The divine beast is gone?
Yun Zheng frowned, a wave of doubt building within her. She counted on her fingers, her frown deepening. What could have happened? The beast's whereabouts had become a haze, obscuring everything.
Strange!
Usually, such situations would involve either a strong connection to her or a powerful external interference.
Yun Zheng automatically ignored the first possibility, but when she thought of the second, Rong Shuo's cool, upright figure surfaced in her mind.
Could that fellow Rong Shuo have come here quietly to seize the divine beast?
Rong Shuo possessed the Purple Star Destiny Disk and possessed unimaginable power within him. The only thing preventing her from calculating was his interference.
Rong Shuo suddenly sneezed...
Yun Zheng watched the human cultivators ahead of her begin a frantic, blanket search for the divine beast, and her interest faded.
She had been away from home for two days, and if she didn't return, her grandfather would surely be terribly worried.
She touched the little fur ball through her black robe, thinking she might as well get it out of the inner reaches of the Flame Forest.
As Yun Zheng turned to leave, someone called out from behind, "Young lady, why are you hiding here?"
Her alarm bells rang, and she half-closed her eyes as she glanced towards the source of the voice.
A handsome, elegant man, holding a folding fan, looked at her with a beaming smile.
Jiang Yichen!
The eldest son of the Jiang family, one of the three great families of the Great Chu State, Jiang Yichen, twenty years old, a first-level Great Spiritual Master, and close friends with the Sixth Prince, Chu Yunheng...
"It has nothing to do with you!" Yun Zheng said coldly.
As she was about to leave, the sound of something piercing the air was heard, and a folding fan flew towards her from behind.
Yun Zheng's eyes sharpened, and she dodged lightly, leaping sideways, simultaneously hurling several tender green leaves at Jiang Yichen.
Jiang Yichen casually caught the seemingly insignificant leaves with his bare hands, a smile curling his handsome face. "You set that trap before, didn't you?"
Yun Zheng remembered a trap she had set before.
It seemed Jiang Yichen was also part of it.
Yun Zheng scoffed, "So what? Take care of yourself first."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Zheng's figure vanished like a gust of wind.
Jiang Yichen was about to chase her, but his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly dropped the tender green leaf in his hand. But it was too late.
"Boom boom—"
His right side was still injured by the explosion, and his right hand trembled uncontrollably, a few drops of blood dripping from it.
Jiang Yichen looked in the direction Yun Zheng had left, his face dark as the bottom of a pot.
This was the first time he'd been tricked. He hadn't fallen for the previous trap, but now...
who was she?
Chu Yunheng, Su Rong, and the others heard the explosion and rushed over. Upon arrival, they saw Jiang Yichen's clothes half torn, with traces of injury visible. Even the strand of black hair at his forehead was burnt yellow.
Furthermore, his hand seemed severely injured.
He couldn't stop shaking!
"Jiang Yichen, how did you get hurt?" Chu Yunheng asked worriedly.
Seeing him like this, Su Rong recalled the same experience her father had gone through.
Su Rong said with certainty: "It must be that masked bitch!"
Seeing their doubtful eyes cast at her, Su Rong tried to maintain her composure and told them the whole story.
As for the things that were unfavorable to Su Rong, she omitted them.
"How despicable! Why did she target us!" A dandy boy spoke up for her.
"Su Rong, don't be afraid. We will protect you."
Those dandy boys or young talents who had a crush on Su Rong all felt pity for her and wanted to hold her in their arms and comfort her.
Chu Yunheng's face turned green when he saw so many men looking at Su Rong with undisguised admiring eyes.
"That woman must know us!" Jiang Yichen said suddenly.
"The hidden weapon trap we encountered over there was also set by her. She was targeting us on purpose."
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but fall into thought.
They felt as if they had never offended such a powerful woman?
"Let's not talk about this for now." Jiang Yichen said. He looked at Su Rong, "Where is the beautiful Yun Zheng?"
Upon hearing this, Su Rong immediately lowered his head and said heartbrokenly, "My sister Yun Zheng and I encountered a fifth-level spirit beast, and then I fought desperately. Maybe she felt that she was a burden to me, so she left me and left first. We were separated. I sent secret guards to find her, but now I don't know where she is..."
"Waste is waste. She actually abandoned her companions and left. Miss Su, don't be sad for such a person!"
"Yes, yes, she is not worthy of your close friendship. It's better for her to die here!"
"Miss Su, you are willing to humble yourself and make friends with her, but she betrayed you. That little bitch Yun Zheng deserves to die."
Everyone said in unison, looking as if they hated Yun Zheng deeply.
Chu Yunrou took Su Rong's left hand and said, "Sister Su, why do you still care about that loser? She's selfish and not worth your heartbreak."
Chu Yunheng nodded in agreement, "Forget about that loser."
At this moment, Jiang Yichen took in everyone's expressions and smiled sarcastically. It seemed that the beautiful Yun Zheng had been killed by that vicious woman, Su Rong.
He had always admired beautiful women, so naturally, he paid a little more attention to a stunning beauty like Yun Zheng.
Of course, it was just attention.
He wouldn't get involved in a fight between women.
Jiang Yichen pulled a level one healing pill from his storage ring and swallowed it.
Yun
Zheng left the inner perimeter of the Flame Forest, placed the little fur ball in a relatively safe spot, and began to walk away.
However, the little fur ball kept following Yun Zheng like a little tail.
Yun Zheng had no choice but to stop and sternly said, "Remember, the Flame Forest is your home. Don't follow me again. If you do, I'll make you into braised pork and eat you."
The little fur ball shrank back in fear.
"Squeak,"
Yun Zheng warned, then summoned her spiritual power and swiftly fled the area, her speed surpassing that of a great spiritual master.
Half a quarter of an hour later, she finally emerged from the Flame Forest.
She tore off her veil, took a deep breath, and with her hands on her hips, looked up at the sky and smiled.
"Miss, is it really you?" a surprised voice echoed.
Yun Zheng looked up and saw a delicate young girl dressed as a maid rushing towards her.
Yun Zheng was suddenly hugged. Uncomfortably, she pushed back, only to be held even tighter.
Yun Zheng: "..."
"Miss, how could you come to the Ruyan Forest alone? You haven't returned to the palace in two days, and the old prince is worried sick." The maid Yueji sniffed and sobbed.
Behind Yueji were a group of Yun Palace guards who had come out to look for Yun Zheng. Seeing Yun Zheng, they were pleasantly surprised, yet also relieved.