“Keep a close watch on her,” Ye Qin commanded coldly. “She infiltrated the Nangong family under false pretenses and has ties to the royal family. There must be a motive behind her actions. Moreover, the fact that she can produce a token to verify her identity indicates that she possesses information about Quanquan’s parents.”
“Proceed with the investigation. One team will continue probing in the direction of Shangyu Kingdom, and another will focus on her background and contacts. Leave no stone unturned in finding out who she really is and where she comes from.”
“Yes,” Yong Zhou acknowledged before promptly leaving.
“A young lady from the Nangong family?” Ye Qin mused. While he could entertain the idea proposed by his father, he had a condition: he would only marry the genuine daughter of the young master who had run away from home, not an imposter, and certainly not any other young lady from the Nangong family.
After contemplating for a moment, Ye Qin chuckled and shook his head. It was one thing to consider, but he didn’t want to upset Quanquan. Making her angry was not something he desired.
The carriage came to a stop outside the Qingfeng Inn. Huang Quan and Nangong Mian disembarked and entered the inn.
Inside the bustling lobby, several individuals in uniforms indicated that they were also participants in the competition.
As the onlookers eyed Nangong Mian and Huang Quan, dressed in the elegant red gown provided by Ye Qin, whispers of astonishment circulated among them.
A waiter approached, apologizing, “Are you two staying at the inn? If so, we regret to inform you that we have no available rooms. Our apologies for the inconvenience.”
“We are staying here,” Nangong Mian replied. “Our accommodations have been arranged on the fourth floor.”
Upon hearing this, the waiter promptly said, “Ah, guests on the fourth floor. We have your reservation on record. Just tell us your names, and you can get the keys.”
“Nangong Mian,” Nangong Mian stated, and Huang Quan followed with, “Huang Quan.”
As the names were announced, a wave of surprise rippled through the students in uniform in the lobby. Nangong Mian was a well-known figure in the Tianhuang Kingdom, but this time, the attention shifted to his sister, Huang Quan. Known as the Nangong family girl who had been considered a waste just two months ago, she had shockingly killed the prime minister. Though the emperor hadn’t issued any orders for accountability, the news had reached neighboring countries. Hearing that Huang Quan would participate in the competition, teachers from various colleges sent people to investigate.
After scrutiny, the teachers found Huang Quan’s actions mysterious. How could she defeat an eighth-level spiritual master with no cultivation? Before the journey, teachers had warned their students to keep an eye on Huang Quan, describing her as “evil.” The students, however, were not informed about Huang Quan’s breathtaking beauty. Was she even human or a celestial being?
The waiter handed them two keys after a quick check. “Your rooms are on the fourth floor. Each key has a room number. Just go to the room with that number.”
Nangong Mian took the keys, acknowledging with a simple, “Yes.”
“By the way, your meals are included with the reservation. Do you need them now?” the waiter inquired.
“Not at the moment. We’ll let you know if we do,” Nangong Mian replied.
“Alright then. Please feel free to call us if you need anything,” the waiter said as they made their way upstairs.
Nangong Mian led Huang Quan to their rooms without much conversation.
