And she looked at him with not only scrutiny, but also a hint of imperceptible wariness in her eyes. That was the look of someone who had long been in the centre of power, accustomed to weighing pros and cons.
Chen Ping quickly formed a guess in his mind. This Ziyan was probably not just the kingdom lord’s advisor.
The Divine Kingdom’s lord was advanced in years, needing someone to care for him. Ziyan was young and beautiful, with sufficient cultivation and intellect. She might well be the one by the lord’s pillow.
In daily life, she helped the lord with trivial matters, and occasionally participated in state affairs as an advisor. This both concealed her role from prying eyes and allowed her to stay by the lord’s side at all times.
Thinking of such a beautiful girl being pressed under an old man and rutted, Chen Ping felt a pang of pity.
However, Chen Ping did not show it. Instead, he revealed a smile that was just right, cupped his hands, and said. “I am Chen Ping. This time, in escorting the princess back, I seek no reward. I merely encountered Her Highness the Princess alone outside, worried for her safety, and thus presumptuously brought her back.
After all, the Divine Kingdom and the Divine Temple are about to form a marriage alliance. Her Highness the Princess’s safety concerns the stability of the Sixth Heaven. I dare not stand by and do nothing.”
He deliberately mentioned the marriage alliance, both to probe Ziyan’s reaction and to make his actions seem more reasonable.
A cultivator concerned with the situation in the Sixth Heaven, escorting back a lost princess, was always more likely to ease suspicions than one with ulterior motives.
Upon hearing the words marriage alliance, a flicker of imperceptible fluctuation passed through Ziyan’s eyes. She quickly regained her composure, smiling as she said. “Fellow Daoist Chen is thoughtful.
Her Highness the Princess has just returned and must be tired. Let her return to the palace to rest first. I will show Fellow Daoist Chen around the Divine Capital.”
Chen Ping nodded. “Very well.”
Ziyan said no more, ordered the divine guards to take the princess away, and then turned to lead Chen Ping into the city.
The streets of the Divine Capital were wide and clean. The buildings on both sides were constructed from divine stones and immortal wood, with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding the luxury and majesty of the divine clan everywhere.
Divine clan cultivators came and went on the streets. Upon seeing Ziyan, they all avoided her, evidently extremely wary of her status.
The bluestone slab road was slightly dampened by morning dew, gleaming with a pale golden lustre. The branches of divine trees on both sides drooped, sifting fine sunlight onto Chen Ping’s shoulders.
Ziyan walked half a step ahead, her phoenix bird patterned skirt hem swaying lightly with her steps. She appeared casual, but her peripheral vision always locked onto Chen Ping’s expression. Every few steps, she would ask him a question.
“Fellow Daoist Chen looks unfamiliar. Perhaps you have not been in the Sixth Heaven for long?”
Ziyan’s fingertip brushed over a hairpin embedded with spiritual jade on a street-side stall, her tone light as if chatting idly. “The Sixth Heaven is not like the Fifth Heaven, with forces deeply intertwined. For a loose cultivator like you to dare wander alone, your courage is not small.”
Chen Ping was staring at the arrogant face of the divine clan stall owner behind the stall. Upon hearing this, he scratched his head, smiling somewhat foolishly. “I have only been in the Sixth Heaven for a few days, just wanting to see the excitement.
I grew tired of staying in the Fifth Heaven before. I heard the Sixth Heaven has such a grand place as the Divine Kingdom, so I wanted to come and have a look. Who knew I would encounter Her Highness the Princess.”
He deliberately emphasised the word excitement, his gaze falling on a group of divine clan children arguing over immortal fruits not far away, as if he truly were a loose cultivator who had seen little of the world.
Ziyan’s steps paused slightly. When she turned her face, the scrutiny in her eyes deepened. “Oh? Then what did you do for a living in the Fifth Heaven? Life is not easy for loose cultivators. To cultivate to the first grade of the Earth Immortal realm, you must have some means of livelihood, right?”
Her words seemed caring, but in reality, she was probing. If Chen Ping had a force behind him, he would surely reveal a flaw in mentioning his means of livelihood, or refer to some sect’s industry.
Chen Ping, however, acted as if he had not caught the implication, sighing. “What else could I do? Run errands for people, search for some low-tier immortal grasses to exchange for immortal stones.
Sometimes, if lucky, I could pick up discarded waste talisman paper from others. I would tinker and draw on my own. Unexpectedly, this time in trapping Her Highness the Princess, it actually came in handy.”
