"Zhao Xizhi greets fellow Daoists!"
The elegant and graceful young woman gave a graceful bow, and the many prodigies who saw this quickly returned the greeting.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
To the many prodigies present, the young woman before them was completely unfamiliar. However, the black bird embroidered on the hem of her clothes was enough to prove how illustrious her status was. Few of the people present were qualified to provoke her.
"Brother Feng, how is it?"
At the back of the crowd, Yi Canglan quietly walked to Feng Bingwen's side and began to ask questions.
"What do you mean, how?"
Feng Bingwen turned his head away, somewhat bewildered.
"What do you think of this imperial princess?"
"I heard she's going with us, that's great! Women are just as capable as men!"
Is that all?
Yi Canglan recalled the secret that the prince of the emperor had told him when he visited Zhao An a few days ago.
"Brother Yi, do you know my younger sister, Zhao Xizhi?"
At the banquet, the prince who had just been defeated showed no sign of dejection on his face. On the contrary, he was full of vigor and radiance, looking very spirited.
"I don't know him."
At that moment, the Sunset God was completely bewildered. He had never heard of this princess, let alone knew her.
“It’s not surprising that Brother Yi doesn’t recognize her. My sister has been raised in the inner palace since childhood and has never shown her face outside.”
Why is Brother Zhao telling me all this?
He made a special trip to visit the prince, but only after finding out why the prince had performed so poorly during the competition that day.
"This is related to my embarrassing situation that day, and the matter I want to discuss with you today, Brother Yi."
"I would like to hear the details!"
"I won't waste any more words with you, Brother Yi. My younger sister here admires the Supreme Daoist Master!"
"Pfft...cough...cough cough, what did you say?"
Yi Canglan, who had just drunk a cup of wine, spat out the spirit wine in his mouth in one gulp. After coughing twice, he looked at the Emperor Prince, who was sitting upright in the main seat and did not move, in astonishment. He was unable to react for a moment.
“My younger sister admires the Supreme Daoist Master. That night, when I was sparring with Brother Feng, my younger sister came up to me and communicated with me telepathically. It was because of this that I lost my composure and allowed Brother Feng to take advantage of me, which led to my miserable end!”
Zhao An wore a helpless smile, but his expression resembled that of an older brother who doted on his younger sister.
"I see!"
Yi Canglan nodded, but hadn't thought too much about it yet. It wasn't unreasonable for someone like Taishang Daozi to win the heart of the Empress.
"My sister has already made a request to my father, but it's not appropriate to tell Brother Yi the details, lest it be a loss of face!"
What did your sister say to His Majesty?
Yi Canglan belatedly realized what was happening.
"She wants to marry the Supreme Daoist Master!"
Zhao An reversed the cause of the matter, instead of saying that his father had taken a liking to the identity of the Supreme Daoist, he said that his sister had admired Feng Bingwen after hearing about his deeds.
If the truth were revealed directly, it would easily provoke the rebellious spirit in this human prodigy. Let alone help him, it would be a good thing if he didn't cause any trouble.
"this……"
Yi Canglan was caught off guard and was immediately stunned when he learned of this news.
"But even if my sister were to plead with my father, he would be helpless in this matter!"
"nature!"
Yi Canglan nodded. The Great Qin was indeed the strongest nation among the human race, but even if it was strong, it couldn't control the Supreme Dao.
"Therefore, it can only be a matter of mutual affection. If that is the case, there will naturally be no problem."
"Hmm, not bad!"
Yi Canglan picked up his wine cup. At this moment, he was already thinking of running away, because the tone of the conversation sounded ominous, as if he was about to get into trouble again.
"As the elder brother, I shouldn't have interfered too much in this matter. However, my younger sister is stubborn and once she's made up her mind, no one can change it. She has even written to my father, requesting to accompany Brother Yi out of the Nine Provinces to slay demons and monsters and enhance the prestige of our human race."
"Your sister is going too?"
Yi Canglan's face immediately showed a look of emotion.
"Yes, she is going. I will tell you the reason for her decision, Brother Yi. But please don't tell anyone else, or my sister will lose face."
"Of course not, I'm not a gossip."
Yi Canglan looked very serious.
"Brother Yi, what do you think of this?"
"Fellow Daoist Feng currently has no Daoist partner, and I have never heard of him having any woman he admires, so it is certainly permissible!"
"In that case, I would like to ask Brother Yi for your assistance when the time is right. On behalf of my sister, I would like to express my gratitude to Brother Yi in advance."
As they spoke, Zhao An stood up from his seat and bowed deeply to Yi Canglan.
"useless!"
Yi Canglan quickly stood up and helped the prince up.
"Why bother? The man is unmarried and the woman is unmarried. If they are both interested in each other, it would be a match made in heaven and a beautiful story for generations to come. If I were to contribute my share, it would also be a wonderful tale. What's wrong with that?"
"Thank you, Brother Yi!"
Even after several days, the image of the prince's tearful gratitude was still vivid in his mind. When Yi Canglan, who had agreed to the matter, looked at the princess and his friend beside him, there were subtle differences in his gaze compared to the one before him.
He believed he had some prior knowledge of secrets unknown to ordinary people: the Empress was fighting for humanity and winning for the greater good, but her true purpose was to admire the Supreme Daoist and win his heart.
What else can I say?
Looking at the Sunset God beside him, Feng Bingwen suddenly felt that there was something wrong with the guy's eyes. He looked like those gossipy old women in the village who liked to pry into other people's secrets.
"Brother Feng, such a stunning beauty, aren't you tempted? She's an imperial princess! If you could win her heart, that would be..."
Yi Canglan admitted that this was the first time he had done something like this, and his words were inevitably a bit explicit. However, he really didn't have much experience, and besides, they were good friends, so there was nothing wrong with speaking freely. Why bother with being coy?
"Stop! You said it yourself, she's an imperial princess, what hasn't she seen? It's not that easy for her."
"You are the Supreme Daoist Master!"
"So what?"
Feng Bingwen didn't think his status as a Daoist was anything special. The main reason was that he was ashamed to mention the process of obtaining it to outsiders. Even after becoming a Daoist, he had no pride whatsoever.
"Your status is quite high, there's no need to belittle yourself!"
"Just think about it. A woman of this status is probably betrothed to a member of a powerful family shortly after birth. So what if she wins someone's heart? Do you really think they can have a happy ending?"
Feng Bingwen remained unmoved, which was understandable. In his mind, women of high status, unless they were exceptionally talented, were often used as tools for political marriages. At least, that was his perception.
The reason he wasn't moved was because his perspective had broadened considerably. This imperial princess was undeniably beautiful, but she was only on par with the goddesses and dragon princesses he had met before.
If he had seen this woman when she was first born, he would naturally have been amazed and his heart and eyes would have been filled with her beauty. But now, that's all he is.
"this……"
Yi Canglan opened his mouth, but suddenly felt a little powerless. He realized that being a matchmaker was really not easy. He had inquired with Zhao An about the situation of this imperial princess. Her maternal clan was weak, so she was often overlooked. She was not married to this day, but she was the perfect candidate for a Daoist partner, at least in his opinion.
"Perhaps she isn't engaged?"
The Sunset God was making a final effort.
"How could there not be?"
Feng Bingwen remained unmoved. Who wouldn't like a beautiful woman's posture? While appreciating her beauty, one must maintain the most basic principles and bottom line.
"..."
Yi Canglan was speechless. He couldn't very well tell his friend directly that the Empress had joined because of him, that she had taken a liking to him, and that she wanted to discuss the secrets of Yin and Yang with him. If he said that, what would become of the Empress's reputation?
"Alright, let's talk about it another day. After we leave the Nine Provinces, I'll try my best to create opportunities for these two to be alone. I don't believe Brother Feng won't be tempted by such characters!"
Having taken on the task and made the promise, Yi Canglan was truly dedicated and responsible, racking his brains to figure out how to make it happen.
Feng Bingwen glanced at his friend, who had a troubled look on his face, with a strange expression, but didn't pry. Everyone has their own secrets, and there's no need to delve into them. It's better for everyone to leave each other some leeway.
His gaze fell upon the Empress, who was exchanging words with many prodigies. Her illustrious status naturally made her the focus of attention, and many prodigies who were immediately filled with admiration upon seeing her took the initiative to approach her and strike up a conversation.
Feng Bingwen is knowledgeable and has a broad perspective. He can maintain a calm demeanor when facing a role, but the other prodigies do not have this mindset.
It's not that they can't move their legs when they see a woman. Of course not. For them, there are many beautiful female cultivators, but a woman of such illustrious status as the Empress is truly a first for them.
Without exaggeration, even a top-tier genius could save three hundred years of struggle by marrying the Empress. It concerns one's path to immortality, and no one would give up so easily. What if it works out? Even if it doesn't, talking to a female cultivator of such high status would be a delightful experience.
However, when facing those handsome and talented human talents, each with their own unique cultivation, Zhao Xizhi wore a gentle yet polite smile, maintaining an appropriate distance while remaining approachable.
Just then, Feng Bingwen looked over, and the imperial princess seemed to notice as well, looking up and meeting Feng Bingwen's gaze.
Suddenly, it was as if the sun from the heavens had fallen into a riot of flowers, and all the flowers bloomed in a riot of colors, bright and beautiful. The princess, who seemed to be wearing a mask, smiled like a flower, a smile that came from the bottom of her heart.
His posture startled the geniuses surrounding him, who then turned to look at Feng Bingwen, who was now showing a warm smile.
Feng Bingwen could assure him that the smile he was showing at that moment was merely polite and did not contain much meaning. After all, the Empress had smiled at him, so he couldn't possibly keep a straight face!
However, to onlookers, the couple smiling at each other seemed rather odd, and those who had initially harbored feelings for the girl quickly withdrew upon seeing this.
They are also people who care about their reputation, and they would never do something like pestering someone. Besides, this kind of thing is useless to this imperial princess. Does she really think his guards are fake? When a noble lady like her travels, she must be accompanied by a powerful protector.
"May I ask, is it the Supreme Daoist Master in person?"
Zhao Xizhi took the initiative to speak.
"This is me. Your Highness may address me by my given name; there is no need to call me Daozi!"
Feng Bingwen responded that although Daozi's identity was very prominent, he still felt a little embarrassed when others addressed him that way.
"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony, Brother Bingwen!"
Zhao Xizhi's smile grew brighter and brighter. Anyone with eyesight could see that this imperial princess's attitude towards Feng Bingwen had changed.
Such differential treatment inevitably caused some people to grumble in their hearts, but considering Feng Bingwen's identity, they understood. If they were in different places and in each other's shoes, they might have done the same.
"That's good!"
Although it was strange that the princess addressed herself by her given name instead of her surname, Feng Bingwen didn't think much of it. He stubbornly believed that the bright and beautiful girl in front of him was already engaged, and with this preconceived notion, he naturally didn't have many other thoughts.
“Brother Bingwen, you may call me Xizhi; there is no need to address me as Your Highness.”
"Fellow Daoist Xi Zhi?"
Feng Bingwen readily agreed. He didn't think there was anything wrong with such a title, as the two sides were of equal status. His status as a Daoist disciple was even slightly higher than the other party's, because, in principle, he had the opportunity to succeed as the Supreme Daoist Master in the future. When he took charge of the sect's foundation, he would become one of the most unapproachable figures in the world.
"Brother Bingwen!"
In Feng Bingwen's eyes, this was just an ordinary meeting and exchange, but in the eyes of others, it was far too unusual and clearly had a problem.
Rumors and gossip immediately arose, and even the trivial matters of ordinary people in the city could be gossiped about by the neighbors and spread to more than ten streets away, not to mention the affairs between the Supreme Daoist and the Imperial Daughter.
It was merely a chance encounter with a prodigy who casually mentioned this during a banquet, and it immediately became the talk of the town in Xianyang.
Even in the eyes of the Qin people, the two were a perfect match, because the reputation of the Supreme Dao was so great that anyone who knew a little about it would have a very high level of recognition for the cultivators who came out of it.
Such gossip didn't last long; within a few days, it reached Feng Bingwen's ears. Upon hearing this, Feng Bingwen's first reaction was...
"Who is so gossipy? How can they slander someone like this? Xi Zhi is still the Empress's daughter; we must find a way to clear her name!"
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