

She hadn’t forgotten the famous saying of Wanxiang Building, ’Know everything, as long as you pay.’

"You’re too kind." Han Caicai’s tone finally showed a hint of pride.

"What else do you know?" Mu Qingge asked with a smile.

Han Caicai casually spread his hands, lazily saying, "Whatever you hope I know, whatever you hope I don’t know, I know. For example, the show you put on at the city gate, for example, your actions in the Holy Yuan Empire Palace, and even the battle between you and Shen Bicheng—which even shattered the fake mountain in Emperor Yuan’s Imperial Garden—I know about it all. Also, today you went to the Li Palace and were left alone by the Holy King..."

As he spoke, his eyes shifted from teasing to serious.

He looked at Mu Qingge, scrutinizing for a long time before he said, "Mu Qingge, how many secrets do you have? Why is everything you do so thrilling? Even the Holy King looks at you differently!"

He didn’t want to show that there’s a trace of fear in his heart before Mu Qingge.

Especially after he learned she was summoned alone by the Holy King, that trace of fear grew even stronger. He had known Mu Qingge arrived in Tiandu long ago, but didn’t seek her out until the message today made him urgently come to find her.

What is he afraid of?

Perhaps even Han Caicai himself doesn’t know. It’s just the vague feeling that his carefully hidden secret might be exposed to the public. Like a treasure being announced to the world, attracting countless people to vie for it—it made him very uncomfortable.

Yet, there’s a presence here he cannot contend with!

"What? Are you envying me?" Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow.

"I’m not joking with you! If you want to play with fire, I won’t stop you, but be careful not to get burned!" Han Caicai suddenly became serious, a change from his earlier attitude.

Mu Qingge frowned, "Am I not also serious?"

"..." Han Caicai fell silent.

After staring intently at Mu Qingge for a long time, he spoke in a deep voice, "There are many people you can ignore, but some people you can’t just disregard if you want to. What exactly is your relationship with the Holy King? Before, when I saw someone beside you, I felt familiar. Later I found out he’s Black Servant Lord Gu Ya from the Holy King’s side. Why would he appear to be listening to your commands? Just because the Holy King took a liking to you while passing through Qin Country? Now that you’ve come to Tiandu, visited the Li Palace, and were left alone, why is that?"

Han Caicai’s questions were sharp, causing Mu Qingge to frown and shake her head, "Sorry, no comment."

"You!" Han Caicai’s long and narrow eyes showed a layer of thin anger. "I’m helping you," he said in a deep voice.

With a demeanor suggesting ’don’t not know what’s good for you,’ Mu Qingge laughed, "Helping me? Do I need your help?"

Suddenly, Han Caicai’s figure vanished from its original spot. When he reappeared, he was right in front of Mu Qingge, only two fingers away from her nose.

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed sharply, her body quickly leaned back, creating distance between them.

With a cold expression, she asked sharply, "What are you doing?"

Han Caicai ignored her anger, his expression serious, "The Holy King is not someone you should provoke, don’t play with fire!"

"What do you mean?" Mu Qingge squinted slightly.

Han Caicai took a deep breath and told her, "Didn’t you understand what I said? You can’t afford to provoke the Holy King, so don’t go near him. He’s not from Linchuan, nor from the Middle Ancient Realm; he comes from a more powerful place. If you provoke him, you won’t know when you’ll lose your life."

Si Mo is not from the Middle Ancient Realm?

He comes from a more powerful place!

This news left Mu Qingge stunned. She had thought Si Mo might be from a powerful Ancient Clan in the Middle Ancient Realm, but she didn’t expect that he wasn’t.

Moreover, what did Han Caicai mean?

Provoke Si Mo, and risk losing her life anytime?

Suddenly, Mu Qingge’s calm heart was stirred by Han Caicai’s words.

"What do you mean by provoke?" Mu Qingge asked coldly.

"Don’t get involved with him in any way, whether good or bad." Han Caicai warned Mu Qingge seriously.

"Why?" Mu Qingge frowned slightly.

Han Caicai suddenly became vague, "Some things, you shouldn’t know yet. But you’ll know in the future. I just don’t want you to regret it and get hurt when you do."

"Why do I have to regret?" Mu Qingge asked coldly.

Han Caicai’s long and narrow eyes suddenly narrowed, "Are you saying you admit to a relationship with the Holy King?"

He was somewhat afraid Mu Qingge would nod to admit.

"Whether or not, it’s none of your business. I remembered your kind advice, but that doesn’t mean I will act accordingly. I only do what my conscience dictates and won’t change my mind because of groundless matters." Mu Qingge said and stood up.

"You are knowingly doing something you shouldn’t!" Han Caicai shouted angrily.

Mu Qingge turned her eyes to him, her clear eyes steady and calm, "I’m fine with that."

Having said that, she said to Han Caicai, "Thank you for the hospitality, goodbye."

"You must attend the auction at Wanxiang Building in half a month." Just as Mu Qingge was about to leave the cabin, Han Caicai suddenly spoke.

Mu Qingge stopped and turned to look at him, teasingly asking, "Why?"

Han Caicai shifted his gaze slowly to her, "Because this auction has a map of the West Continent of the Middle Ancient Realm."

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed sharply, her gaze at Han Caicai more scrutinizing.

The Middle Ancient Realm’s West Continent, where her mother’s paternal clan seems to be located. How coincidental that Wanxiang Building has a map of the West Continent of the Middle Ancient Realm?

"I can assure you, the map is real, and the person auctioning it is not related to Wanxiang Building." Han Caicai said.

"I understand." Mu Qingge retracted her gaze and, as she left, softly said, "Thank you."

As Mu Qingge left, Han Caicai remained stationary.

After leaving Han Caicai’s yacht, Mu Qingge returned to the Post House under the night. But soon, she stopped and turned towards the Post House of the Ancient Witch Country.

...

On a comfortable large bed, Jiang Li was sleeping deeply.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide, a sharp killing intent flashing in her golden eyes.

Upon seeing who was sitting beside her, the tangible killing intent faded away.

"Why did you climb onto my bed in the middle of the night?" Jiang Li sat up under the covers, looking at Mu Qingge and murmured.

Mu Qingge rolled her eyes, "I just sat by your bed, I didn’t climb onto it."

"Want to try it?" Jiang Li tapped the empty spot beside her, her seductive eyes sending an invitation to Mu Qingge.

She was joking, yet unexpectedly, Mu Qingge kicked off her shoes and snuggled into her covers, lying beside her.

Jiang Li stared at her, speechless for a while.

Mu Qingge glanced at her, her expression calm, "Weren’t you inviting me?"

"Cough cough." Jiang Li coughed abruptly, complaining, "Then take off your earrings first. I’m afraid I won’t be able to restrain myself and execute justice right here."

Mu Qingge said speechlessly, "Don’t worry, you won’t have the chance." Then she removed her earrings, reverting to her female form beside Jiang Li.

Watching Mu Qingge return to her female appearance, Jiang Li lay down relaxed.

The two laying on the bed together created an eerie atmosphere.

After a while, Jiang Li glanced at her, "What’s wrong with you?"

"Someone just told me not to provoke him." Mu Qingge said indifferently.

Among her people, Jiang Li was the only one aware of her affair with Si Mo. After being disturbed by Han Caicai’s words, Jiang Li was the first person she thought of.

Jiang Li was startled for a moment and immediately reacted, "Holy King?"

Mu Qingge nodded, "That person said his identity and background are very mysterious, beyond my imagination. If I get involved with him, my life would be in danger."

"Who is trying to scare you like that! Is it easy for you to fancy a man? Just when things start to spark, someone has to come and mess it up! Tell me who it is, and I’ll help you beat him up!" Jiang Li said angrily.

Mu Qingge couldn’t help but laugh at her, correcting her line of thinking, "The question now is, who is he exactly?"

Right! She needed to know who Si Mo was to have a precise goal to strive for, rather than stumbling around aimlessly.

Jiang Li was stunned, then after a moment of silence said, "There’s not much in Ancient Witch Country’s records about the origins of the Holy King. It seems that when Linchuan Continent existed, he was already there. That’s why he commands the respect of everyone and every power in Linchuan. Perhaps, that person is right, the Holy King comes from an even more formidable place, but so what? As long as you keep growing stronger, one day, you’ll close the power gap with him, won’t be a burden, and fight alongside him."

Jiang Li’s words calmed Mu Qingge considerably.

’Yes! As long as I keep growing stronger, I can close the gap between us,’ Mu Qingge told herself internally.

"Who was it that was gossiping in front of you?" Jiang Li went back to the initial topic.

"Han Caicai." This time, Mu Qingge didn’t hide it from her.

"Han Caicai? The Young Master of Wanxiang Building?" Jiang Li was a bit surprised.

Jiang Li’s information-gathering ability always impressed Mu Qingge. She looked at her, "What do you know about Wanxiang Building?"

Jiang Li scoffed, "Just a discarded member of the Fire Clan of the Middle Ancient Realm, exiled to Linchuan to fend for himself." As she spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly, and then she continued, "However, even a discarded member of the Middle Ancient Realm can become a power in Linchuan Continent."

"Do many people know about the origin of the Han Family?" Mu Qingge asked in surprise.

Jiang Li shook her head, "I don’t know how many people know, but a Han Family suddenly emerging in Linchuan Continent over the past thousand years naturally draws the attention of various powers. It’s no secret within the true major powers of the Middle Ancient Realm. Some secrets can be found out with a little effort."

So that’s how it is.

Once again, Mu Qingge felt the fundamental differences between a Third-class Country and other countries.

"However, Han Caicai seems very discontent with being exiled, bent on returning to the Middle Ancient Realm for revenge. I reckon he won’t stay in Linchuan Continent for long," Jiang Li revealed another explosive piece of news.

Mu Qingge’s eyes widened, as if feeling a bit of Han Caicai’s determination from Jiang Li’s information, his determination to swallow the Fire Cloud Yang Flame at all costs.

Suddenly, Jiang Li turned over and lay beside Mu Qingge, her eyes shining as she scrutinized her.

That undisguised gaze made Mu Qingge shiver. "What are you staring at?"

Jiang Li slyly extended her hand, lifting Mu Qingge’s beautifully contoured chin, "Do you think Han Caicai said those things because he knows you’re a woman? Worried you’ll be swept away by the Holy King?"

Mu Qingge’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she brushed off Jiang Li’s mischievous hand, "Stop spouting nonsense!"

Jiang Li quickly withdrew her hand, widening her eyes, "Nonsense? I’m not talking nonsense. You, with your emotional numbness—someone likes you, and you can’t even see it. Truly hopeless."

Mu Qingge was speechless.

True, she was emotionally numb, but she could never believe that Han Caicai would like her!

How could such a cunning person easily fall for someone?

"Alright, stop overthinking. Time to sleep," Mu Qingge turned over, her back to Jiang Li, pulling the blanket over herself.

Jiang Li’s mouth twitched, and she couldn’t resist giving her a little slap, muttering, "Who’s the one overthinking?"

With that, she also turned to her side, adjusting the blanket.

One blanket was pulled by both of them, adding a touch of fun characteristic to close friends, devoid of any combativeness.

How many people among the Dragon Tooth Guards or those stunned by Mu Qingge’s overwhelming presence would be astonished by this scene, drop their jaws, or pop their eyeballs at this interaction between young girls?

"If you’re worried, why don’t you just ask the Holy King when you see him?" Suddenly, Jiang Li suggested.

Mu Qingge, who had closed her eyes, opened them again, "We’ll see." Then, she closed her eyes again.

’Since I’ve decided on this person, does it really matter who he is? If he’s too far away, I’ll just strive to get closer,’ Mu Qingge told herself before gradually falling asleep.

The second day, early morning.

Mu Qingge woke up full of energy and left Jiang Li’s room.

The maids who were ready to serve Jiang Li and the guards in the Post House were so startled they dropped the dishes and pots all over the floor.

When did Young Master Mu come to the Post House? And how did they leave from the Empress’s room?

Oh no, has Her Majesty’s purity been ruined?

The female officials of the Ancient Witch Country, with a mix of anger and sadness, rushed into Jiang Li’s room. Jiang Li, still drowsy, was woken up by the commotion and angrily shouted, "Get out——!"

The entire roof of the Post House shook three times.

Mu Qingge returned to the Post House and did not leave for the next few days.

Five days later, the Linchuan Conference was about to begin.

Early in the morning, the Imperial Palace sent someone to deliver the rules of the Linchuan Conference, handing them to the representatives of various countries and forces at each Post House.

Strictly speaking, this Linchuan Conference was just a competition between third-class and second-class countries, while the other forces and the Holy Yuan Empire, who had already secured their spots, were merely spectators.

Therefore, the conference rules comprised three rounds with eliminations based on team points, and the final four countries would obtain the last four spots.

However, when Mu Qingge received the rules and finished reading them, she felt a trace of doubt in her heart.

"What’s wrong?" Zhao Nanxing saw something was off in Mu Qingge’s expression and asked.

Mu Qingge handed the rules to Zhao Nanxing and Feng Yufei, furrowing her brow as she said, "This time, even people from the Four Great Families will participate."

"Why are they getting involved in this?" Zhao Nanxing was surprised.

Feng Yufei was more concerned about the allocation of spots. "If they win, do they also get a spot?"

Mu Qingge shook her head and said, "That’s the strange part. The Four Great Families usually occupy the spots of the Huangfu Imperial Family at each Linchuan Conference, so they don’t participate. Even though they’re participating this time, they’re just taking part, not competing for spots."

Zhao Nanxing nodded, reading the rules while saying, "The rules state that the people from the Four Great Families are participating in the Linchuan Conference just to give their younger generation a chance for training."

"So strange? Would the Four Great Families get involved in something without any benefit?" Feng Yufei also wondered.

Mu Qingge thought it over carefully and voiced her speculation, "It’s not entirely without benefits. If they can significantly deplete the forces of other nations during the Linchuan Conference, they would be the ones to benefit during the subsequent exploration of Ancient Ruins."

"But that explanation seems a bit far-fetched," Zhao Nanxing hesitated.

Mu Qingge nodded with a frown, "That’s exactly why I find it strange. Maybe we’ll gradually understand during the Linchuan Conference."

"Hmm." Zhao Nanxing agreed with Mu Qingge.

In any case, the participation of the Four Great Families was already settled; opposing it was futile.

Zhao Nanxing buried himself in studying the competition rules before handing them to Feng Yufei. He looked at Mu Qingge and said, "The competition consists of three rounds, each lasting seven days with a three-day break in between. The first round is a siege defense, where the six countries competing for spots each defend one of six arenas, with their teams split into defense and offense. The defense team is responsible for holding their arena; if their arena is seized, all their teams must skip a turn. The offense team attacks other arenas, losing which has no consequence. Successfully defending an arena earns three points, while winning an attack earns two points. The seven-day competition runs without day-night distinction, starting and ending seven days apart, with rankings based on total points. The rule clarifies that the last two countries eliminated will be decided by total points across three rounds."

Feng Yufei also finished reading the rules and smiled, "An arena is only deemed lost if taken in under a hundred moves, resulting in a skipped turn. Winning beyond a hundred moves counts as a successful challenge, allowing further challenges, and the defenders aren’t considered to have failed."

Mu Qingge tapped her fingers on the table and reminded the two, "So we must all remember this rule. To make the opponents skip a turn and lose at least ten points, we must defeat them in under a hundred moves."

"It’s a point system. If our people can maximize other countries’ skips, their points will be affected," Feng Yufei added.

Zhao Nanxing, after some strategic contemplation, shook his head, "No, we can’t just focus on this round’s results. With two more rounds after this, in the first round we must strive to secure as many points as possible."

Mu Qingge agreed, "Indeed. It’s not yet the time to compete for wins or losses; we need to first secure our points. Thus, selecting defenders who can withstand attacks from the three second-class countries and avoid being forced to skip time for points collection is key. Meanwhile, our offense must ensure every attack maximizes point gain."

It might not sound difficult, but in practice...

Feng Yufei and Zhao Nanxing exchanged a glance, both inwardly smiling bitterly.

Despite bringing the nation’s elite, compared to the second-class countries, they still faced a considerable disadvantage. In either defending or attacking, superiority seemed lacking.