Looking at the surrounding buildings, Mo Chen couldn't help but click his tongue. "Tsk tsk, this Weilong Kingdom doesn't seem very wealthy! At most, it's only slightly better than the Wushi Kingdom!"

Gu Liyan, who was walking ahead, heard Mo Chen's words and said with a smile, "If you go to Shuyi Kingdom, you will know that this place is already considered magnificent! At least Shuyi Kingdom does not have such a large back garden."

"I have no interest in visiting them. One samurai nation is enough to drive me to despair! The world is so cold and heartless. I never imagined this world could be so poor!" Mo Chen looked at him with a disappointed expression.

Gu Liyan smiled wryly, "If we alone could drive the world's economy, we wouldn't need to come here to help them unify the world. It's just that these three countries don't interact with each other."

"If you ask me, it's all because these three countries closed themselves off from the world. If they had unified earlier, they would have been prosperous for thousands of years, and the Samurai Kingdom wouldn't be so small in population and territory now," Mo Chen muttered to himself.

“Actually, I think that sometimes unification is not the best solution. People are different, let alone three countries,” Mo Chen said. If possible, he would like the three countries to have their own characteristics. As long as they put aside their past grievances and are willing to accept the culture from the outside world, that would be fine.

Gu Liyan nodded, but didn't dwell on the issue. Instead, she urged, "Alright, stop nagging. Let's hurry to the main hall. If we go late, we don't know how long we'll have to wait."

"It's not as exaggerated as you say. There's no room for the two of us, is there?" Mo Chen said nonchalantly.

However, when they arrived at the main hall, the sheer number of people was overwhelming; there was simply no room to stand. Countless sages had gathered in front of the hall.

The area outside the main hall was also packed with people. Mo Chen was already dumbfounded. "No way? How come there are so many people? Are there so many sages on our Sage Ranking?"

Gu Liyan sneered, "The Sage Ranking doesn't have that many people. It's not like some people lined up their own pockets and secretly put a bunch of people in to fill the ranks!"

Mo Chen said with a bitter face, "I thought that by virtue of my unique personal charm, I won third place in such a fair and just competition, but I never expected this..."

Gu Liyan smiled slightly and said, "I think this kind of competition is better. It not only collects taxes in advance to budget for future food and military pay, but also immediately distinguishes between the real and the fake, allowing discerning people to see who has ulterior motives."

Mo Chen squinted and chuckled, "So that's how it is. No wonder your little lover hasn't shown up yet!"

Gu Liyan smiled and said nothing more. Then, she turned her gaze and saw Li Jin not far away. "It's him!"

"Who is it?" Mo Chen followed Gu Liyan's gaze and saw Li Jin, who had a scholarly air about him and a friendly smile. He was chatting with several men dressed in fine clothes.

Gu Liyan squinted, trying to hear their conversation, but the environment was too noisy to hear.

Mo Chen asked, "I've seen that person before. He must be Li Jin, right?"

Gu Liyan nodded, a purple light flashing in his purple eyes. In an instant, his Painting Soul Eyes discerned the aura emanating from Li Jin, and he was slightly surprised. "This guy has a lot of luck."

Mo Chen frowned but shook his head. "Although he's an acquaintance, I don't recommend you greet him. This person always gives me a dangerous feeling. Sometimes being too friendly can arouse suspicion..."

Gu Liyan gave Li Jin a deep look, nodded, and stood in a corner with Mo Chen to avoid being seen by most people.

At noon, everyone in the main hall had gathered. Qingge, who had specified the rules of the competition, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the effeminate Eunuch Ruyi walked out of the main hall.

Seeing Eunuch Ruyi's arrogant demeanor, Gu Liyan recalled his recent conversation with Qingyang and whispered a reminder to Mo Chen, "This person is an enemy."

Mo Chen glanced at Eunuch Ruyi and nodded slightly. Seeing his shifty-eyed face, he no longer had any doubts.

Eunuch Ruyi stepped forward and stood in the main hall, coldly sweeping his gaze over everyone before ordering, "Silence!"

As soon as Eunuch Ruyi spoke, the noisy hall immediately fell silent, and everyone raised their heads to look at him.

Seeing the admiring and envious looks on everyone's faces, Eunuch Ruyi smiled smugly and said, "By order of the King, I will be the examiner for this second competition."

Most people in the room recognized Eunuch Ruyi, and no one dared to disagree with what he said. However, there were some who didn't recognize him, so they stepped forward and asked:

“When did it become the time for a eunuch to take charge of things in Weilong Kingdom? I’m here to see the king, not to see a sissy like you!” The nearly two-meter-tall man pointed at Princess Ruyi and spoke, while also showing off his muscles.

Ruyi narrowed her eyes, looked at the burly man, and sneered, "Before you all become sages, you were all just commoners. I am acting on the King's orders, and now I represent the King. If you disobey or insult me, you will be committing treason! At that time, your life or death will be in my hands!"

Upon hearing this, the burly man's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected a eunuch to have such an imposing manner, and he immediately dared not continue speaking, retreating to a corner.

Mo Chen curled his lip and thought to himself: What a coward!

As he stepped aside, she secretly memorized his words and coldly announced, "Now I will announce the rules of the competition. Each sage will carry a meat bun and a bell. After the competition begins, you may enter and exit the palace and find hiding places. By sunset, anyone who is not caught by the cat will be considered to have passed the test. Just a reminder, if you do not have your bell, or if your meat bun is eaten, you will also be disqualified."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!