"City Lord, Tan Bo..."
Outside the city, just after the city lord's welcoming gesture, a voice echoed—not from the woman standing ahead of him, but from one of the three cloaked figures.
"Our Lady seeks a secluded place, rich in herbs and medicinal energy. She wishes to meditate in silence for a few days."
The voice was calm, yet carried unmistakable authority. Hearing it, Tan Bo's face involuntarily twitched.
'She came all the way here... just to meditate? Really?'
The crowd exchanged subtle glances. There were countless sacred gardens and spiritual sites in the Empire's capital—some rumored to be blessed by ancient beings themselves. Why choose Tan City? A place so remote it barely existed on most maps compared to big cities?
Still, no one dared to question her.
Tan Bo quickly recovered and bowed, forcing a nervous smile.
"O-Of course… though I fear our humble city may not meet Her Grace's expectations."
"Hmph."
The cloaked figure only snorted and gestured for him to lead the way, clearly unwilling to waste more time. Their Lady had been insistent—urgently so.
'Also…'
The cloaked woman stole a glance behind her. The figure she followed—her Lady—still walked in silence, dazed and distant.
'Lady Que woke from her trance only minutes ago… and now she's even more desperate to enter seclusion.'
Earlier, just before reaching the city, she had suddenly collapsed. Panic erupted among the three attendants. The shock had even caused Elder Shan to appear from thin air to check her condition. Thankfully, nothing seemed wrong. No wounds, no sickness. Just... she had appeared to be sleeping.
Their Lady was truly… strange.
Just as City Lord Tan Bo gestured to lead the way, everyone suddenly froze.
A subtle wave pulsed through the air. It wasn't spiritual pressure, but something otherwordly.
The nobles, the guards, even Tan Bo himself turned their heads instinctively. The very air felt like it had briefly held its breath.
And then—
Her footsteps stopped.
All eyes followed her.
Her dazzling form, her curvy yet graceful figure, framed by shimmering mint-blue and pearl-white hair, halted mid-step. Her emerald eyes... fixed on one direction.
Tan Shao.
"…?"
Tan Shao blinked. He stood a little straighter. A grin tugged at his lips.
'No way… Is the princess looking at me?'
The thought swelled in his chest. He puffed out his chest slightly. Could it be… first-sight love?
But his thoughts didn't last long.
suddenly—
WOOSH!
A radiant glow exploded from the princess's palm—pure green, tinged with icy-blue streaks. Gentle yet overwhelming. The colors danced like petals in the wind, swirling with divine elegance and pressure. The air cracked faintly under its intensity.
"Life Element!"
The cry burst from the crowd, followed by gasps of disbelief.
It was the first time anyone had witnessed someone truly having an affinity toward the Life Element. Its existence had only been treated as myth, with no verifiable records, only rumors passed through hushed tones in the mortal world.
Yet now... it was real. They could feel it.
A soft warmth surged through their veins, a tingling comfort that dulled old aches and soothed fatigue as if the world itself paused to breathe easier. Every person present knew in their bones that this wasn't just some rare affinity—it was something divine.
And then realization struck.
There was particularly one person in the entire western region known to possess such ability.
The Divine Healer!
The sixteenth princess was actually The Divine Healer. A celestial figure among cultivators. For her to appear here… in a backwater place like Tan City… was unimaginable.
While the crowd stood stunned and reverent, the radiant green-blue light began to fade—dimmed rapidly and vanished altogether, leaving no lingering aura behind.
It was gone, as if it never existed. Confusion rippled across the square. Why would she show the Life Element only to retract it…?
The nobles whispered. The guards fidgeted. But no one dared speak aloud.
Meanwhile, the three cloaked attendants stared directly at Tan Shao, their faces pale.
'This is the first time… our Lady left a wounded person untreated.'
Their Lady—kind to the point of irrationality—had healed beggars, broken cultivators, and even dying mortals. Never once had she hesitated to offer her blessings, no matter the background.
And Tan Shao's injuries?
A mere internal disturbance from a disrupted breakthrough, healing him would've taken her no more than a flick of the wrist.
Yet she chose not to.
Worse, they could sense something… chilling… in her aura when she glanced at him.
What was going on?
As murmurs began rising behind, Que Lin had already reached the gate, moving silently ahead of the crowd. Realizing no one had followed, she stopped at the threshold and turned her head slightly.
A soft, yet sharp voice—clear as silver wind—spread across the stunned entrance.
"Lead the way."
"Y-Yes!"
City Lord Tan Bo jolted from his stupor. The command shook him more than any aura. Without a second thought, he hurried forward, bowing deeply with every step.
Even though he didn't understand what had just happened…
…he didn't dare to ask.
Not long after, the three cloaked figures surrounding Que Lin and the City Lord appeared in front of a familiar building. The rest of the nobles and guards had wisely chosen to remain at a respectful distance, anxious about accidentally offending such a powerful individual.
The Cultivation Chambers.
Stepping inside, Que Lin maintained a serene, emotionless exterior, though inwardly she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. Compared to the grand cultivation chambers back in her sect, this place was utterly lacking. Still, returning to her sect would take days, and right now she urgently needed to enter seclusion, driven by an inexplicable, almost anxious feeling within her.
Meanwhile, the three black-clothed women glanced around and silently shook their heads, clearly dissatisfied with the conditions. Without hesitation, the front figure reached into her storage ring. Her fingers flickered with spiritual energy as she took out a handful of glittering spirit stones, casually throwing them toward the receptionist like worthless trash.
Stunned and speechless, the receptionist immediately dropped to his knees, feeling a cold sweat drip down his back upon meeting City Lord Tan Bo's death stare. He quickly stood up again, hearing the City Lord's hurried and annoyed voice:
"Cut the act! Hurry and lead us to the usual room!"
Minutes later, the receptionist, the City Lord, Que Lin, and her three guards arrived at the top floor of the building, standing outside the cultivation chamber door.
"I-I hope our humble facilities are to your liking, Your Highness," the receptionist stammered nervously, his voice trembling as he gently opened the door.
However, as the door swung open, a shocking scene greeted their eyes:
The chamber walls were stained with faint splatters of blood, dried but still recent enough to be obvious. Even worse was the large, dark-red bloodstain at the very center of the room, clearly untouched and uncleaned—undoubtedly recent.
The City Lord and receptionist immediately froze, their expressions shifting from shock to horror.
Before they could even process their panic, a terrifying and oppressive killing intent exploded within the room. The three cloaked women surrounding Que Lin released an intense aura, suffocating enough to cause both men to stumble backward, their faces pale as they swallowed their fear.
The audacity of presenting such a room to their young lady! Such insolence was no different from courting death! The three cloaked women radiated an oppressive aura, their anger directed toward the trembling City Lord and the pale-faced receptionist. It didn't matter how or why the room had become like this, they didn't care, what mattered was the disrespect shown to their beloved Lady.
Yet, in this tense, heart-stopping moment, unnoticed by anyone, a rather unexpected, adorable scene unfolded:
Que Lin, seemingly oblivious to the scene, stood silently in thought, her delicate nose subtly twitching. Instinctively, she began gently sniffing the air.
'What's this smell...'