The black-clothed men had probably not expected Princess Jing to be so decisive, so they were taken aback for a moment.

  Princess Jing set down the blade in her hand and smiled at the intruders.

  The leader of the black-clothed men eyed the three deep cuts on her arm that went to the bone. He gave a nod before gesturing for his subordinates to leave with a wave.

  “Princess?”


  “Princess!” Xinlan and the others quickly surrounded Princess Jing and frantically treated her wounds.

  “Princess.” The maidservants couldn’t help but weep.

  “Don’t cry.” Princess Jing said nonchalantly, “The world is like this. The strong prey on the weak!”


  If she hadn’t acknowledged her fault decisively today, then she might have gotten even more injured.

  Even so, she would not resent anyone for this. She could only blame herself for being incompetent and not clever enough, allowing other people to see through her objective.

  She was going to be even more careful in the future and work even harder to empower herself…


  Until no one was able to easily hurt her!

  Before day broke the next morning, Yu Gui left the small town with her martial sisters.

  The group hurried toward Mount Tai, planning to meet up with the other six people from the academy there.

  Their Godsend Academy had dispatched twelve people this time, and they were originally going to set out together.

  However, because Yu Gui and the other five had to meet up with Yang Xirong and company in Wanlu Town, they separated from the other six people earlier by making up some reasonable excuse.

  Yu Gui and them had told Yang Xirong and company that the people in the academy treated them rather well, and that they were on harmonious terms with the other students.

  But in reality, most of these were just words of comfort.

  They did not have an easy time in the academy.

  After all, Yu Gui and the others had very ordinary backgrounds. In this kind of academy filled with people representing different influences and forces, they were usually practically transparent existences.

  This time, the other team that was entering the mountain was not on good terms with Yu Gui’s group. They usually had some conflicts, but they were only minor.

  That’s why even though the teacher chaperoning the team was displeased when Yu Gui’s group left the academy for Mount Tai first, he didn’t comment.

  The two teams originally didn’t get along well, so it was instead troublesome if they were forced to be together. They might as well travel separately and meet up at Mount Tai, which would spare them any conflict along the way.

  It was some time after Yu Gui’s group left that the lobby of the tavern finally started bustling with activity.

  Guests descended from the second floor intermittently, and they ate and sipped tea like usual. It was as if that loud ruckus in the middle of the night had happened in their dreams instead.

  Miss Qiao slept all the way until it was almost noon. She rolled around on the bed before finally opening her drowsy eyes.

  When she looked up, she immediately saw Crown Prince Mo’s resigned expression.

  Qiao Mu blinked her eyes and stuck out her two pudgy arms. Seeing this, the crown prince promptly picked her up.

  “My Qiaoqiao really can sleep.” The crown prince asked with a smile, “How long has it been since you had a good night’s sleep?”


  She had no idea why she had slept so soundly last night.

  Qiao Mu looked at him suspiciously. “Did you use medicinal power on me?”


  Mo Lian shook his head. “I didn’t.”


  After washing up, she peered at the crown prince and rubbed her petite belly. She said in a crisp voice, “I’m hungry.”


  The crown prince could not help but laugh, and he led her outside the door. “What do you want to eat?”


  In contrast to Qiao Mu and Mo Lian’s late arrival, Fairy, the Peony Immortal, Dao Wuji, Qi Xuanxuan, Duanmu Qing, and the rest had long gotten up. They finished eating breakfast and then listlessly waited for a long time…