Chapter 64: Winning the Master

When Zhou Yuan returned to the bonfire, he could clearly feel that the gazes around him had changed significantly. They were no longer scrutinizing but filled with awe.

"It seems the news about the Prefectural Examination was true. You defeated Qi Yue." Wei Qingqing stared at Zhou Yuan, her bright eyes filled with surprise. She had previously suspected something fishy about the examination results, but the fierce strike Zhou Yuan had just demonstrated astonished even her.

Under the Qi Cultivation stage, few would have been able to withstand that strike.

"I was mistaken earlier. Let me offer you a toast as an apology." Wei Qingqing was straightforward. She raised her wine cup, gestured towards Zhou Yuan, and drank it all in one gulp.

Her demeanor was casual and unpretentious.

Zhou Yuan smiled and reciprocated with a drink. The slight resentment he had felt from Wei Qingqing's coldness earlier dissipated. He found her uninhibited manner quite admirable.

"Heh heh, Prince Zhou Yuan certainly has some skill, but Canglan County is near the Black Abyss and is fraught with danger. Here, defeating someone who has opened eight meridians doesn't necessarily grant much safety. So, if Your Highness intends to stay, you might need to be extra careful," Wei Ting said with a delicate laugh from beside Wei Qingqing.

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly and replied, "You don't need to worry about that."

He could tell that Wei Ting seemed to have an interest in Qi Hao, and thus, out of spite, she was subtly targeting him.

However, he wasn't bothered. Wei Ting was merely a niece of Wei Canglan, her status far less significant than Wei Qingqing's.

Qi Hao's stiff expression now relaxed, and a smile reappeared on his face. He said to Zhou Yuan, "Prince Zhou Yuan, you truly have remarkable skills. No wonder my good-for-nothing younger brother was defeated by you."

"It was alright, thanks largely to your Qi Palace's Profound Light Art," Zhou Yuan said with a slight smile.

Qi Hao's face instantly darkened. Faced with Zhou Yuan's remark, even with his self-control, he nearly blurted out an expletive.

Yet, he couldn't refute Zhou Yuan's words because it was true: Zhou Yuan had used the Qi Palace's "Profound Light Art" to defeat both Qi Yue and the thin man with eight opened meridians.

"Then Your Highness should be careful. Things belonging to my Qi Palace are not so easily taken!" Qi Hao said, his gaze dark.

"Then let's hope no one else acts as a treasure delivery boy," Zhou Yuan replied with a smile.

The two exchanged glances, with killing intent simmering in their eyes.

"Ahem!"

Suddenly, Wei Qingqing's light cough broke their tense standoff. She glanced at both of them and calmly stated, "Gentlemen, this is Canglan County. No matter how deep your grievances are, it's best not to break the rules here."

As Wei Canglan's daughter, she was well aware of the hostile relationship between the royal family and the Qi Palace. However, since Wei Canglan had chosen neutrality, they naturally wouldn't side with either party. When Qi Hao turned his gaze to Wei Qingqing's face, his smile instantly softened. He approached her and said, "Qingqing, tomorrow I will bring people to visit the General's Residence and meet the Grand General."

Wei Qingqing's delicate brows furrowed. "My father hasn't been in a good mood lately, so don't bother him."

She knew that Qi Hao's only purpose was to win them over.

"Oh, Qingqing, don't say that. I heard that Qi Hao went to great lengths to find a master of Origin Runes, someone highly skilled in dispelling poisons with runes. This time, he probably intends to help Xiao Bin detoxify," Wei Ting quickly interjected with a smile.

Wei Qingqing paused, looked at Qi Hao, and the expression on her pretty face softened. For the Wei family, the most important matter at the moment was to help her younger brother detoxify, as he was their only male heir.

Her father's worries were precisely due to her younger brother's deteriorating health.

"A master skilled in poison-dispelling Origin Runes? Will it really work?" Wei Qingqing asked, a little nervously.

The path of Origin Runes was vast and profound, and it also contained some auxiliary runes that could be used for detoxification.

"That master is proficient in third-grade Origin Runes," Qi Hao stated.

"Third-grade Origin Runes." Wei Qingqing's beautiful eyes lit up. To possess such mastery in Origin Runes was extremely rare in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. It seemed Qi Hao had indeed put a lot of effort into this.

"Alright, then thank you very much," Wei Qingqing nodded, a faint smile appearing on her pretty face.

"It's nothing. Seeing Xiao Bin in that condition, as his older brother, I'm also deeply pained," Qi Hao said with a smile, his words subtly trying to bridge the gap between them.

Observing from the side, Zhou Yuan watched with a cold gaze, his brow slightly furrowed. It seemed the Qi Palace's recent offensive was becoming more intense, which explained their effort in inviting an expert proficient in Origin Runes. If they truly managed to cure Wei Bin's poison, it would be an immense favor to the Wei family. He thought that even if Wei Canglan was resolute, he might waver.

Zhou Yuan's primary mission in coming to Canglan County was to secure Wei Canglan's loyalty.

His eyes glinted. Zhou Yuan looked up and smiled at Wei Qingqing, saying, "Coincidentally, we also plan to visit tomorrow. We can go together then."

Wei Qingqing nodded, then turned her head back to Qi Hao, continuously asking about the background of the Origin Rune expert. She was clearly taking this very seriously.

Qi Hao maintained a smile, but his gaze swept over Zhou Yuan, and a hint of dark triumph flickered in his eyes.

As night deepened, the banquet came to an end.

Zhou Yuan and his party walked back to their resting place. He looked thoughtful, while Lu Tieshan beside him had a solemn expression. Lu Tieshan glanced around and whispered, "Your Highness, if Qi Hao truly cures Wei Bin, we might face some trouble in Canglan County." Having received such a great favor from Qi Hao, Wei Canglan might lean towards the Qi Palace, after all, Wei Bin was their family's only son, the sole heir to carry on their lineage.

Zhou Yuan nodded gravely.

He then looked at Yaoyao and asked, "Sister Yaoyao, can you come with me to the Qi Palace tomorrow?"

Yaoyao tilted her head. Even in the dim light of night, her delicate and beautiful face still glowed faintly like jade. She glanced at Zhou Yuan and said, "I can help you assess the situation then."

With that, she bent down, holding Tun Tun, and slipped into the tent.

Faced with her ambiguous reply, Zhou Yuan could only scratch his head in frustration.

The next day.

Zhou Yuan, Lu Tieshan, Yaoyao, and Su Youwei arrived at the east gate of the camp, where Wei Qingqing, Qi Hao, and others were already waiting.

However, there was an additional person beside Qi Hao: a white-haired elder. The elder's eyes were sunken, giving him a somewhat stern and indifferent look, and he appeared rather arrogant.

Even Wei Qingqing, with her usual demeanor, stood beside him with a smile when facing this elder.

"Your Highnesses, are you ready?" Wei Qingqing smiled when she saw the four of them emerge. She then pointed to the elder beside her and said, "This is Master Ying, the Origin Rune master Qi Hao invited to detoxify my younger brother."

Upon hearing Wei Qingqing's introduction, Master Ying merely cast a faint glance at Zhou Yuan and nodded slightly, maintaining his arrogant posture.

A master capable of inscribing third-grade Origin Runes, in terms of strength, could rival a Heavenly Gate stage expert. However, to be precise, masters capable of inscribing third-grade Origin Runes were clearly much rarer in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Someone who can only inscribe a third-grade Origin Rune dares to call himself a master? The person next to me hasn't said a word," Zhou Yuan muttered inwardly, merely nodding towards Master Ying.

"Let's go."

Wei Qingqing didn't say much more. Appearing somewhat impatient, she waved her hand, and her horse galloped forward, heading directly towards Canglan County City.

Qi Hao, pulling his reins, rode up beside Zhou Yuan, gave him a playful smile, and whispered, "Prince Zhou Yuan, after today, I'm afraid Canglan County won't welcome you anymore. So, I suggest you hurry back to Great Zhou City."

He let out a loud laugh, kicked his horse, and the fiery red steed galloped away quickly.

Zhou Yuan watched his retreating figure, his eyes turning cold. Without another word, he waved his hand and led his group to quickly follow.

He still had some doubts. Could a master proficient in third-grade Origin Runes truly be so confident in dealing with the Black Poison King's venomous qi? That was something even experts in the Taiyuan stage found troublesome and feared.

He wanted to see what kind of trick Qi Hao would pull today!