Although she had asked the big mussel to shut up, there were numerous thoughts in her mind and she could not concentrate during meditation.
She took a deep breath and told herself, "Gu Xijiu, you don't have to think so much. This person has nothing to do with you anymore. Since you have decided to live on your own in this life, you don't have to think of all these insignificant people and matters anymore!"
She stood up and jumped on the Wind Caller's back, "Let's go!"
...
It was a smooth journey for Gu Xijiu as she was leaving the Dark Forest, as she did not meet any obstacles anymore.
However, she was quite surprised that she did not encounter any ambush outside the Dark Forest. It was a sunny and windy day and the air was fresh.
During the few days inside the Dark Forest, the air was almost stagnant with a dark, damp atmosphere. She had not seen the sun for many days.
When she saw the sun once in the fourth peak, Si Chen who was transformed by Di Fuyi suddenly said something weird and ran away.
And after Di Fuyi left the Dark Forest, it was back to its original state without the chance to see the clear sky anymore.
Finally, she could see the sun again now. When she was inhaling the fresh air, she could feel her lung expanding comfortably and the air stuck in her chest had been released too.
She stood outside the Dark Forest and stretched for a while.
Finally, she had emerged from the forest!
It was one day earlier than the day specified by Di Fuyi.
"Tweet tweet" A colorful bird flew over to the top of her head before vanishing.
Gu Xijiu glanced at the bird and did not care too much about it. She stroked the Wind Callers fur. It was the first time the Wind Caller had come out of the Dark Forest. It was a bit excited but nervous too. Gu Xijiu could sense its tension, "Whats wrong? Are you nervous?"
Wind Caller nodded and used its head to rub her hand.
It had been very loyal to Gu Xijiu after she had saved it from the claws of the two poisonous corpses.
It was really tense, that the mane on its head could be seen trembling.
There were a lot of humans outside the Dark Forest and human always liked to hunt them
Gu Xijiu laughed, "Dont worry. This world is not as terrible as you think. You have me to protect you."
Her laughter was cool and bright. It had the power to calm people down. The Wind Caller rubbed against her again and finally, it was not trembling anymore.
Gu Xijiu rode on the Wind Caller and went down the hill at a fast pace. Under the hill, she saw a large tea stall.
The tea stall was not small. It was about five acres in size. When she saw it from a distance, it almost accounted for a big piece of the hillside.
Gu Xijiu frowned and reined the Wind Caller. Although it was already outside the Dark Forest, it was still a quiet place with almost no civilization. What was the purpose of building such a large tea stall over here?
Did they want to sell tea to beasts?
There must be something unusual. Gu Xijiu saw that there were curtains dropping down from the stall and she could not see the interior clearly. She grabbed the sword in her hand tightly.
The curtains hung on the stall were very clean and it looked like it was made of high-quality silk.
It was very quiet inside the tea stall. It seemed like it was abandoned by someone. However, Gu Xijiu could see the silver bells that were hanging at the four corners. When the wind blew, the bells would ring sharply.
She looked at the forest behind the tea stall.
The forest was also very quiet, but she could feel some movement inside it.
Could there be an ambush?
Gu Xijiu wondered.
She was not surprised if there was an ambush. However, it did not make sense to build such a big tea stall to ambush her.
Although she had been very thirsty, she refused to go into this creepy tea stall. When she patted the Wind Caller and prepared to leave, suddenly, she heard a few loud noises. There were fireworks in the sky and Gu Xijiu was shocked to see it.
When she looked up, the curtains on the tea stalls had been raised and revealed countless people. There were guards, maids, chancellors, princes among the crowd.
In the middle, it was actually Emperor Xuan. He looked happy and walked out together with his chancellors, "Xijiu, congratulations on your successful journey through the Dark Forest!"
Rong Jialuo and Rong Che who were standing beside him, smiled at her too.
Gu Xijiu was stunned.
She even doubted that she had fallen into her own illusion again. It was acceptable to see Rong Jialuo and Rong Che, but she never expected to see Emperor Xuan here!
Soon she realized that her visions were true.
Because there were many people running out of the jungle. It was a large group of people comprising common people and the army.
The people were a very passionate while and armies were well-trained.
Obviously, it was quiet in the jungle because the common people were under the control of the army.
It was the pride of the people in Feixing Kingdom when she could break through the Dark Forest safely. Particularly when they saw that Gu Xijiu managed to keep the Wind Caller as her spiritual beast, they cheered even more loudly.
Lu Wu was lying quietly in Gu Xijius sleeve. However, when it heard the noise it revealed its head out from the sleeve to see the crowd surrounding it.
It had a purple light around its body and the crowd suddenly turned quiet when they saw Lu Wu.
It was a level eight spiritual beast!
Although some of the people could not recognize the species of Lu Wu, they could tell that it was a level eight spiritual beast from the purple light on its body!
"Xijiu, this is?" Emperor Xuan opened his eyes widely and looked at Lu Wu. His heart was pumping fast.
In fact, Gu Xijiu did not want to expose Lu Wu yet. The halo around Lu Wu was too catchy and she was still not strong enough in terms of her spiritual power.
When she brought it with her, it was like a diamond that would catch peoples attention especially those with bad intentions!
Gu Xijiu purposely hid it inside the storage bag in her sleeve but she never expected that it would come out on its own.
When she still did not know how to answer Emperor Xuan yet, Lu Wu thought that it was fun to play with the crown of Emperor Xuan and jumped onto his head.
Emperor Xuan was stunned!
Gu Xijiu reacted with lightning speed and immediately caught little Lu Wu down from Emperor's Xuan head. She put it inside her storage bag again and as she was about to apologize to Emperor Xuan, someone beside shouted, "It was Lu Wu! It looked like the spiritual beast Lu Wu!"
When this person finished shouting, the crowd was even noisier in excitement!
...
It was a welcoming party inside the large tea stall.
There were laughter and chatter from the crowd.
Gu Xijiu was arranged to be seated at the chief position on the guest's side. Rong Jialuo and Rong Che were sitting next to her respectively.
It was considered extremely grand and supreme when a King of a country led his ministers to welcome the return of Gu Xijiu in this manner.
During the party, Emperor Xuan asked, "Xijiu, it is splendid news for Feixing Kingdom that you can actually break out of the Dark Forest within seven days! You have earned your pride in our country. I am very happy with it. So what are your plans for the future?
When he asked, the crowd suddenly became quiet and looked at her.
Obviously, Emperor Xuan was indirectly asking about her marriage arrangements with Di Fuyi. He wanted to know what choice she would make.
Gu Xijiu looked down and before she could answer, a servant ran into the tea stall and reported, "Your Majesty, Celestial Master Zuo has sent his guardian Mu Feng to come and congratulate Miss Gu!"
Panic-stricken, the Emperor quickly said, "Welcome! Welcome!" He felt a little uneasy, as it seemed like Celestial Master Zuo had always been watching out for Gu Xijiu. He sent someone here as soon as she escaped the forest. Did he send the person to force her into their marriage?
Even though Celestial Master Zuo once said that if Gu Xijiu could make it out of the Dark Forest within eight days, they could revise and discuss the engagement again. However, it would only be a discussion; there was no certainty that the engagement would be dismissed.
Furthermore, who would not wish to marry Celestial Master Zuo?
Gu Xijiu should not be an exception, too.
The Emperor could not help but look at Gu Xijiu. She seemed at ease; it was hard to read her mind from her expressions. Then, she stood up with him.
Mu Feng entered the hall with vigorous strides.
After paying respect to the Emperor and others, he turned his attention to Gu Xijiu, "Miss Gu, congratulations upon escaping the Dark Forest. Celestial Master Zuo has sent me to congratulate you on his behalf. I hereby present you this humble gift."
There was a rise of admiration from the people, as Celestial Master Zuo would not present his gift to just anyone; he did not even send the Emperor anything for his royal marriage years ago. To ones surprise, this time he sent his follower to present his gift to Gu Xijiu as a token of congratulation.
What would the gift be?
Most of the attention fell onto Mu Feng, as he slowly took out a little Narra wooden box from his storage bag. After opening the box, a pitch-dark bracelet could be seen buried within the velvet sheets.
The Dark Heart Bracelet!
It was the Dark Heart Bracelet that was taken as a keepsake for their engagement!
Gu Xijiu stared blankly at the bracelet for a little while. She smiled, as she seemed to have realized something.
Puzzled, the Emperor stood gazing at the officials of all ranks. They could certainly recognize the bracelet, but they could not understand Celestial Master Zuos intention behind the gift.
Mu Feng was still staring at Gu Xijiu, "Celestial Master has also sent me to ask you a question. It is necessary that Miss Gu answers it."
"Please." Gu Xijiu raised her brows.
"Celestial Master Zuo had once made a promise to Miss Gu, that says as long as you can make it out of the Dark Forest within eight days, hell discuss with you about the renouncement of the engagement. Now that youve made it in time, Celestial Master will definitely honor his promise and will not force you into marriage. If Miss Gu still wishes to rescind the engagement, you can accept the Dark Heart Bracelet. If Miss Gu doesnt wish to rescind the engagement, then theres no need for you to accept the bracelet. Hell send you another gift in the future."
With these words, Mu Feng fell on a knee and presented the bracelet to Gu Xijiu, "Miss, will you or will you not accept it?"
The hall fell into a complete silence after he uttered his words.
Numerous eyes turned to meet Gu Xijiu, awaiting her answer.
The sunlight streamed in and shined on Gu Xijius face. Her complexion glowed faintly under the light, as she looked down at the bracelet.
The pitch-black bracelet looked somewhat ice-cold. Whatever it might be, it could not be heartwarming.
Gu Xijiu paused for a while. Then, she stretched out her hand and took hold of the bracelet.
Mu Fengs eyes darkened, as he held the empty box and took a step backward, "It seems like Miss Gu has chosen to rescind the engagement."
Gu Xijiu looked up at him. Unhurriedly, he flashed a smile and presented another two copies of a document, "Such being the case, Mu Feng has nothing more to say. This is the disengagement document written by Celestial Master Zuo himself, you'll just have to sign it. From now on, there'll be no engagement between Miss Gu and Celestial Master Zuo. Your marriages in the future will have nothing to do with one another."
The paper quality of the document was very delicate. The handwriting on it was of swift calligraphy it was Di Fuyi, Celestial Master Zuos handwriting. It was indeed a disengagement document.
Celestial Master Zuo had obviously foreseen all of it. Everything was thoroughly prepared.
Gu Xijiu wanted to laugh at it. The disengagement procedure was like a divorce. The document served as a divorce certificate, where each of them would keep a copy.
Mu Feng had prepared everything comprehensively to every detail. Not only did he prepare the ink that was already ground, he even prepared the red ink paste for her to seal her forefinger as a signature.
Gu Xijiu took over the brush and looked briefly at the words on the document. Then, she signed her name on the document and used her forefinger to seal her signature on top of her name with the red ink paste.
Once she was done signing the papers, Mu Feng handed out to take a copy. He touched her hand accidentally while they exchanged the papers.
Her fingers were ice-cold, but he maintained his composure and did not say anything.
Mu Feng was very efficient. He left once his mission was complete.
Gu Xijiu folded her copy of the document and placed it in the storage, as she returned to her seat.
The hall was once again filled with cheering and laughter like nothing had happened. They often turned their attention to Gu Xijiu, as they sought to find out more.
Gu Xijiu had eaten quite a lot.
She had explored the Dark Forest like a savage for six or seven days and had only been eating all kinds of fruits to the point where she felt almost like a monkey. Now that she could finally have a meal like a normal human being, she would definitely satiate her appetite to the fullest. Moreover, the royal chef from the Emperor had thoughtfully prepared the delicacies.
While eating, she could feel like something was not right in her surroundings. She raised her head and looked around, only to realize that everyone had been looking at her. Their eyes were slightly suspicious. Some of them could no longer hold back their peals of laughter.
Gu Xijiu could not react immediately at the moment, so she touched her face instinctively.
Was there sauce on her face?
By her side, Rong Jialuo lowered his voice and said, "Xijiu, eat slowly, don't choke up." He looked around. Then, he met their eyes and said calmly, "What are you looking at? If you were being sent to the Dark Forest and were able to make it out alive, you wouldn't look any better than her."
Their expressions brightened up a little with a tiny smile. Then, they turned their attention away.
Gu Xijiu finally realized it it was her eating manner that had surprised them.
She was terribly shocked as she looked down at the plates in front of her.
To her surprise, she had emptied six or seven servings. Most of the food was meat, served in huge portions.
Suddenly, she could sense a sudden feeling of breathlessness and suffocation in her chest.
Rong Che handed her an Amber Bowl that carried a solution in the color of azure green, "Xijiu, drink this."
Gu Xijiu knew that it was a treatment for indigestion from the scent of the solution. It was the right thing for her consumption, so she took it thankfully and drank it. Then, she could finally feel better.
"How are you?" There was a sign of concern in Rong Ches eyes.
"Im feeling better. Is this a special recipe from the palace?" The taste of the solution was surprisingly good, making her crave for more.
"I made it myself. Glad that you liked it," said Rong Che, smilingly.
He was a man as beautiful as jade, with a smile that would overthrow the city. His scent was subdued with a quiet elegance, yet addictive like the poppy flower. His tempting scent was enough to attract her.
Gu Xijiu spoke highly of him, as she did not expect the wealthy and honorable Eighth Prince to know how to concoct a solution for her.
There was a light in Rong Ches eyes. Smilingly, he said, "I also know how to make different solutions with different tastes and purposes, how about a treat from me when we get back to the capital?"
Before Gu Xijiu could say anything, Rong Jialuo had already voiced out calmly, "My Eighth Brother, will you invite me along, that time?"
"This"
"My Eighth Brother, will you be that mean to leave me out of the invitation?"
Rong Che touched the fan that he had been holding on and said with a cough, "Of course not, Ill invite you along."
"Thats great, then," said Rong Jialuo, nodded. He filled a cup of tea for Gu Xijiu and continued calmly, "Xijiu, My Eighth Brother can indeed make a lot of strange and exotic herbal soups. We shall go and visit him together! Have a taste of it all!"
The Emperor interrupted suddenly, "Xijiu, whats your plan for the future?"
"Emperor, I still think that Im lacking some strength, so Ill isolate myself and practice my Kung Fu for a while once I get back home."
"No, Xijiu, I think that youre still young. You should enter a school to learn some knowledge from various aspects. Therell be guidance from some of the greatest teachers in school, so you can learn faster, rather than isolating yourself."
"Yes, yes, one should learn widely from others strengths. Isolating oneself to practice Kung Fu blindly would be like working behind closed doors..,"
"Exactly, exactly"
The officials agreed, one after another.
Gu Xijiu was struck by a thought. She also felt that she knew too little about the world, so she nodded in approval, as it would be great for her if she had the chance to enter a school and learn more.
Seeing her nod her head, the Emperor was delighted and started discussing with the officials about suitable schools for Gu Xijiu's admission.
There were schools all across the country in Starry Crescent Land. In order to cultivate excellence in their own county, there were certainly many schools in Feixing Kingdom as well. These schools were also categorized into different ranks.
The people agreed in unison that Gu Xijiu should enter the school of the highest rank in Feixing Kingdom with her credentials Xingyi Hall.
The Firmament Stone filled her in with the relevant information, "Xingyi Hall was the biggest and the best school in Feixing Kingdom. The school only has the elites of distinguished talents and only accepts the most excellent children from the recommendations of different state governments in the entire country; even the teachers are well-known in Starry Cresent Land. Rong Jialuo and Rong Che are still learning in that school, but they'll be graduating soon. Rong Chu is great, but his qualifications didn't meet the expectations, so he was denied entry."
Probably because of exhaustion, Gu Xijiu had trouble trying to put her thoughts together. After a while, she finally made sense of it.
The Emperor was actually trying to match her with Rong Jialuo or Rong Che.
It was due to the words from Celestial Master Zuo the other day that diminished the idea from the Emperor to force her into any marriages. Therefore, he wanted to take this opportunity, hoping that they would come to have feelings for each other as time passes.
While she was still lost in her thoughts, someone suddenly said, "Emperor, in my opinion, Miss Gu should be able to enter Tianju Hall for further learning. Hasn't Miss Yun Qingluo also started attending the school a few days ago?"
The Emperor looked down and found out that the one who had just voiced his opinion was a general. The general had a good relationship with Gu Xietian. Also, he was forthright and outspoken, as he always voiced out anything that came to mind.
In fact, Gu Xietian had been in the banquet all the while. Since he saw Gu Xijiu, he had not been able to step forward and could only watch from afar. Gu Xijiu, on the other hand, acted as though she did not see him and did not bother to greet him.
At this moment, he was at the same table as the general. Hearing the words of the general had affected him a little, so he turned his eyes to the Emperor as well.
The Emperor kept his countenance and looked down at the officials.
Just as one expected, there was an official who stood up to retort against him, "You must be kidding, Tianju Hall is simply not for just about anyone to enter."
Just as one had expected, there was an official who stood up to retort against him, "You must be kidding, Tianju Hall is simply not for just anyone to enter. The admission is well known for its stringency, as one must obtain at least three recommendation letters from the five heaven's gift disciples. It's what the Lord has done to nurture the talents in Starry Crescent Land. The reason why Yun Qingluo was eligible for admission was that she's a true heaven's gift disciple, as she ought to be."
The general was astonished. He remained slightly unconvinced. "Nonetheless, our lady is extraordinary, too, as her spirit power has already achieved a level five at her tender age, she has even tamed Lu Wu, a level eight majestic being. Although shes not a heaven's gift disciple, shes a follower of the Lord. Perhaps Tianju Hall will accept her."
"You must be dreaming! The people who gain admittance are certainly geniuses, the best of the best, with a level-five primary spirit power and yet Miss Gu was a failure in her spirit power back then, as she didnt even achieve level one."
The official who disapproved the argument was a man with a hot temper, as he was often too outspoken. At this point, he realized that he did say something wrong. He coughed as he looked at Gu Xijiu and said, "Of course, Miss Gu has now achieved level five, but that is not her primary spirit power."
Some of the officials, whom would not be dealing with Gu Xietian, had their courage boosted under the influence of alcohol and chimed in with the opinion of the general, "Exactly, exactly, the admission of the place is strict with no space for compromise - a nail is a nail and a dowel is a dowel! Miss Gu will not make it, as she doesnt really fit the criteria."
Gu Xietian had offended quite a lot of people before. Moreover, the rules for the admission of Tianju Hall were absolutely stringent, so there were more and more people who echoed the views of the official.
The main idea was that Gu Xijiu was not eligible to be admitted into Tianju Hall. It would only be an embarrassment for her if she insisted to register herself there.
One of them who had a sharp tongue commented in jest, "Although Miss Gu has created some miracles, she's still incomparable to Yun Qingluo to be placed on a par. The difference is too vast. One must have a clear estimation of one's ability."
"Slam!" The Emperor hit the table loudly with the white jade cup in his hand to finally stop the discussions among the officials, which were happening almost wildly without holding back their opinions.
The Emperor looked around sternly and all of them lowered their heads.
Calmly, the Emperor said, "You all must make measured speeches! Such an aptitude of hers is invaluable. Dont compare her with irrelevant people. A child with good natural endowments will accomplish a name by herself regardless of the school she attends. Moreover, the school of Xingyi Hall in my Feixing Kingdom is pretty good, too. Itd be great if Xijiu goes there."
He then turned to look at Gu Xijiu and said softly, "Xijiu, Xingyi Hall has many great teachers, you'll definitely learn many things if you go there. You should go back and have a rest. I will personally write a letter to the hall teacher three days later. He'll definitely have you arranged appropriately. Oh, right, let Jia Luo and Che accompany you as you go. They're the students there, just right to get you familiar with the place."
Gu Xijiu could not help but laugh.
This two-man comic show between the Emperor and the officials was nicely done.
They spared no effort in order to make her enter Xingyi Hall, willingly.
Some coaxed, others coerced, some tried to smooth things over. All were done just to leave her no choice of declining.
If Gu Xijiu were just a child in her teenage years, she would definitely be fooled by them, as though she had to count money for the people who sold her.
However, she was Gu Xijiu, as she had seen all kinds of people and had experienced enough filthy things in her life. How could she not realize it?
If the Emperor had not incited them in advance, these old slickers, whom had years of experience in the official circles, would not dare to express their opinions so freely without a care.
The Emperor feared that she, as a follower of The Lord, would be drawn over to another kingdom, so he did what he could to remain here in the homeland.
Xingyi Hall was indeed the best school in Feixing Kingdom. However, it was meant to serve the Feixing Kingdom and to nurture elites for the kingdom.
It was heard that the management followed a military routine, as they even had to chant the slogans loudly every day, as though brainwashed.
If she went on to learn in there, she could only stay in Feixing Kingdom. There would be no place left for her to go.
Even if she went to another kingdom, she would be guarded against, like a spy.
According to the legend, The Lord established Tianju Hall a few hundred years ago. All the recruits were the best elites in the entire continent. Even the teachers were selected from each country, so it was definitely a great school. The graduates from the school could easily dominate the whole continent.
Xingyi Hall compared to Tianju Hall was akin to comparing a second-class local high school with a worlds first-class prestigious school it was incomparable.
Gu Xijiu looked at Rong Jialuo and Rong Che. Rong Jialuo frowned, not saying a word. Rong Che, on the other hand, remained silent while waving his fan. However, there was a mixed sign of bitterness and disapproval in his eyes.
Obviously, Rong Jialuo and Rong Che were not informed about this beforehand. They had clearly realized the intention behind the Emperors plan. They just did not unravel it.
The Firmament Stone was anxious, too. "Master, I think its most suitable that you enter Tianju Hall, as there wont be much to be worried about. However, the standard is too high for us to get in. Perhaps Celestial Master Zuo has other ways, but youve just broken off your engagement with him. He even left you alone in the Dark Forest and ran away like mad. Even if you beg him, he wont necessarily help you out. Moreover, this requires three recommendations from three heaven's gift disciples. Perhaps Long Siye will help you. Celestial Master You is an uncertainty. Itd be great if Celestial Master Zuo didnt make things even more difficult for you. As for Hua Wuyan and Qian Yueran, youre not very familiar with them, so theyre definitely hopeless."
"What about The Lord?" asked Gu Xijiu, all of a sudden.
"If The Lord recommends you personally then it'll be fine, but but, you haven't even seen the face of The Lord, have you? How do you beg for help? I heard that it's difficult to see The Lord, even the five heaven's gift disciple had to queue for years just to see him."
"Xijiu, what do you think?" asked the Emperor, as he could not refrain himself from asking after seeing Gu Xijiu so quiet with her head down.
"Miss Gu, the admission to Xingyi Hall in our country is extremely difficult as well. If it wasnt for the Emperor writing the recommendation letter personally, you wouldnt be able to enter the school."
"Exactly, its a kind gesture from the Emperor."
One after another, the officials began to talk and chimed in with the Emperor. Some opinions varied.
The main intention was to make Gu Xijiu think that her admission to Xingyi Hall was an honorable, accumulated virtue from her previous lives. She would be considered as ungrateful for refusing what was good for her.
Gu Xijiu frowned and as she was about to say something, the eunuch from outside came into the hall with sweat all over his face and reported, "Your Majesty, the Lord the Lords follower, Messenger Jiangshan has made his esteemed presence."
Due to his great agitation, he stammered over his words as he spoke.
The entire hall fell into complete silence.
"What?" Even the Emperor forgot himself for a little, as he stood up abruptly and almost knocked over the table in front of him.
The Emperor led the civil and military officials of all ranks to greet the legendary Messenger Jiangshan in the most ceremonious manner possible.
The names of the four messengers alongside the Lord would strike the people like the roar of thunder. However, due to the fact that they rarely made their presence, most of the people had never actually seen them before.
Even the Emperor had only seen Messenger Jiangshan once.
Messenger Jiangshan was wearing a large, green robe. He looked friendly with a gentle and amiable expression like Buddha. He stood gracefully tall and straight with his voice clanging like the mountain spring.
Messenger Jiangshan was a straightforward person. He presented a jade from his waistband in order to prove his identity. Then, he clarified the intention of his visit, "Your Majesty, I am here because of the official decree of the Lord."
Receiving the official decree from the Lord required every person to kneel. Thereupon, the people in the huge tea booth went down on their knees chaotically, including the Emperor.
Gu Xijiu was not taking precautions and was very much absorbed in the situation. When she finally reacted, she realized that she was the only one standing in the entire tea booth, like a crane standing amongst chickens.
Messenger Jiangshan looked at her and said, "Gu Xijiu, please step forward to receive the official decree from the Lord."
To her surprise, the official decree of the Lord was meant for her.
Gu Xijiu frowned in astonishment. However, she was not reckless enough to act stubborn at this critical timing and foolishly refuse to kneel, so she went down on her knee.
Messenger Jiangshan waved his hand and a silver-white scroll emerged out of the void and appeared to be floating mid-air. There were some lively and exquisite words, like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes, that could be seen appearing following an order on the scroll. There were only a few short sentences, "Gu Xijiu, as the follower of the Lord, is permitted to enter Tianju Hall for her studies. This should be carried out immediately. She'll be sent personally by Messenger Jiangshan."
The words were not very huge, but huge enough to be seen clearly by every person that was present.
The Emperor was silent.
The officials were lost for words.
Gu Xijiu did not know what to say.
Messenger Jiangshan gestured at Gu Xijiu, "Miss Gu, please!"
No one had ever gone against the official decree of the Lord. Even though the Emperor was not reconciled, he could only helplessly watch as Messenger Jiangshan took Gu Xijiu away.
Messenger Jiangshan was of high integrity, as he attended the official affair strictly according to official principles. He did not even have a sip of water to drink before he left.
Messenger Jiangshan went outside and whistled. A milk-white carriage that was carried by two Pegasus descended from heaven to earth.
The carriage seemed to be luxurious in a modest way. There was cloud and mist surrounding it, making it look like a carriage for celestial beings.
"Miss Gu, please get onboard, as I have to act under the order of sending you there."
Gu Xijiu hesitated slightly to move forward, "How about my Wind Caller?" The Wind Caller was a land being, so it did not know how to ride the clouds.
"Dont worry, the Emperor will arrange for it to be sent to Tianju Hall. Miss Gu, you'll just have to follow me, alone," said Messenger Jiangshan.
Gu Xijiu looked at the Emperor. Certainly, the Emperor consented without much deliberation so she could leave without worrying. He would especially send someone to deliver the Wind Caller.
With that being said, Gu Xijiu stopped commenting and turned around to board the carriage.
Messenger Jiangshan flew onto the carriage. He then produced a whip in his hand and cracked it softly. The Pegasus pulled the carriage and rose high up in the sky. In a blink of an eye, the carriage was already far away.
When the carriage finally disappeared in the distant corner of the sky, everyone was still very much absorbed in shock, unaware of what had happened.
Although Gu Xijiu was acknowledged more often lately as the follower of the Lord, it was only a hypothesis made by Celestial Master Zuo back then without so much as an authentic verification. However, she had just been completely verified with the presence of Messenger Jiangshan.
She was indeed the follower of the Lord. The Lord was clearly treating her differently, out of the ordinary.
There was a mixture of emotions in every heart there was admiration, bewilderment, surprise and anxiety about gains and losses.
Someone finally broke the silence, "She turned out to be a real follower of the Lord!"
"But still, she shouldnt be eligible for the admission of Tianju Hall with the necessary qualifications, right?" Some were still unwilling to accept the fact.
"Why would she not be eligible? Who else could have his or her spirit power advanced from level two to level five over the course of only six months?" said Rong Jialuo, icily.
The crowd was quiet, as no one spoke a word again.
Indeed, only Gu Xijiu had created such a miracle in this world.
Rong Che waved his fan, as he watched Gu Xijiu disappearing, and pondered.
Tianju Hall was located at the borders of the three kingdoms which was 6,000 miles away from the Dark Forest!
It was a very long journey. Gu Xijiu might need to take two days to arrive even if she used the Wind Caller as her ride. However, this carriage was different.
The clouds were moving backward as the carriage moving forward in the sky. Apparently, the Heaven Horse was moving at a very high speed!
With the current speed, she only needed one day to arrive Tianju Hall.
The decoration in the carriage was pretty decent. Gu Xijiu had a soft cushion as though she was sitting on cotton. Besides that, the air in the carriage was really fresh and rich in spiritual energy. She could achieve the same result as meditation, just by breathing normally.
After all, she had not taken any breaks for a few days now and she was injured by a certain poison which caused her to feel exhausted. In fact, she was born with sleepiness and exhaustion while fighting with those people at the tea stall earlier.
And now, she finally got some peace and quiet in the carriage. Her eyelids were trembling as she tried very hard to keep herself awake even though she was really exhausted.
Although the Messenger Jiangshan looked real, she had never met him before. Besides that, his arrival was too random and sudden which triggered her alarm.
"Miss Gu doesnt trust me?" Messenger Jiangshan seemed to know her concern and threw a jade card into the cabin, "Miss, you could verify it if need be."
How could she verify it when she did not even know how to differentiate between the genuine and the fake one?
Gu Xijiu took a glimpse at the jade card and realized something!
She had no idea what kind of jade that was, but there was a layer of glowing mist on the surface with two characters floating in the mist, Jiangshan. It was not an engraving but it was inserted hollowly. It looked like a hologram where the two characters were moving like waves occasionally and slowly forming a human portrait
Gu Xijiu stared at the image for a while and finally recognized it. It was the reflection of Messenger Jiangshan outside! That was precisely his body figure!
"Master, this is the Frozen Lake Illusion Jade!" The Firmament Stone screamed in a low pitch, "This is real!"
Gu Xijiu secretly nodded as she had also thought the jade was a genuine one.
According to the legend, the Frozen Lake Illusion Jade was made from a type of jade from the forbidden zone - it was so rare and difficult to attain. A jade with the size of a grain of rice could cost an exorbitant amount of money.
A unique feature of the jade was its ability to reflect someones image and act as a proof of one's identity.
Who else could make such a unique and glamourous jade aside from The Lord?
Others might not even have the skill even if they wanted to fake it!
Furthermore, rumor has said that only the four guardians could use the jade and anyone who tried to use it would be executed!
Gu Xijiu picked up the jade and took a look at its front cover, she was shocked!
There was a human image carved on the front just like a freshly done ice sculpture. There was also a moon above his masked head and the man was surrounded by countless clouds.
The posture and his gesture were exactly like The Lords jade statue in Gu Xijius dream!
When Gu Xijiu was in a daze, the man seemed to be casting a spell and sending it towards her direction!
Gu Xijius hand was shaking; she closed her eyes and tried to avoid it, and then fell asleep.
The jade fell on her top and she was surrounded by the jades glow
...
In the icy jade's antique, there were countless stars shining brightly on the ceiling.
There was a high platform which almost allowed people to pluck the stars from the sky, its shape was like a star with six beams of light projecting out. The floor of the high platform was made from transparent jade with a mixture of black and white jade in an array of ancient layouts.
It was not an open air platform but a layer of transparent glass hanging above the platform, as though it was covered by a huge glass lid.
In fact, it was in the evening and outside the glass lid was an orange sky decked by a beautiful sunset.
However, looking up from the high platform, there was a dark blue sky with plenty of stars shining.
Di Fuyi was standing on the high platform. As usual, he was wearing the moonlight white robe and a spell hovered around as he moved. He raised his head and looked at the countless stars dotting the sky as though deep in thoughts.
Looking at him from afar, his silhouette looked slightly lonely.
Suddenly, something at his waist glowed. He took out a vintage mirror and tapped on it.
An image of a young ladys portrait appeared in the mirror. She had long black hair, her eyelashes were long and her features were beautiful. She looked young like a 14 or 15 year old. She was as pretty as a blossoming flower.
That was Gu Xijiu!
She was leaning against the wall in the carriage with her eyes closed. She was asleep. She looked exhausted as there were two dark circles around her eyes and the birthmark which almost disappeared has been darkened again. Her lips were pale, like a flower that barely survived a rainstorm.
Perhaps, she could finally take a good rest. Her features looked slightly gentler; less ferocious when she was asleep. Sometimes, she even looked weak and deserved some love and protection.
Di Fuiyi looked at her with a complicated expression. His gaze was scanning her body inch by inch, as though examining her with an X-Ray
A moment later, he moved his gaze away and tapped on the mirror again. Gu Xijius image was gone and Messenger Jiangshan appeared in the mirror.
Messenger Jiangshan was accelerating the carriage, that was the reason his image was shaking in the mirror, "The Lord, I think she is not feeling well. I realized her hands were very cold when I went to the tea stall to terminate the engagement as Mu Feng. She looked unwell as though she was just trying to pretend she was fine"
"She touched her hands?" Di Fuyi asked with a mild tone.
Messenger Jiangshan suddenly shivered and quickly explained, "Im sorry Lord, I accidentally touched her hand while I handed the engagement termination document to her"
Di Fuyi blinked his eyes slightly, "Did she sign it? Did she asked anything?
"No, nothing. She just signed it after I had finished explaining the terms and conditions."
Di Fuyis eyes looked downward, and the edge of his lips curved upwards.
Messenger Jiangshan immediately shivered again and said, "Lord, are her injuries serious?"
"She was poisoned but she is not in danger now. There are still some poisonous residues in her lungs, hence, she looked pale" Di Fuyi told him about Gu Xijius condition.
Messenger Jiangshan paid full respect, as his master was really the best physician! His skill was unbeatable as he could see the symptoms of the patient with only a mirror, even the number one physician (Long Siye) in the Starry Crescent Land could not do it
"Lord, what kind of treatment does she need?"
Di Fuyi was idling for a short while and remained silent.
Messenger Jiangshan (Mu Feng) did not dare pressure him. Finally, Di Fuyi spoke, "Put the jade into her right hand."
"Yes!" Mu Feng did not dare delay any further. He quickly released his jade; it flew into the cabin and landed on Gu Xijius half-opened-palm. Gu Xijiu who was sleeping was holding it