“Is that child still kneeling outside?” The old hall master was seated in front of the table and he had his dinner as he questioned the person who brought his meal over.

“He has been kneeling there since morning and it has several hours already. He didn’t move, eat, or drink. Without Young Lady Wan’er’s help, he would have already fainted.” The person delivering the meal answered honestly. He didn’t seem to be sorry for Pei Wuchen, instead, he seemed to be rejoicing in Pei Wuchen’s misfortune.

The old hall master stopped what he was doing and muttered to himself for a moment before giving a reply, “Since that is the case... after I finish my dinner, when you bring the meal box out, ask him to come in.”

“Yes. This servant shall obey.” That person attending to the old hall master replied respectfully.

Perhaps he couldn’t wait for Pei Wuchen’s explanation, he finished his dinner in the blink of an eye.

“You may enter, the Hall Master wants to see you.” That person left with the meal box after speaking and didn’t help Pei Wuchen up.

Pei Wuchen had been kneeling for an entire day and now that he suddenly got up, he felt dizzy and his knees were soft. Coupled with the fact that he didn’t eat or drink for almost an entire day, his eyes blacked out for a moment and he almost fainted.

Feng Wan’er who stood by the side reacted quickly and gave Pei Wuchen the support he needed before escorting him into the old hall master’s room. The moment they entered, the old hall master spoke up. “Wan’er, you may leave first. There is nothing for you here.”

“Why! Wuchen is now so weak! How can I leave him here alone?!” Feng Wan’er retorted immediately.

“He is already an adult. He doesn’t need a girl like you to take care of him. Get out immediately. Don’t make me say it again.” It was unknown if Feng Wan’er’s words had infuriated the old hall master as he seemed exceptionally angry.

Feng Wan’er was still unresigned and wanted to argue with the old hall master. Pei Wuchen desperately signaled for Feng Wan’er to stop talking. When Feng Wan’er saw that even Pei Wuchen was stopping her from staying, she bowed and asked to leave.

After Feng Wan’er walked far away, the old hall master asked someone to close the door tightly before addressing Pei Wuchen. “Do you know why am I so angry? Do you know why I made you kneel outside for an entire day?”

Pei Wuchen glanced at the old hall master and replied carefully, “Is it not because I made the decision to agree with my Emperor Father on my own accord?”

The old hall master shook his head.

“Then… could it be because I made a decision that would affect the Phoenix King Valley’s interests because I didn’t want to lose face in front of my Emperor Father?” Pei Wuchen saw the old hall master shaking his head, he changed his answer.

The old hall master still shook his head. However, he spoke before Pei Wuchen could change his answer again. “Neither. I am angry because of Wan’er. Let me ask you, how will her image be affected because of your move?”

Pei Wuchen heard what the old hall master said and he stuttered for a long time. He failed to find an answer and eventually fell silent.

“If you can’t say it, I will say it for you!” When the old hall master looked at Pei Wuchen who still had an innocent look on his face, he spoke with anger, “The valley’s disciples are already dissatisfied with Wan’er because of her personality and how she deals with things! But you… actually pushed Wan’er towards the edge of the cliff. You might be bringing the princes to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range and no one will say that you are an ingrate who went against the sect’s interests, but Wan’er will be criticized by all of them! They will say that her judgement is clouded due to her love for you. They will say that she can even disregard the sect’s honor and interests over a man. Just her simple action this afternoon will be enough for people to make up exaggerating stories behind her back!”

Pei Wuchen was still speechless and the old hall master found him to be an irksome presence. He immediately looked for a reason to get rid of Pei Wuchen. “What is done cannot be undone. You might be the Valley Master’s last disciple but as seniors, we will still need to teach you a lesson. Also, we will never let you embarrass yourself in front of the Emperor. Consider me giving you approval to bring the princes with us to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range. However, I won’t be able to control the outcome. If there is nothing else, you can return. You should rest after kneeling for an entire day.”

After the old hall master finished his statement, Pei Wuchen immediately asked to be excused and didn’t stay for a moment longer.

Seeing as Pei Wuchen was in a rush to leave, the old hall master felt rueful in his heart.

In fact, Feng Wan’er truly loved Pei Wuchen and had bestowed her affection entirely onto him. However, he didn’t know if Pei Wuchen really loved her as much as she loved him. He also didn’t know if his intention was to get closer to the Phoenix King Valley.

The next morning, Ying Lan led a small team from the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence and departed from the capital city. After traveling for 20 miles on the main path, they changed to another path which led to the back of the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.

On the other side, Pei Qingfeng had also set off because he didn’t want to delay everyone with his slow movements.

The rumors in the capital city became more and more intense. For a moment, it managed to eclipse the news of the Phoenix King Valley’s recruitment. By the time Bai Luochu, Cai Ling, and the silver-haired man departed, the capital city was filled with both dragons and snakes. Once the two weeks timeline was up, the Phoenix King Valley and the princes were the first to depart. The other factions and aspiring youths followed behind them.

The one that was the most relaxed was Bai Luochu who slowly disguised herself as Divine Physician Bai before helping Cai Ling put on some disguise. She turned the originally delicate servant girl into a handsome manservant. They then met up with the silver-haired man before setting off towards the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.

The route that Bai Luochu was taking was the small path that Guan Yue had added onto the map. As it wasn’t recorded on the official map, this route was rather secluded. The trio didn’t encounter any troublemakers along the way and felt rather relaxed. It felt as though they weren’t going to the Falling Cloud Mountain Range to set up the contract with the spirit beast. Instead, it felt like a field trip.

“Master, with your speed, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to obtain the Green Flame Eagle’s feathers!” When Cai Ling saw how relaxed Bai Luochu was, she felt rather anxious.

“There is no need to hurry. Today is just the first day. I have been cultivating without rest for the past two weeks… We only need to move faster in the next few days. Furthermore, there will definitely be a fight for the Green Flame Eagle. I am a person who practices medicine, it is better to leave such bloody matters to the others. We will simply wait for the battle to end before swooping in to grab the rewards.”

Bai Luochu gave her response and continued to move forward. After getting reminded by Cai Ling, her pace got noticeably faster. Cai Ling reacted quickly and ran two small steps before walking behind Bai Luochu. The silver-haired man did the same thing.

When the trio arrived at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, they were immediately greeted with a hostile atmosphere.