At the Tianjin Guards headquarters.
Upon learning that her adopted elder brother, who had disappeared for nearly a month, had suddenly turned up out of nowhere, Li Yuanling immediately raced over on horseback.
"We pay our respects to Her Highness the Princess."
The guards at the entrance saw Li Yuanling approach in a red dress, moving fast and full of energy, and immediately saluted in unison.
In the days after Li Musheng first left the capital, Li Yuanling had frequently come to the Tianjin Guards headquarters looking for him.
At the time, the plan to destroy Falling God Peak was still a secret, and Fu Qiwen had not told her the truth. He had only said that the Emperor had temporarily assigned him a confidential mission.
It was only when word came back that Li Musheng had led the Tianjin Guards to destroy Falling God Peak that Li Yuanling learned her apparently unreliable adopted elder brother had gone off and done something this enormous without anyone knowing.
Li Yuanling kept her snowy face composed, waved for everyone to stand down, then walked briskly straight to the courtyard where Li Musheng was.
Upon seeing Li Musheng sitting in the pavilion drinking tea, she narrowed her eyes, then looked at Shen Anran sitting gracefully beside him in a pale violet dress, and said, "My adopted elder brother is quite something, destroying Falling God Peak and somehow managing to bring back such a pretty girl on top of it."
Privately he thought his adopted sister was still underestimating his appeal. With a face like his, was Shen Anran really the only one who found herself helplessly drawn in and unable to look away?
"Come, sit. Tell me properly, has my great name been making the rounds in the capital these past days?"
Li Musheng gestured with a teasing wave, while Li Yuanling pursed her lips and kept her face straight, moving somewhat reluctantly to sit on the stone bench under the pavilion.
In all of Shangyang City, she had been the first person to know that Li Musheng was hiding his true strength.
But even she had not anticipated that her adopted elder brother would be this formidable. Even the top fighters of one of the four great sects of the martial world, Falling God Peak, had died at his hands.
"You hide things far too well. Even from me, your own adopted sister. No transparency at all, and here I trusted you so completely."
Li Yuanling took the tea Li Musheng handed her and gulped it down, voicing her complaints with evident feeling.
Li Musheng saw she had come in quite a hurry and refilled the cup, "What do you mean I hide things? Wasn't it you whose ears weren't working properly?"
"Didn't I tell you my martial cultivation was as high as ten-some floors? And you still weren't prepared at all?"
Li Yuanling was caught short by that, and her eyes rolled up slightly.
She immediately changed the subject, looking at Shen Anran sitting across from her, "Elder Brother, are you not going to introduce me to this older sister?"
At those words, Li Musheng let it pass without pressing, and briefly gave Shen Anran's background.
Shen Anran, from the two of them talking, had already gathered who Li Yuanling was, and rose to bow in greeting to the Princess of Grand Bloom.
But right at that moment, the big black cat appeared from somewhere, leaped up onto the stone bench across from Li Musheng, settled into a crouch, and let out a few meows.
Li Yuanling's eyes widened at the sight of the large cat that had appeared from nowhere, looking very nearly the size of a large dog, and she looked between the cat and Li Musheng with an expression of puzzlement.
Then she turned to Li Musheng and asked, "Elder Brother, is this... cat yours?"
"You could say that."
Li Musheng glanced at the big black cat, who was watching him steadily with its green eyes without moving.
"What is wrong with it?"
Shen Anran noticed the cat's sudden unusual stillness and was slightly puzzled.
At those words, Li Musheng waved a hand and said, slightly exasperated, "Pay it no mind. It introduced you and then forgot to introduce it, so now it wants me to give it an introduction too."
At those words, the big black cat gave a quiet nod, and Li Yuanling, seeing this, let out a cry of delight, "Where did you find a cat this big? It understands everything."
She immediately looked at Li Musheng with eager eyes, "Could I keep it for a while?"
Li Musheng raised an eyebrow, "That is not going to happen. This is no ordinary cat. There is a person with divine nature behind it, and right now it also has something dangerous about it."
"A person with divine nature? What is that?"
Li Yuanling looked even more puzzled. But Li Musheng had no intention of explaining right now, and simply shook his head, "I will tell you when there is time. Right now, tell me, is there any progress on the Fire Qilin I asked you to look for?"
When they had gone to the underground floating city previously, she had happened to stumble onto the Qilin Blood by sheer chance. In Li Musheng's view, his adopted sister's luck was not bad.
At those words, Li Yuanling looked at the big black cat, then reluctantly drew her gaze away.
Even Li Musheng, who was this formidable, had said the cat was dangerous right now. She certainly was not going to try her luck with it.
At that, the big black cat had also sensed the warmth in Li Yuanling's gaze toward it. And though Li Musheng had not gone into great detail, he had at least given it a brief mention.
It let out a satisfied meow, leaped down from the stone bench, and padded off with its tail in the air.
At that, Li Yuanling glanced at Li Musheng, and her expression suddenly became slightly unusual, "My good friend came back to the capital a few days ago. I have already told her about looking for the Fire Qilin. There is no news yet."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then said, "Even so, there is one thing she told me not to tell you, but I thought about it and decided I should still let you know."
At those words, Li Musheng's expression shifted slightly, "What is it?"
"My friend told me that some time ago, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion master issued orders with the intention of moving against you. Of course, since you destroyed Falling God Peak, that order has already been revoked."
Li Yuanling told him what she knew plainly, then waved a hand, "Do not worry. My friend has already gone to the Heavenly Mechanism Elder and reported the Pavilion master. This probably will not happen again."
"So the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion should still be able to help us look for the Fire Qilin going forward."
Li Musheng raised an eyebrow, unsure of when he had managed to get on the wrong side of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.
The only thing he could remember was arranging through that storytelling elder in the small city in Lan Province for a message to be passed to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. And that had come after the news of him destroying Falling God Peak had already spread.
Even so, Li Musheng could not be bothered to think about it too much.
The number of people in the world who wanted to move against him these days was considerable. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion master would have to take a number and wait in line.
With that thought, Li Musheng shook his head and then studied Li Yuanling before him for a moment, "We can discuss that matter later. But I return in triumph, and my adopted sister shows up without even a proper gift. Is that not a bit lacking?"
At those words, Li Yuanling pursed her lips and tilted her pale neck upward, "Just having me come in person should be more than enough."
She casually took the teapot out of Li Musheng's hand and poured herself another cup.
Li Musheng looked at her and decided not to continue teasing her. This adopted sister of his had at least been reliable enough when it came to looking for the Fire Qilin.
At that moment, however, Li Musheng's expression shifted, "Come with me to the Second Prince's residence in a bit. I have some business there."