Chapter 61 The Imaginary River
"Greetings, Your Highness." Xia Feng pressed his palms together in front of his chest and performed a noble salute.
Mu Qingtong held his arm, her cold yet delicate face softening with a faint smile.
Li Siwen glanced at Mu Qingtong, then at Xia Feng, and chuckled. "You two make a fine pair—far better than my useless brother, at least."
"You flatter me, Your Highness," Xia Feng replied evenly.
"Good. Seeing you so well-matched puts my mind at ease. Go on in." Li Siwen stepped aside, smiling.
Xia Feng blinked. What kind of game is this? He had expected some form of humiliation or belittlement, but it seemed both of them were playing fair.
A man and a woman walked slowly past Li Siwen. Once they were out of earshot, his smile faded as he watched their retreating figures.
"How are the preparations?"
"Everything is in order, Your Highness," his subordinate murmured.
Taking the lift to the top floor and passing through the reception hall, Xia Feng and Mu Qingtong immediately drew the attention of the gathered nobility—their striking appearances set them apart from the rest.
No sooner had they entered the banquet hall than a young girl in an off-shoulder evening gown rushed toward them, her large, glistening eyes fixed on Mu Qingtong.
"Mu—Goddess Mu!"
Mu Qingtong, who usually dressed in casual suspenders and paid little heed to her appearance, now looked entirely different. Her light green, slightly curled hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the elegant evening gown paired with crystal heels gave her an air of refined beauty.
Xia Feng barely recognized her.
Instinctively, he pulled Mu Qingtong back and said in a low voice, "Careful. This one's a girl."
The girl's cheeks flushed pink. She tilted her head, puffing her cheeks in protest. "Nonsense! I'm an admirer—a fan!"
"Admire what?" Xia Feng raised an eyebrow. "Her terrible singing?"
"!" Mu Qingtong's breath hitched, her pale golden eyes narrowing at him.
[Provoked, Mu Qingtong has gained insight into the technique of close-range neck-twisting. Your understanding of combat and assassination has slightly improved.]
A sudden chill crept up Xia Feng's neck, as though his head might spiral off his shoulders at any moment.
Alright, alright, Demoness Mu! One provocation, and you have an epiphany. Don't blame me if I provoke you daily from now on. With that thought, he met her gaze.
The two locked eyes, sparks and lightning crackling between them. Neither blinked—it was a battle of wills.
The girl stared at them, dazed, suddenly feeling like a third wheel.
Just then—
The lively chatter in the opulent banquet hall ceased abruptly, plunging the room into silence. All eyes turned toward the arched doorway as two guards in tall red hats pushed it open and retreated three meters back.
A woman in crystal-red heels stepped forward, her dark crimson evening gown flowing elegantly.
What surprised Xia Feng, however, was the mysterious veil covering her cheeks and the black silk ribbon obscuring her eyes.
"Princess, this way."
The guard bowed respectfully from a distance.
The woman placed her hands over her abdomen and advanced through the grand entrance with steady, unhurried steps. Though she could see nothing and no one guided her, her movements held no hesitation.
"Is that your stepmother?" Xia Feng whispered curiously.
"Yeah." The girl puffed her cheeks, staring wide-eyed at the distant figure. At that moment, the woman seemed to sense something—she tilted her head slightly in their direction. Even through the veil, her gaze felt piercingly real.
The girl instinctively stepped back, her small hand clutching Xia Feng's sleeve.
"My Lord." The guard bowed deeply as a middle-aged man appeared in the archway, clad in a sharply tailored crimson tuxedo and tall boots.
He waited until the princess had walked away before entering.
Xia Feng looked around with a puzzled expression. He noticed that upon the princess's arrival, the surrounding nobles quickly scattered.
A three-meter radius around the princess remained completely empty. Even the maids following behind maintained tense expressions while carefully keeping their distance.
"Is your stepmother that frightening?" Xia Feng whispered in confusion. "Why is everyone avoiding her?"
It was as if she carried some contagious disease.
"That's a rule established by my father," the girl explained quietly. "No one may enter the three-meter perimeter around her, or face the consequences."
What kind of absurd rule is this? Xia Feng was speechless. "Has anyone ever broken it?"
"Of course. Everyone who entered..." The girl suddenly trailed off, her eyes clouding with confusion. "What happened to them? I... I can't remember."
Xia Feng glanced at Mu Qingtong and noticed her pale golden eyes gleaming with sudden intensity, as though she had realized something.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"Me? Mr. Xia, I'm merely an apprentice spiritual master. What could I possibly see?" Mu Qingtong replied with feigned innocence.
Xia Feng smirked. "Heh."
After enduring the prince's lengthy speech, the elegant strains of dance music finally filled the hall. Mu Qingtong pulled Xia Feng onto the dance floor.
Their movements flowed naturally to the music's rhythm, their steps synchronized despite Xia Feng's lack of formal training.
"So what did you really see?" Xia Feng murmured, leaning close to her ear. "Is the princess some kind of monstrous entity?"
His warm breath brushed against her ear, causing Mu Qingtong's golden eyes to momentarily freeze. Her delicate brows twitched before relaxing again.
[Strange sensations arise. While contemplating how to avoid close whispering, you have comprehended the D-grade spiritual technique "Proximity Sound Transmission."]
Her expression remained composed as she said calmly, "Mr. Xia, focus on dancing instead of asking ridiculous questions."
"Don't you want to know how I consumed the Bloodnight Street's sea of souls?" Xia Feng teased, activating the sound transmission technique.
Mu Qingtong's right hand rested firmly on his waist while their left hands remained intertwined. Their dance grew more spirited, their coordination flawless.
Xia Feng was surprised by how naturally the movements came to him—this being his first formal dance.
As he mused, Mu Qingtong's voice echoed directly in his mind: "The princess isn't a nightmare beast, but she is connected to the Imaginary River."
"Imaginary River?" Xia Feng stiffened slightly. "What's that?"
"The ancestral river of the Void Sovereign's domain—a manifestation of their power. Anything consumed by its waters gradually fades from existence until even memory erases them completely."
Xia Feng's eyes widened. That's beyond overpowered.
Physical annihilation was one thing, but this erased victims from history itself—no records, no memories. It reminded him of the fairy realm's "Veil of Forgetting."
"So what's the princess's current state?"
"A three-meter anomalous field surrounds her, linked to the Imaginary River. That's likely why the girl can't recall what happened to those who approached—they vanished entirely."
"But since she remembers that people tried approaching, the field must be incomplete or weakened."
"Fascinating," Xia Feng mused. "Then why does this field exist around her?"
"You should ask her, not me."
"Fair point. I'll go ask now—" Releasing her slender waist, he made to leave.
"Stop." Mu Qingtong's eyes narrowed. Her lace-gloved hand yanked him back abruptly, pulling him so close their bodies nearly touched. Xia Feng's breath caught as his lips hovered mere centimeters from hers.
Under the warm glow of chandeliers, the air between them grew thick with unspoken tension.
(End of this chapter)