Liu Six was blocked by the silk-robed youth who styled himself the Ninth Prince. Instantly, impatience stirred within her heart.
To her, a cultivator who had walked the demonic path, what was a mere mortal prince worth?
Not even worth a glance.
Her frosty gaze swept across his self-satisfied, supposedly "handsome" face. She spared him but four words:
"Not interested."
Without waiting for a reply, she moved to step past him, not granting him so much as an extra look.
Such a clean, decisive rejection froze the smile on the Ninth Prince's face.
His guards, haughty men who always carried themselves with pride, instantly darkened with fury. Hands drifted instinctively to the hilts of their blades.
Here in Qingshi City, the Ninth Prince's will was law. Whatever he desired, he obtained. Never before had a woman dared reject him—much less humiliate him so directly.
And yet, to everyone's astonishment, he did not erupt in rage.
His momentary daze lasted but a breath before his smile returned, broader and more playful than before. Rather than anger, amusement glimmered in his peach-blossom eyes as he once again stepped forward to block her path.
"Stay, fair lady." He shook the folding fan in his hand, his eyes sweeping over her with undisguised interest. His tone was slow, lazy, dripping with superiority. "Do you know who I am?"
At that, Liu Six finally halted.
She turned slowly, her clear, striking features touched with the faintest hint of a smile—not kind, but mocking. Matching his tone, she asked softly:
"And do you know…who I am?"
The air froze.
The Ninth Prince hadn't yet spoken when one of his attendants—a steward-like figure—could no longer restrain himself. He leapt forward, finger stabbing toward Liu Six's nose as he shouted furiously:
"Presumptuous! How dare you speak so insolently before the Prince?"
He puffed out his chest, arrogance blazing from his posture. His voice rose, ensuring that everyone in the brothel could hear:
"My lord's status is exalted beyond compare! Even those lofty immortals, rarely glimpsed by mortal eyes, have treated him with utmost courtesy! And you—some petty woman who thinks herself powerful in the mundane world—do you imagine you could surpass even the immortals?"
He finished his outburst with a proud tilt of his chin, as though convinced that his words alone would reduce this ignorant woman to trembling fear, begging on her knees for forgiveness.
For immortals…were the supreme beings of this mortal realm!
But Liu Six only found it laughable.
Immortals?
She had seen plenty. In the Great Demonic Sect, so-called "immortals" were everywhere—countless, unremarkable, unworthy of awe.
Still, the servant's boasting had caught her attention.
If this mortal prince truly had ties to cultivators, it could not be a coincidence. There was likely a sect behind him.
Perhaps even a link to Blood Banquet Valley.
Her thoughts spun quickly, though her face betrayed none of it. Outwardly, she feigned disbelief, her brows knitting as she scoffed:
"I don't believe you. Immortals are elusive, unseen, their movements unknowable. Why would they waste their time on someone like you? Are you merely spinning tales to deceive me?"
"Hahahahaha!"
The Ninth Prince threw his head back, laughing with pride.
"You are ignorant, girl," he declared, folding away his fan as he leaned closer. "In recent days, an immortal truly has descended upon Qingshi City—seeking mortals blessed with destiny, to bring them to the Immortal's blessed land, there to cultivate the supreme Dao."
"And I, possessing modest influence here in the city, took the initiative to assist. I have posted notices, spread word far and wide, offering reward for any such chosen ones. All for the immortal's sake."
"This matter—why, everyone here can attest to it."
He paused, a smug gleam in his eyes. "If you still doubt, come with me to my prince's estate. At this very moment, it is filled with those predestined ones, waiting eagerly for the immortal's arrival."
At his words, Liu Six's suspicions solidified.
So this "immortal fate" was indeed the condition tied to the next trial of Blood Banquet Valley.
This so-called prince was nothing more than a puppet—propped up by sect disciples, entrusted with petty worldly errands.
Those notices she had heard of earlier at the inn were surely his doing.
Still, she kept up her act, narrowing her eyes in feigned doubt.
"Immortal fate? What kind of fate, exactly? Explain yourself."
At that, the Ninth Prince's smile faltered. For the first time, embarrassment flickered across his face. He stammered, fumbling for words, and managed not a single answer.
His steward rushed forward again, barking harshly:
"The affairs of the immortals are not for you to pry into! If the Prince says there is fate, then there is fate! That is all you need to know!"
Their evasive reaction dispelled Liu Six's last shadow of doubt.
Of course. The condition for Blood Banquet Valley's trial was so unusual, so distasteful, that even their mortal lackeys struggled to speak of it aloud.
Very well. She would go along—for now.
With her cultivation and spiritual strength, she would use this opportunity to scout ahead, uncovering truths to aid Qin Yi.
And should this "prince" attempt deceit, she would ensure he learned firsthand the price of trying to trick a so-called "immortal."
"Fine," she said simply, nodding. "I will go with you."
The Ninth Prince's joy lit up his features, his satisfaction uncontained. Bowing with a gesture of invitation, he personally escorted her to a lavish carriage waiting outside the brothel.
The carriage was spacious and extravagant within: velvet cushions, incense burners releasing a faint, elegant fragrance, decorations flaunting wealth and authority.
With a rumble of wheels, they departed the revelrous quarter.
All along the way, the Ninth Prince strained to win her over, telling story after story. He recounted court intrigues, tales of strange folk in the marketplace, gossip of power struggles—waving his hands, speaking with passion, eager for her smile.
But to Liu Six, they were duller than the whisper of the wind outside the window.
After witnessing the terrors of the Demonic Sect, how could she be moved by the petty games of mortal politics? To her, it was all child's play—naïve and laughable.
Yet still, the Ninth Prince chattered on, tireless, unbothered by her cold indifference.
At last, Liu Six had enough.
Her head turned sharply, her gaze like a blade, her voice chilling as she cut him off with but two words:
"Be silent."
Instantly, the carriage fell quiet.
The Ninth Prince's smile froze once more. He opened his mouth to protest, but when his eyes met hers—those emotionless, icy eyes—he swallowed his words.
Silence reigned at last.
Time passed. Just when Liu Six thought she might enjoy the rest of the ride in peace, his voice sounded again, soft, almost cautious:
"We…have arrived."
She glanced outside.
Before her rose a sprawling estate, towering red gates guarded by stone lions. Above the entrance hung a grand plaque of gilded characters: Prince Xia's Manor. Every detail exuded royal majesty.
And yet, as Liu Six looked upon it, a strange feeling stirred within her heart—an uncanny sense of familiarity.
As though…she had seen such a place before.
Before she could place the sensation, the carriage passed through the gates, rolling into the manor's depths.
Inside, the sight gave her pause.
The wide courtyard had been converted into rows of temporary lodgings. Dozens of people milled about—some asleep, others gathered in chatter, laughing, drinking, living in simple ease.
Compared to the desperate conditions she had witnessed in Wangxian Town, where hopefuls slept under the open sky, this was luxury.
The Ninth Prince noted her flicker of surprise, satisfaction blooming on his face.
"Behold, fair lady. These are the chosen ones—the very mortals marked by the immortal himself. All they must do is wait, and when the time is right, they will be taken to ascend the Dao."
His steward chimed in eagerly, sycophantic and insistent:
"Do you understand now? If you agree to be the Prince's consort, you will stand above all others—second only to the immortals themselves, showered in glory and riches without end!"
But Liu Six paid him no heed.
Her gaze lingered instead upon the manor itself, her brows tightening faintly.
At last, she remembered.
The source of that strange familiarity.
Though this estate gleamed with royal grandeur, though its bricks and tiles looked no different from any palace of the mortal realm—
Beneath it all, she sensed something she had known before.
It was the same unsettling aura she had once felt in Luo Feng City, among those dwellings conjured from soul-banners.
And this Prince's Manor…reeked of the same illusion.