Chapter 290: Madam Silver Pool's Invitation

Chapter 290: Madam Silver Pool's Invitation

"Thud, thud."

Heavy footsteps echoed in the darkness.

Luo Mufeng emerged from the shadows, gripping a blood-stained Short Sword, his eyes filled with killing intent. He sneered coldly, "Marquis, stop shouting. The area is sealed off by my Martial Arts Profound Qi. No one will hear you, no matter how loud you scream."

"Luo Mufeng, you have some nerve! Do you dare kill me, a Marquis?" The noble youth stood atop the carriage, his eyes devoid of fear.

Clad in heavy armor, Luo Mufeng unleashed his Profound Qi, which coalesced into the phantom of a ferocious beast behind him. He growled, "If not for you, my third, fourth, and fifth brothers wouldn’t have died tonight. Because of you, our Cloud Marquis House has suffered heavy losses—three generals fallen. Don’t you think you deserve to die?"

The noble youth burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I’m laughing at how you don’t dare seek revenge against Young Master Chuan but instead come to kill me. Is there anything more ridiculous in this world?" the noble youth retorted.

Luo Mufeng curled his lips. "What kind of trash is Young Master Chuan? The moment our Marquis arrived, he fled like a coward. If I ever find him—"

His voice abruptly cut off as he sensed someone behind him. He turned around.

A man wearing a Golden Mask stood silently behind him, as if he had been there all along.

Luo Mufeng’s expression shifted slightly.

"General Luo, such bold words. What would you do if you found me?" Ning Xiaochuan said.

At the sight of Young Master Chuan, the noble youth’s face lit up with excitement, as if he were gazing upon a hero rather than a notorious figure of the dark path.

Knowing he stood no chance against Young Master Chuan, Luo Mufeng gritted his teeth and hurled his Short Sword before leaping onto the roof of an ancient building nearby, attempting to flee.

Ning Xiaochuan flicked his finger, shattering the incoming blade into nine pieces.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, Ning Xiaochuan appeared above Luo Mufeng, conjuring a Profound Qi Sword. With a single slash, he split Luo Mufeng’s body in two.

The corpse plummeted, crashing through the roof of a house below.

Another Cloud Marquis general had fallen.

Ning Xiaochuan sheathed his Profound Qi Sword and turned to leave.

"Wait! Young Master Chuan! Young Master Chuan, will you take me as your disciple?" The noble youth limped after him.

Ning Xiaochuan paused, his gaze settling on the still-youthful noble. He frowned slightly. "How old are you?"

"Thirteen," the noble youth answered.

"Only at the third level of the Profound Qi Realm at thirteen, and you’re the Marquis of a noble house—surely you lack no cultivation resources. Yet your progress is this pitiful. It means you have no talent for martial arts. Why should I take you as my disciple?" Ning Xiaochuan said.

The noble youth replied, "Because I despise the Cloud Marquis. I can tell you hate him too. If you take me as your disciple, I can help you deal with him."

Ning Xiaochuan raised an eyebrow. "You can tell I hate him?"

The noble youth said, "If you don’t despise him, why did you kill four generals of the Cloud Marquis House in succession? Even if you’re a heavyweight of the unorthodox path, there’s no need to provoke a formidable enemy like the Cloud Marquis over a trivial matter. Don’t you agree?"

"Interesting."

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled. "Then why are you so insistent on becoming my disciple? A marquis of the imperial court actually wants to apprentice under a heavyweight of the unorthodox path—aren’t you afraid of being ostracized by the elders of your marquis house?"

The noble youth clenched his fists tightly, biting his lip. "I never wanted to return to that marquis house in the first place, let alone remain this useless marquis."

Ning Xiaochuan saw a bit of himself in the noble youth and walked over, patting his shoulder. "Kid, have you always been mocked and looked down upon in the marquis house? Even as a marquis, you still can’t earn others’ respect?"

The noble youth’s eyes turned bitter. "Not just in the marquis house—I’d wager the entire Imperial City is laughing at me."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "The main reason is simply that your martial arts aren’t strong enough. If you had sufficient power, who would dare mock you? Who would dare disrespect you?"

"So, does that mean you’ve agreed to take me as your disciple?" The noble youth beamed with joy.

Ning Xiaochuan neither agreed nor refused. "Let’s leave this place first. I sense a powerful expert approaching."

A sharp whistling sound reached Ning Xiaochuan’s ears—swift, almost instantaneous, covering several kilometers in the blink of an eye. An absolute top-tier expert.

"It must be someone from the Cloud Marquis House coming to hunt you down. Come to my home. Even the Cloud Marquis wouldn’t dare barge into my residence, no matter how bold he is," the noble youth said.

Ning Xiaochuan grabbed the noble youth and, with a single movement, vanished into the hazy night.

Before long, the noble youth led Ning Xiaochuan to the exterior of a grand and opulent estate. Above the main gate hung a gilded plaque inscribed with four radiant golden characters—Qi Tian Marquis House.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the plaque and halted in surprise. "You’re the Marquis of Qi Tian?"

The Qi Tian Marquis House was one of the thirteen Hereditary Marquis Houses, with a lineage spanning nearly a millennium, standing on equal footing with the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

At certain points in history, the Qi Tian Marquis House had even wielded overwhelming influence, powerful enough to threaten the imperial throne itself, ranking among the most formidable of all marquis houses.

Of course, what shocked Ning Xiaochuan the most wasn’t this fact, but the youth’s identity.

If he was the Marquis of Qi Tian, then his mother must be— Creak.

At that moment, the gates of the marquis house swung open. A troop of guards clad in black heavy armor rushed out—eighty martial artists in total—forming two disciplined rows, their gazes fixed warily on Ning Xiaochuan.

The entire Qi Tian Marquis House grew tense with hostility.

Then, surrounded by a group of maidservants, a stunning noblewoman in her twenties emerged, draped in flowing silks, her raven hair lustrous, exuding an air of grace and nobility so breathtaking it could topple cities.

Her presence carried an elegant aura of wealth and refinement, surpassing even imperial princesses in beauty. Her slender figure resembled a crescent moon, radiating an ethereal allure.

"Ming'er, you've finally returned! Who injured you like this?" Madam Silver Pool approached gracefully, her eyes filled with concern and a tender, feminine warmth.

She extended her jade-white hands, holding a silk handkerchief, and moved to wipe Qi Ming's wounds.

"I'm fine. Don't bother with me."

Qi Ming glared fiercely at Madam Silver Pool before pulling Ning Xiaochuan along, heading straight into the Qi Tian Marquis House.

Madam Silver Pool's hand froze mid-air. She pursed her red lips lightly, tears shimmering in her eyes. Tilting her slender neck, she stared at the bright moon in the sky, forcing her eyes wide open to hold back the tears.

"Madam..." A beautiful maidservant behind her spoke with concern.

"It's nothing. Let's return to the Marquis House."

Suppressing her sorrow, Madam Silver Pool fixed her gaze on Ning Xiaochuan's retreating figure, her bright almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion. Why was Young Master Chuan with Ming'er?

The situation in the Imperial City was rapidly changing. In a single day, four of the Twelve Tiger Generals of Cloud Marquis had died, shocking the entire court. The arrogance of the Ghost Manor had enraged many of the empire's marquises.

Cloud Marquis dispatched the military to guard the city gates, searching everywhere for Young Master Chuan, stirring up chaos throughout the city.

Meanwhile, Ning Xiaochuan temporarily took refuge in the Qi Tian Marquis House, intending to assess the current state of the Imperial City while also investigating whether the Millennium Ancient Demon had already left.

The Millennium Ancient Demon was Ning Xiaochuan's greatest threat at the moment. If it remained in the Imperial City, Ning Xiaochuan dared not reveal his true identity, forced to hide in the shadows.

Both the Jade Viewing Tower and the Qi Tian Marquis House were excellent places to conceal himself.

Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to contemplate the incantations of the Eighth Level of 'Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.'

Once he mastered the eighth level, he would gain the ability to absorb profound qi at 128 times the normal speed. With the power of the Demonic Sword, he could even devour the Blood Qi of a Martial Venerable.

If he failed to reach the eighth level, his absorption rate would remain at only 64 times. Attempting to use the Demonic Sword to consume a Martial Venerable's Blood Qi under such circumstances would be suicidal.

In other words, mastering the eighth level would grant Ning Xiaochuan the strength to unexpectedly eliminate a Martial Venerable.

Of course, each level of 'Heaven and Earth Profound Qi' was exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Without the right opportunity, even ten years of training might not guarantee success in reaching the eighth level.

The eighth level was over ten times more challenging than the seventh. After two full days of contemplation, Ning Xiaochuan still couldn't decipher the meaning of those incantations—they were simply too obscure and complex.

"Young Master, our Madam wishes to see you." A soft, melodious voice of a young woman sounded outside the door.

Ning Xiaochuan ceased his cultivation, opening his eyes to the sunlight streaming through the window.

Another night of training had passed.

He had long anticipated that Madam Silver Pool would seek an audience with him.

Facing this enchantress filled Ning Xiaochuan with lingering fear—her presence was more daunting than confronting a Martial Venerable.

Since he had taken shelter in the Qi Tian Marquis House, encountering her was inevitable.

Ning Xiaochuan donned the Golden Mask and opened the door. "Does your Madam intend to host a banquet in my honor?"

The maidservant giggled lightly. "You saved the Marquis's life. Naturally, Madam wishes to properly entertain you."

The maidservant led Ning Xiaochuan to a refined and elegant pavilion adorned with plum blossoms. Following a path along a pond, they entered a vermilion pavilion.

Madam Silver Pool sat gracefully on a wooden chair, clad in a delicate silk gauze garment. Through the sheer fabric, the faint outline of a pink undergarment could be glimpsed beneath.

On the floor, a low table was set with a flask of fine wine and two wine cups.

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of pine and plum blossoms.

"Please, have a seat."

Madam Silver Pool's voice was soft and smooth. Her willow-leaf brows, amber-like eyes, and jade-smooth skin seemed almost fragile to the touch. Her arms, fair as lotus roots, bore a leisurely smile—one so enchanting it could captivate all who beheld it.

Ning Xiaochuan lightly pressed his lips together before taking his seat. "Madam, what is this about?"

Madam Silver Pool merely smiled without answering, then waved her hand lightly, dismissing the two maidservants in the pavilion.

Though Ning Xiaochuan had witnessed many grand scenes before, he couldn't help but feel nervous now, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.