“I’ve never even met the Purple Song Sage,” Jin Lin said with an unchanged expression, looking utterly sincere.
Yun Qingxue was so exasperated she almost laughed. He claimed the Purple Song Sage was immensely powerful, dashingly handsome, and exuded an immortal aura—yet he’d never even seen him?
Was everything he said just hearsay?
If so…
Yun Qingxue stared at Jin Lin, her skepticism written plainly across her face.
A recommendation from this fool… might not be reliable at all! How frustrating!
“Xuexue, that look on your face—you don’t believe me, do you?” Jin Lin pouted.
Give me a reason to believe you. →_→
“I just want to ask one thing…” Yun Qingxue massaged her forehead. “Does this ‘Purple Song Sage’ even exist in this world?”
“Of course he does!” Jin Lin declared with absolute conviction, as if he were about to raise his hand and swear to the heavens.
“Really?”
Yun Qingxue decided it was better to be cautious.
“Absolutely!”
“And he’s really powerful?”
“Of course!”
“How do you know?”
“I… heard about it.” Jin Lin’s confidence wavered.
→_→
“Xuexue, what’s with that look?” Jin Lin’s face reddened. “Though I’ve never seen the Purple Song Sage in person, I’ve experienced his power firsthand.”
→_→
How could you experience it if you’ve never seen him? In a dream?
Seeing Yun Qingxue’s continued disbelief, Jin Lin raised his voice slightly. “Well—”
“Hiss—” A-Dai, who had been quietly coiled around Yun Qingxue’s wrist, suddenly flicked its tongue toward a distant rock.
“Who’s there?!” Jin Lin sensed the disturbance. His expression sharpened as he struck out with a palm infused with magic toward a rock in the distance.
The force of his strike shattered the rock into fragments instantly.
Yun Qingxue’s gaze followed—but there was nothing unusual behind the shattered remains.
“Your Majesty!” The palace guards Jin Lin had dismissed earlier rushed back at the sound of the commotion.
“Search the area for any suspicious individuals!” Jin Lin commanded coldly.
“Yes!” The guards scattered to obey.
Yun Qingxue frowned, and Jin Lin quickly softened his tone. “Don’t be afraid, Xuexue. Just some petty troublemakers—nothing to worry about!”
“Mm. I’m fine.” Yun Qingxue smiled, then looked at Jin Lin. “Earlier, you said you’ve never seen the Purple Song Sage but have ‘experienced his power’?”
“Right.” Jin Lin nodded eagerly. “That year, I went to the Luo Yun Mountains on business. After finishing, I thought I’d pay a visit to this ancient deity. But as soon as I reached the foot of the mountain… I was blocked by its protective barrier.
“Curious, I tried to break through the barrier. But the moment I acted, all my magic was reflected back at me with overwhelming divine force. Then, an immense pressure crushed down on me, making it hard to breathe.
“But the pressure seemed only meant as a warning—it vanished after a moment. I didn’t dare push further, so I apologized to the mountain and left with my men.”
“So… you didn’t even see him? You just got… dealt with!”
“Mm.” Jin Lin let out an awkward grunt.
“Ah…” Yun Qingxue sighed. “If even you couldn’t meet him, how can I—someone with no magic at all—hope to see the Purple Song Sage?”
If she couldn’t even meet the great sage, how could she become his disciple?
“Not necessarily.”
Jin Lin added, “Seven hundred years ago, the Purple Song Sage issued a divine decree: If a sincere seeker could pluck a Shuo Na Fruit from the Chuxia Mountain in the southeast and carry it on foot to the Luo Yun Mountains, he would take that person as his disciple.”
“Chuxia Mountain in the southeast?” Yun Qingxue blinked at Jin Lin. “In all these years, has anyone succeeded? How many disciples has the Purple Song Sage taken?”
“From then until now, no one has survived plucking the Shuo Na Fruit—or if they did, they never made it alive to Luo Yun Mountain.”
“Why?”
“Not only is the Shuo Na Fruit incredibly rare, ripening only once every thousand years, but it must be picked at the exact moment the first sunlight pierces the dawn clouds. A second too early or too late, and the fruit turns to ash.
“Beyond that, the journey from Chuxia Mountain in the southeast to Luo Yun Mountain in the northwest spans thousands of miles. The path is riddled with demons, traps, and dangers. Even traveling empty-handed, one would attract the attention of malevolent spirits—let alone carrying a rare spiritual fruit like the Shuo Na.”
Seeing Yun Qingxue fall silent, Jin Lin leaned in. “Xuexue, why not just marry me instead? Low risk, and I promise to treat you well. How about it? Ow—!”
Jin Lin clutched his eye, looking aggrieved. “Xuexue, you hit me again!”
“I’ve decided,” Yun Qingxue said firmly.
Jin Lin’s eyes lit up. “You’ve decided to marry me, haven’t you?”
Yun Qingxue rolled her eyes. “I’ve decided to go after the Shuo Na Fruit!”
“You’re not afraid of the danger?” Jin Lin’s expression turned serious.
“I am. But do you think my current situation isn’t dangerous?”
She didn’t give him a chance to reply. “No one can protect me forever—not even you, Jin Lin. If I want to survive, I have to grow stronger. My identity doesn’t allow me to remain weak.”
Seeing her determination, a flicker of sadness crossed Jin Lin’s eyes.
Just then, the guards who had dispersed to search returned.
“Your Majesty,” one knelt and reported. “We’ve thoroughly searched the area but found no suspicious individuals.”
Jin Lin waved them off, and the guards withdrew.
He turned and strode away without another word.
Yun Qingxue stood still, watching him go, a sudden melancholy rising in her chest…
But then Jin Lin, already far off, abruptly turned back. A streak of golden light shot from his hand straight toward her.
“Ow ow ow ow—!”
The light grazed Yun Qingxue’s shoulder, and a series of pained yelps erupted behind her.
“My old bones…!”
The Tortoise Minister groaned. The golden light had struck him squarely, not too painfully, but enough to flip him onto his back, legs flailing in the air.
Before he could right himself, another golden beam wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground and carrying him to Jin Lin’s side.
The Tortoise Minister scrambled to stand properly and bowed. “Your Majesty.”
Jin Lin glared. The minister forced an awkward smile and trailed after him as he left.
Shi Yu escorted Yun Qingxue back to her room. Jin Lin didn’t appear again for the rest of the day.
She waited from morning until noon the next day before finally sending Shi Yu to find him.
She had no choice—if she wanted to leave the Dragon Palace, she at least had to bid farewell to her host. More importantly, without Jin Lin, she had no idea how to get out of here.
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