Wulan Na's pretty face flushed with emotion as her gaze drifted towards Nangong Yu. Seeing him sitting quietly in a corner, drinking, she shyly lowered her head. Fortunately, she was not one for excessive coyness.
"Father King, your daughter has already chosen."
"Oh? And who is it?"
"Him!" Wulan Na pointed towards Nangong Yu's location without hesitation. However, as soon as the words left her lips, her expression changed. She realized Nangong Yu was no longer in his seat; another stranger occupied his place.
The old king looked at the youth sitting in the corner. The youth, unaware that Wulan Na had pointed to him, was head down, fiddling with something, his face obscured.
"Lift your head."
The person beside the youth quickly nudged him. Only then did he look up. A delicate face, filled with confusion, wondered why everyone was staring at him.
"Congratulations, young sir, Princess Wulan Na has chosen you."
The youth looked at Wulan Na, standing beside the king. Surprise filled his eyes, as if he hadn't expected the noble Princess Wulan Na to choose such an insignificant person as her consort.
"It's not him!" Wulan Na cried out in distress. The person she had chosen was someone else, not this ordinary youth.
Wulan Na rushed down, searching the crowd but finding no trace of Nangong Yu. Yet, from that one glance in the desert, she had already set her heart on Nangong Yu and could not look at anyone else.
"Where is he?" Wulan Na, unable to find Nangong Yu, rushed to Xiao Man and asked urgently, "Where is your second brother?"
Xiao Man turned her face towards Ye Qing. "Big Brother, where is Second Brother?"
Ye Qing glanced back. No one was behind him. He turned back. "He has legs of his own, how would I know where he went?"
"Where is he?" Wulan Na's face was clouded with gloom. She had finally found someone she liked, and at the time of choosing her consort, he had vanished. She could no longer maintain her noble and elegant demeanor.
Xiao Man picked up the tea from the table and took small sips. "I don't know. Wasn't he with Princess Wulan Na the whole time?"
"Wulan Na, what is going on?" the old king asked anxiously. He had always doted on his youngest daughter, and seeing her in such a state of agitation, he felt a pang of confusion.
"Father King, your daughter fell in love with Qin Man's brother, Qin Xiao, at first sight. But he was here moments ago, and now he's vanished." Wulan Na was so anxious, tears welled up in her eyes.
Wen Mohan's eyes flickered slightly. Qin Man, Qin Xiao. Was the surname Qin taken from the King of Qin's title? That the King of Qin would use Xiao Man's surname as his given name was truly insidious.
The old king's gaze fell on Xiao Man. "Where has your brother gone?"
"Your Majesty, this commoner knows not. My second brother has been with Princess Wulan Na since entering the palace. This commoner would also like to ask Princess Wulan Na, where has my second brother gone?"
"You... you are insolent!" Wulan Na raised her hand, ready to strike.
Wen Mohan was about to rise but was pressed down by a nearby guard, who shook his head, signaling him not to act rashly. Xiao Man leaned back slightly, and Wulan Na's blow landed on empty air. Angered and embarrassed, she no longer cared about her princess's decorum and reached out to overturn the table.
Just then, a dark figure landed steadily on the table in front of Xiao Man, preventing Wulan Na from flipping it. "Wulan Na, this is the King's birthday banquet. Do not be insolent!"
"Bai Ling!" Wulan Na saw Bai Ling and grudgingly withdrew her hand, appearing somewhat intimidated by Bai Ling.
Bai Ling bowed to the old king. "Your Majesty, this person is my guest. Since she is not welcome here, I shall take her away."
The old king narrowed his eyes. The Saintess's guest? The Saintess had lived in the sacred land since childhood, and after being chosen, she lived alone in the White Tower. How could she have guests?
However, the old king did not stop her. He nodded, agreeing to let the Saintess take Xiao Man away. Xiao Man rose and followed the Saintess. Seeing this, Ye Qing quickly followed, not wanting to remain and face Princess Wulan Na's wrath.
Wulan Na wanted to stop Xiao Man but feared Bai Ling. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the receding figures of the group until they disappeared.
The old king looked at his attendant, who immediately nodded and left. Wulan Na, likely feeling wronged, stomped her foot and ran out. She had feigned gentleness and virtue all along, hoping for Nangong Yu to be her consort at today's birthday banquet. But at the critical moment, Nangong Yu had vanished!
Bai Ling led Xiao Man to the front of the White Tower. The ten-story tower pierced the clouds, as if to pluck the sun from the sky. Xiao Man abruptly stopped.
Ye Qing also stopped. The White Tower was surrounded by small purple flowers, blooming with exceptional vibrancy. Yet, not a single bloom from this vast expanse of flowers had withered.
"Why have you stopped?" Bai Ling paused and inquired.
"Saintess, these flowers are poisonous to ordinary people."
Bai Ling turned back, looked at Xiao Man, and asked softly, "Are you ordinary people?"
Xiao Man smiled, took a pill from Ye Qing, and put it in her mouth. She followed Bai Ling's steps, with Ye Qing close behind. The three entered the White Tower.
Inside the White Tower, it was not the imagined splendor of gold and jade. Instead, it was filled with various medicinal herbs, some of which even Xiao Man and Ye Qing couldn't name.
"Is the White Tower a place for growing herbs?"
"No, it is a place for prayer, cultivating Gu techniques, and nurturing venomous Gu." Bai Ling ascended the stairs, all the way to the tenth floor. The tenth floor had no plants and a simple layout: a bed, a table, an altar, and a cabinet. A faint incense smoke filled the room.
"Please, sit." Bai Ling knelt by the table and began to prepare tea for them. Xiao Man took a cup and sniffed it.
"Good tea." She then drank it down in one gulp.
Ye Qing glanced at Xiao Man, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Without any pretenses, he also drank the tea. "Saintess, you invited us into the White Tower, surely for a reason?"
"Indeed, there is a reason." A faint smile appeared on Bai Ling's cool countenance. "Because our clan must not allow anyone or anything to affect the Life-and-Death Gu."
"Are you going to kill me?" Xiao Man's tone was calm, showing no sign of agitation from Bai Ling's words. She seemed to ignore the killing intent emanating from Bai Ling.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid? Of course, I'm afraid," Xiao Man said with a smile. "However, I don't think you will kill me."
"Why?"
"A hunch." Xiao Man looked at Bai Ling. "This intrusion upon the Saintess was unintentional; rather, there is a matter I wish to request."
"As expected, it was intentional." Bai Ling nodded in understanding. First, she incited the Gu King she carried to become restless, thereby triggering the Life-and-Death Gu within her. This person was indeed coming for her. "What do you want?"
"The method to break the Life-and-Death Gu."