The young man shouted loudly, “Captain, it’s these two! They’re trying to break the entry rules, and they even tried to attack me!”
The captain of the city guard was a middle-aged man around forty, with a dignified, square face that carried a certain authoritative air.
His small eyes swept over Feng Qingran and Mo Jinghong, narrowing slightly. These two don’t quite match the portraits. But never mind that—the priority was to find a way to catch them first.
The captain waved his hand grandly. “Men, arrest these two troublemakers for me!”
If Feng Qingran still couldn’t tell that someone had set a trap and was waiting for her, she’d be a fool.
But she had never set foot in Fire Spirit Province before—who exactly was targeting her?
Mo Jinghong, who had remained silent all this time, stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Feng Qingran.
His phoenix eyes were brilliant yet profound, and every gesture he made exuded a cool, noble elegance.
When Mo Jinghong stood still, no one paid much attention to his commanding presence. But the moment he actively released his aura—the overwhelming pressure of a peak Spirit Transformation cultivator—no one could withstand it.
The captain hesitated slightly. This doesn’t match the intel at all!
The information said one was at the early Nascent Soul stage, and the person beside them was a late Spirit Transformation cultivator…
Yet here stood two people before him—one at peak Spirit Transformation, and the other whose cultivation he couldn’t even discern.
The city guards, upon hearing the captain’s command, rushed forward without hesitation, surrounding Feng Qingran and Mo Jinghong.
Someone shouted fiercely, “Anyone who dares resist the city guard will be killed without mercy!”
The captain helplessly pressed his forehead. A bunch of idiots. They charged in without even reading the opponents’ cultivation levels. Now how am I supposed to clean up this mess?
Though he too was at peak Spirit Transformation, his strength was clearly no match for Mo Jinghong’s.
“Are you from Qingyun Province?” The captain decided to ask first. If they were from Qingyun Province, arresting them would be the right call without question.
The crowd abandoned their lines entirely and swarmed over to gawk.
Mo Jinghong remained silent. A token had appeared in his hand.
Just as he was about to raise it—
Clop, clop, clop! —
The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed in the distance.
The captain’s expression tensed. It’s the Dragon-Scale Horse of the Young Master Chu.
Young Master Chu was known for meddling in other people’s business. If he decided to protect these two, would the captain let them go or not?
The captain waved at his men, signaling them to clear the way.
Let Young Master Chu pass through first.
“What? Young Master Chu is here?” Someone in the crowd grew nervous.
“Young Master Chu is coming! Everyone, move aside quickly, or you’ll be in for it…”
Smack! —
The captain slapped the man who had shouted. “If you want to die, don’t drag us down with you. Go yell somewhere else.”
The guard cowered, his face full of fear. “Captain, I was just afraid they’d block the way!”
“Scram! You brainless fool!” the captain barked.
The captain glanced at Mo Jinghong and Feng Qingran a few more times. I’ll deal with them after Young Master Chu passes.
Upon hearing the name “Young Master Chu,” Feng Qingran’s beautiful eyes sparkled with interest.
The youngest son of Master Qianji—in the book, he was a proper big-shot villain!
Chu Bozhou, later known as the Grandmaster of Artifact Refining, was someone whose crafted instruments everyone on the Nine Provinces continent took pride in owning.
Unfortunately, because he refused to repair Su Yanran’s Dragon Emperor Sword, he ultimately met a fate of ruin and destruction.
In this Spirit Combat Tournament, the toughest opponent for her Fourth Senior Brother was none other than this very Chu Bozhou.
Moreover, the book described Chu Bozhou in just one line: “A graceful and handsome youth, raising his cup with a lofty gaze toward the azure sky, as radiant as a jade tree standing before the wind.”
Feng Qingran was eager to meet this noble young gentleman.
Clop, clop, clop! —
The sound of hooves grew nearer and gradually slowed.
Feng Qingran lifted her almond-shaped eyes to look.
On horseback sat a dashing, carefree, and extraordinarily handsome youth.
His face was like flawless jade, and every movement he made seemed as meticulously carved as fine artistry, making it impossible to look away.
The youth cast a glance at the surrounding crowd, then widened his striking eyes. “Chen Sijun, why are there so many people gathered at the gate?”
“Reporting to Young Master Chu, these are all from other provinces, waiting in line to enter the city,” the captain replied with lowered eyes, his tone carrying a hint of deference.
Chu Bozhou swept his gaze over the crowd. “With this many people, how long will they have to wait? The Spirit Combat Tournament starts in ten days. Are you planning to deliberately delay some participants by keeping them all bottled up at the city entrance?”
The captain quickly explained, “Young Master, please don’t say that! These are orders from above—I wouldn’t dare do this on my own. Rest assured, the participants will definitely be allowed in ahead of time. No delays, I promise!”
Chu Bozhou then asked, “And what if someone wants to spend some time sightseeing elsewhere and enters the city later?”
He remembered his father mentioning that some families deliberately used these times to block people from entering, seizing the opportunity to line their own pockets.
Out-of-province visitors unfamiliar with the capital’s rules would surely pay the spirit stones to avoid trouble.
“Young Master, we’ve already thought of that scenario. Those who arrive late can simply register directly and enter the city,” the captain said, eager to get rid of Chu Bozhou.
Since the captain had already put it that way, Chu Bozhou couldn’t very well press further.
After all, controlling the number of people inside the city was also for the sake of the tournament. Still, there had always been that kind of cutthroat competition in previous years.
Some outstanding contestants, targeted out of jealousy and scheming, ended up missing their matches…
