The tea, which has a calming and soothing effect, is consumed, and the unique fragrance of the flower tea spreads across the taste buds without any other unusual taste.

After drinking the warm tea, Zhu Zhuqing's uneasy heart calmed down a little.

"Where are...my teachers and friends?"

Zhu Zhuqing asked hesitantly.

Qian Yuelong looked up at Zhu Zhuqing, who seemed to have calmed down: "When I took you away, they were still lying in Sunset Forest."

In other words, only she was taken away by the Spirit Hall?

Zhu Zhuqing felt more confident, and the tension and unease on her face faded considerably, but her vigilance remained undiminished.

"Why only arrest me? Apart from today's conflict, I don't think I had any prior conflicts with the Spirit Hall, did I?"

"Well, no, it's just that I prefer you." Qian Yuelong curved her lips into a pure smile, free of any gloom.

He likes her?!

Zhu Zhuqing seemed taken aback by this answer.

"Although the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul and the Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul have a high compatibility and can unleash powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skills, are you really willing to be someone else's appendage for the rest of your life?" Qian Yuelong took the initiative to open up.

Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback, and was about to deny Qian Yuelong's statement when she heard Qian Yuelong casually drop a bombshell:

“You and Dai Mubai have cultivated a bond and understanding since childhood, you could say you’re childhood sweethearts. But how long did Dai Mubai run away from you before you came to Shrek Academy? He’s forgotten all the beautiful memories of your childhood. When you finally escaped his pursuit and met him again, he looked at you like a stranger, treating you like a girl he was meeting for the first time.”

"Before we met again, he was surrounded by women, and his personal life was chaotic and decadent, not to mention that. But as far as I know, after Dai Mubai met you again at Shrek Academy, he also went out to see other girls. So, how can you accept Dai Mubai without any resentment?"

Qian Yuelong's pale purple eyes were filled with doubt.

His clear eyes seemed to reflect the hidden reefs buried deep in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

Zhu Zhuqing's heart skipped a beat, and she stood up from the sofa as if sitting on pins and needles, looking at Qian Yuelong, who had revealed her relationship with Dai Mubai, with surprise and uncertainty. "How do you know so much...?"

She knew from a young age that the Spirit Hall was very powerful.

In a sense, the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul and the Evil-Eyed White Tiger Martial Soul are practically symbols of the Star Luo Empire's royal family.

She wasn't surprised that her identity was recognized.

But she never expected that the Spirit Hall's network of informants had infiltrated so deeply.

It was one thing for the Star Luo Empire to be infiltrated, but she later escaped from the empire and followed Dai Mubai's whereabouts all the way to the small mountain village of Tian Dou—Shrek Academy. She kept a very low profile the whole way, and even the Dark Soul Guards who were monitoring her were shaken off, so they could no longer send messages to the royal sister who was chasing her.

How did she know?

How many forces on the mainland have not been monitored by the Spirit Hall?

Zhu Zhuqing started a brainstorming session.

She and her companions have come a long way from their humble beginnings in a small, dilapidated village. They have experienced a great deal together and their bond is extraordinary. They are the partners she has chosen to entrust her life to.

But they are just partners, not lovers to whom one can entrust one's life.

She has never accepted Dai Mubai's advances, partly because after they reunited, he went out to spend the night with other girls, showing a lack of self-discipline.

How did she know so much?

Zhu Zhuqing's confusion, bewilderment, and wariness were written all over her face.

"Don't be so nervous, I mean no harm. I just want to know your true thoughts," Qian Yuelong said gently.

Zhu Zhuqing controlled her facial expression and said calmly, "I am very satisfied with my life now. This is my truest feeling."

"Really?" Qian Yuelong tilted her head. "But I feel that you are a girl who has high standards for yourself and is unwilling to compromise yourself by sharing a man with others."

"It seems that due to the circumstances, the only option you have is Dai Mubai, who is extending an olive branch to you."

"So I think, what if you give yourself a stage where you can fully showcase your talents? You will no longer be a dim shadow under the dazzling lights of others, but can also shine with your own dazzling brilliance."

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze flickered, her voice becoming hoarse: "Emotionally, I truly cannot accept a man who has had deep relationships with many people... but as a partner... he is reliable..."

When she spoke her last words, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if she were answering Qian Yuelong, or perhaps speaking to herself.

Qian Yuelong chuckled lightly: "If what you need is a stage where you can showcase your talents, or an environment where you can hone your full potential, I can provide that."

Zhu Zhuqing snapped out of her daze, her dark eyes fixed intently on Qian Yuelong.

"But the condition is that you need to draw a clear line between yourself and your current partners and teachers."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes hardened, and she directly rejected the idea: "Impossible."

She has received many kindnesses from everyone at Shrek Academy.

These debts cannot be repaid with even excellent cultivation resources.

Qian Yuelong patiently persuaded, "If you're worried about owing your partners and teachers so much, I can help you repay their kindness with something of equal value. And drawing a clear line... doesn't mean both sides have to be on opposing sides. I'll provide you with a stage and resources, and you'll become an outstanding talent under my command. In the future, whether your former partners and teachers are friends or foes is up to you to decide, and how you treat them, okay?"

Every point Qian Yuelong made was absolutely advantageous to Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing never believed in kindness without a reason.

She didn't think she deserved Qian Yuelong's lavish attention. In terms of talent for cultivation, she was at the bottom of the Shrek Academy team.

The only thing of value is...

"If you think you can use my identity to infiltrate the Star Luo royal family, you're dreaming." Zhu Zhuqing's tone carried a hint of self-deprecation when she mentioned the place where she was born and raised.

"Although the competition for the throne in the Star Luo royal family is all based on real swords and fists, and is won by strength, only the princes and princesses with the Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul are qualified to succeed to the throne. As for the Netherworld Cat lineage... they are just descendants of royal relatives and nobles. No matter how strong they are, they are not qualified to become emperors. At most, they can only become empresses."

The Star Luo Empire is better than the Heaven Dou Empire in that they do not discriminate against women. Both princes and princesses can compete for the throne, but this is limited to princes and princesses of the Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul lineage.

To Zhu Zhuqing's surprise, Qian Yuelong laughed after hearing this, her eyes crinkling as she said, "I didn't think that much about it."

"......What?"

Zhu Zhuqing didn't understand.

"Didn't I tell you? I like you. If you think it's outrageous, just consider me a bit capricious. I do many things based on my mood."

She looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a smile:

"Of course, if you still choose Shrek Academy, I will not make things difficult for you. I promise you, in my honor as a Soul Master, that you can leave safely."

"Now, make your choice, Zhuqing."

Zhu Zhuqing stood there silently.

Time passed by, second by second.

Zhu Zhuqing stood there like a weathered sculpture.

The light in her eyes flickered.

In the end, all hesitation disappeared, turning into a difficult determination.

"I......"

She bowed slightly to Qian Yuelong and uttered the last two hoarse words:

"willing."

Qian Yuelong's eyes lit up. She stood up from her seat, stood on tiptoe, and straightened Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder. "Welcome to my Yantian Palace."

Zhu Zhuqing: "Huh?"

Yantian Palace?