He spun around abruptly, nearly running on all fours as he stumbled and staggered back toward the house.
He almost fell, but he didn’t even care.
He only wanted to get away—immediately, right now—from this silver-haired girl whose thinking was completely abnormal, who shared perception, and who had made that terrifying proposal with an innocent expression!
Was this kind of thing something you could just say out loud?!
Crazy, crazy…
He would have to stay far away from her from now on.
“Master…?”
Han Yi wanted to say something more, but seeing his back fleeing like a startled rabbit, she ultimately held her tongue.
In the spirit beast’s understanding, heaven and earth mated to give birth to all things, male and female cooperated to produce offspring.
Yin and yang were originally two complementary forces in the universe.
The pleasure of fish and water was driven by the Way of Heaven. What was there to be shy about?
She stood there, the faint ripples deep in her eyes slowly calming.
But the long, straight leg that her cold fingers had brushed still carried a barely perceptible tension.
She raised her hand, her fingertips touching her own slightly heated cheek.
A trace of puzzled contemplation flickered through her gaze.
“The inherited memory says… this should make the person you like happy…”
“Master… doesn’t seem happy?”
She tilted her head, silver hair cascading over her shoulder, seriously pondering this question that exceeded the scope of her inherited memory.
……
After that, Fei Yu indeed never appeared before Chen Mo again, as if she had vanished from the face of the earth—or was secretly brewing something.
Following Qin Shuying’s arrangements, Chen Mo moved out of the simple little courtyard in the Human Character Zone and into a more secluded single-story building with stronger prohibition seals near the Heaven Character Zone, guarded by Han Yi at all times.
Qin Shuying, meanwhile, began her covert arrangements.
On one hand, she maintained a subtle and dangerous cooperative relationship with Chu Yi, confirming the competition process and care details.
On the other hand, she gathered information on other powerful competitors and tailored specialized training for Chen Mo.
Time flew by, and the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion’s once-a-decade Flower Queen Competition arrived as scheduled.
The central plaza of the Jade Fragrance Garden—the Gathering Beauties Platform—had been decorated like a fairyland.
White jade formed the steps, colored glaze paved the ground.
Surrounding them, spirit flowers and exotic herbs bloomed in competition.
Colored silk fluttered, and spirit lamps shone like stars.
Layered viewing seats surrounded the area—from the VIP section nearest the stage with low tables and soft cushions, to the stepped ordinary seats behind, and even the standing area further out—was now packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, watertight.
The air was thick with the mixed scent of various expensive incense, powders, spirit fruits, and wine.
The clamor of voices, laughter, talk, music played on silk and bamboo, and the announcer’s shrill introductions merged into a boiling sea.
Floating in the air were all kinds of shadow recording stones and transmission artifacts, projecting the scene inside to all corners of the East Continent in real time.
The sun blazed fiercely, but not as fiercely as the burning light in the eyes of the thousands of female cultivators below the stage.
In front of the stage sat the judging panel, ten dignified and prestigious female cultivators with heavy auras.
Among them were senior madams from the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion, as well as invited elders from other sects and clan leaders from great families.
Some smiled reservedly, others scanned the waiting area behind the stage with burning gazes, evaluating the beauties who had carefully dressed and were waiting to go on stage.
The atmosphere was lively and restless.
Today, this year’s champion would be decided. So would the ownership of the bottle of Crimson Jade Snow Liquid that had drawn countless secret covetous glances.
Gathered here were the twenty ultimate beauties who had been filtered through hundreds of contestants and finally made it to the finals.
Some were touching up their makeup before mirrors, some chatting in low voices, some closing their eyes to rest, and some couldn’t hide their nervousness as they twisted their sleeves.
The air was thick with the invisible pressure of competition and a rich variety of fragrances.
Chen Mo stood in a relatively quiet corner, wearing a vermillion crabapple palace dress (the Moonlit Gauze Skirt had been wrinkled from all the fuss).
For Su Wan’er, he had to step onto that stage. He had to win enough votes.
Qin Shuying said Chu Yi would clear obstacles, but in the end, these external forces were only aids.
Ultimately, convincing the masses depended on himself.
Beside him was Han Yi, dressed as an ordinary maid.
Ever since she had made that astonishing remark, he no longer treated her like an ordinary child.
To avoid repeating past mistakes, he tried to avoid physical contact, guarding against her just like he guarded against Chao’er.
Han Yi was speechless about this.
But she couldn’t skip her duty as a guard.
She elbowed him in the ribs, indicating that several particularly weighty gazes had passed through the crowd and locked firmly onto him.
One came from the side and back of the judging panel, where some special seats were set up.
Fei Yu, wearing a purplish-red luxurious robe and shaking a gold-dusted folding fan, was chatting and laughing with several female companions beside her.
Another came from Qin Shuying, sitting in the Heaven Character VIP viewing platform.
And another… drifted erratically.
Chu Yi did not appear in the open viewing seats, but Chen Mo knew she was watching him from somewhere.
Clang!
A clear bell toll resounded across the square, drowning out all noise.
A presiding madam from the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion flew onto the stage.
Her voice, infused with spiritual power, carried clearly to every corner.
“The auspicious hour has arrived! The Guiwei session of the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion’s Flower Queen Competition finals now begins! After preliminary and secondary selections, eight beauties have distinguished themselves and will compete here for the champion position! The finals consist of three rounds: first, Appearance Display; second, Talent Competition; third, Mind and Character Q&A. Based on the combined performance in these three rounds, the ten judges and all distinguished guests holding Myriad Splendor Cards will vote together to decide the ultimate champion!”
“Now, please welcome the first contestant, number one, Jade Bamboo Lord!”
Applause and cheers rose.
Jade Bamboo Lord, the previous champion, had evidently dressed meticulously today.
He wore a cyan long robe, carried an ancient qin, and had a cool, aloof demeanor.
He took the stage first. When his qin sounded, clear and ethereal, it won considerable applause.
Chen Mo quietly watched as one man after another—handsome, soft and charming, or valiant—took the stage, displaying their appearances and talents (qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, song, dance, and swordplay), answering the judges’ tricky or witty questions.
The atmosphere was intense, the competition fierce.
Behind those contestants, there seemed to be varying degrees of supporting forces. Targeted cheers and shouts occasionally rose from the audience.
After several rounds of fierce competition and elimination, several talented and beautiful contestants had emerged as strong contenders for the champion, attracting most of the spotlight.
However, everyone knew that today’s highlight was not the match between these rising victors, but the variable-filled Gathering Beauties Re-competition!
This segment was specifically established for the male favorites, nephews, disciples, and followers beside the powerful figures seated in the core positions of the Heaven and Earth Character Zones.
In name, it was open to anyone who considered themselves talented.
But everyone knew that without background or backing, an ordinary man would find it as hard as reaching heaven just to step into the core area of the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion—let alone take the stage on such an occasion.
Everyone’s gaze, openly or secretly, frequently darted to the waiting area behind the side of the arena.
That area was covered by a special barrier, reserved exclusively for special challengers.
Or else they drifted toward the young men of exceptional looks and bearing who attended the powerful figures.
Finally, when the last candidate for champion finished their display to a full house of applause, the mistress of ceremonies on the stage—a still-attractive middle-aged beauty—stepped forward gracefully.
First, she smiled warmly and congratulated the eight finalists beauties. Then her tone suddenly shifted.
Her voice was clear and carried throughout the venue: “Thank you for the splendid displays from the beauties just now! Next comes the most special and thrilling segment of this Flower Queen Competition—the Gathering Beauties Re-competition!”
“Simply step onto the stage, show the most stunning side of yourself, receive the approval of more than seventy percent of the distinguished guests holding viewing jade tokens… and you will be exceptionally qualified to compete with the eight champion candidates for the ultimate honor and generous rewards!”
“There is only one chance! Gentlemen… is there anyone willing to step forward and test their edge?”
As her voice fell, silence reigned for a moment.
Several young men who had been expected to participate showed moved expressions after receiving signals from their elders or masters behind them.
A middle-aged beauty in splendid brocade attire from a major family in the Central Province gently patted the shoulder of a white-robed youth beside her—handsome, with a gentle jade-like temperament—and whispered a few words of encouragement.
The boy’s cheeks flushed slightly, but he straightened his back and, under the beauty’s smiling gaze, strode toward the steps leading to the stage.
On another side, a female blade cultivator with a fierce aura and a seated posture gave a chin jerk to the tall, well-muscled black-clothed youth beside her, who had wild, untamed brows.
The youth grinned, showing white teeth, cracked his wrists, and followed with long strides.
Then, two or three more men, under the signals or tacit approval of their backers, left their seats and walked toward the high platform.
Some were elegant, some heroic, some suave—each was a dragon or phoenix among men, all clearly carefully dressed.
Their appearance immediately drew some attention, stirring low murmurs.
Just as the undercurrents surged and everyone thought the challengers would come from these privileged connections—
A figure, fiery red like blood yet splendid like a sunset cloud, slowly walked out from an inconspicuous waiting area below the stage.
Step by step, she ascended the white jade steps, moving toward the center of the light-gathering Gathering Beauties Platform.
It was a young woman wearing an extremely gorgeous, complex vermillion gold-thread crabapple palace dress.
Her robes were layered, embroidered with full-blooming crabapple flowers in gold thread.
As she walked, colors rippled and shimmered, as if she was wearing the sky’s evening glow.
Her cloud-like hair was piled high, adorned with several delicate golden step-hairpins and kingfisher-feather hair ornaments that trembled slightly with her steps, scattering fine and dazzling brilliance.
Suddenly, the previously noisy square fell into a strange, eerie silence, as if a silence spell had been cast.
The audience below went quiet. All eyes—including those of the several male attendants about to take the stage and the big powers in the VIP seats—froze in shock and confusion, focusing sharply on this uninvited guest.
“Eh? Which family’s young lady is that? She’s gone to the wrong place, hasn’t she?”
“Her appearance and temperament are quite refined, but this is the Gathering Beauties Re-competition! It’s for men! What is a woman doing coming up?”
“Looking at her outfit, she’s not an ordinary maid. Could she be a newly accepted disciple of some great power who doesn’t know the rules?”
“Interesting, very interesting. A woman actually wants to compete for the position of Flower Queen?”
Whispers rose like a tide.
Countless gazes interwove on that figure.