The Attack of the Wastrel

This simple sentence caused Tianfeng Yi’s heart to break. He gave up hoping that mentioning their relationship with Consort Rong would persuade the Third Prince to let Tianfeng Wei off.

“Your Highness…giving birth is not something that Tianfeng Wei can do alone, she…”

“Of course she can’t do it alone. You will just have to help her find someone right? I recall having an impression of that lad from the Lang family being interested in Tianfeng Wei. They would make an ideal couple and should get married. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Ignoring what this might mean to the Tianfeng Family, Rong Yuan then turned and left with Gu Lingzhi.

When they stepped out of the Tianfeng Family’s residence, Gu Lingzhi silently flashed a thumbs up and Rong Yuan.

When it comes to cornering someone, she would never be able to beat him!

Yan Liang followed behind them silently. Although he did not say anything, he looked at Rong Yuan with surprise. How could such an ending not be impressive?

Hence, as Tianfeng Wei rushed to the residence with her scapegoat, all that was left waiting for her was the news that she was to be engaged with Lang Jingchen.

“Why must I get engaged? I don’t want to marry Lang Jingchen!” Tianfeng Wei lashed out upon hearing Tianfeng Yi. She did not care that Lang Jingchen’s face changed from one filled with ecstasy to forcibly neutral upon hearing her.

“Hmph, you don’t want to? Do you think you can reject the Third Prince’s orders?” How could Tianfeng Yi bear to let his outstanding daughter marry a guy from such a common family? But since the Third Prince has already decided on him, he had no authority to go against the Third Prince’s decision and could only accept it.

“Tianfeng Wei…” Seeing Tianfeng Wei rage at their engagement, Lang Jingchen could not help but say, “What so bad about marrying me? I will treat you very well and will not let you suffer at all.”

“Oh, I won’t suffer? Then can you help me deal with Gu Lingzhi and defeat the Third Prince?”

Lang Jingchen automatically went silent.

Tianfeng Wei continued, “Can you bring me more glory than being engaged to the Third Prince did? Can you bring as many benefits to my family as the Third Prince can? Can you become a True God? Can you make me someone that all the other girls will be jealous of?”

Tianfeng Wei repeatedly accused, causing Lang Jingchen’s face to fall more. Which man could stand being put down by the girl they loved? Her repeated mocking gave him no choice but to retort back, “Then, can you make the Third Prince marry you?”

That one simple sentence caused the anger in Tianfeng Wei to dissipate.

She could not!

Even when she was the Third Prince’s fiancée, she was not able to; much less now that his heart belonged to someone else.

Lang Jingchen immediately regretted what he said as ultimately, he loved Tianfeng Wei. As he looked at her dejected face, he had an urge to pull her into his embrace and comfort her.

“Xiao Wei, even though I can’t give you what you want now, it does not mean I will never be able to do so. If you give me some time, I will prove to you that marrying me is not that far off from marrying the Third Prince!”

Although unwilling, the pair still eventually managed to set an engagement date. On the other hand, Gu Lingzhi was filled with questions as she sat on the horse carriage back to the Royal School.

“Lang Jingchen? Are you talking about Lang Jingchen who is ranked sixth on the Golden List?”

“Yup, that’s him. It seems like our Lingzhi pays quite a lot of attention to the Golden List.” Rong Yuan smiled. He took one of Gu Lingzhi’s hands in his and played with her fingers.

Gu Lingzhi rolled her eyes as she tried unsuccessfully to pull her hand back, “I don’t think there is any student in the Royal School that doesn’t care about the Golden List.” After all, one had to have talent to even enter the Royal School. How can there not be comparisons among all these talents? It was natural that everyone looked at the Golden List and Gu Lingzhi was no exception.

“You’re right,” Rong Yuan laughed as he pecked Gu Lingzhi’s hand. He was met with a murderous glare and had no choice but to let go of her hand. He subtly gave Yan Liang, who was sitting beside them uncomfortably, a look demonstrating his authority.

“Lang Jingchen has always liked Tianfeng Wei. I am playing the matchmaker by bringing them together.”

Gu Lingzhi violently rubbed the area on the back of her hand where Rong Yuan’s mouth had touched and twisted her mouth, “Since when did you care?”

She knew better than anyone how shameless and revengeful Rong Yuan was. Alas, Rong Yuan’s face broke into a sly smile as he leaned into her ear, “Do you remember the previous time you were ambushed? That was done by Lang Jingchen to help Tianfeng Wei vent her anger.”

Gu Lingzhi hesitated before she realised that Rong Yuan was referring to when she was returning to the capital city before she became Black Thorn. She was ambushed on her way and thought that she would not be able to find out the culprit behind that incident. She never would have thought that Rong Yuan would be able to find out.

At that point of time, Rong Yuan’s interest in her had caused numerous girls to be jealous of her and she had assumed that the incident was caused by an overly jealous and crazy girl. She never thought that it would be Lang Jingchen that was behind it. In that case, it seems like Lang Jingchen was not simply crushing on Tianfeng Wei. He could actually push down his jealousy and help her deal with her problems. It would have been honourable if not for the method that he used being wrong.

In that case, why would Rong Yuan give him what he wanted?

Sensing her confusion, Rong Yuan smiled and explained, “I asked a few people to spread rumours that before I headed over to the Tianfeng residence, I had a brief encounter with Lang Jingchen.”

So evil!

Gu Lingzhi did not know how to express what she was feeling inside.

She could already imagine what Tianfeng Wei would do to Lang Jingchen upon hearing these rumours.

To be set up by the person she had unrequited love for and the person that loved her and she had to give birth within a year? How was Tianfeng Wei, who was so proud and arrogant going to be able to deal with this? At that time, Rong Yuan just had to release a few more ambiguous rumours, causing people to talk about Lang Jingchen and he would never be able to walk guilt free ever again. With this, the birth of a scandalous couple would arise.

Rong Yuan hardly had to do anything to hurt the both of them. This was certainly…evil.

“Don’t look at me with such an admiring gaze, I will think that you are asking for my affection,” Rong Yuan blinked as his tone was teasing. Gu Lingzhi immediately looked at him coldly as she moved away from him. He had such thick skin. Who knew if she would end up behaving like him the more she interacted with him?

Amused by her exaggerated movement, Rong Yuan burst into laughter. Even his eyes turned up into a smile.

Witnessing the intimate interaction between the two of them, Yan Liang who was sitting on the opposite side of the carriage suddenly felt bitter.

Maybe Gu Lingzhi did not realise it, but the way she talked to the Third Prince was very different from the way she treated others. She was completely at ease when she talked to him, as if he was the person she trusted the most and had nothing to hide.

But even as he saw this clearly, he could not bear to let go now…

She was not sure if the Third Prince had done anything behind her back, but the rest of her days passed peacefully… besides having to deal with the Third Prince, Yan Liang and Su Nian’s pursuits.

As the news of Tianfeng Wei’s and Lang Jingchen’s engagement spread, Gu Lingzhi’s second year in the Royal School was about to come to an end. After the final semester’s examinations, Gu Lingzhi successfully managed to obtain the Emblem of the Brave from the Town of the Brave and even defeated Xi Hongru who was ranked second on the Training Tower.

“Lingzhi, are you really returning to Tai-an City? Aren’t you afraid that that evil old woman, Lin Yue-er is going to blame Gu Linglong’s disappearance on you?” The night before they each left to go home, Ye Fei, Tianfeng Jin and Qin Xinran asked Gu Lingzhi worriedly.

“She wouldn’t dare to because Gu Rong needs me now.” There has been a lot of movement from the three Elders this past year as it seems like they want to replace Gu Rong. Without her standing behind him with her status as the Third Prince’s fiancée, Gu Rong would not have been able to hold his position for so long.

Ye Fei gasped in surprise, “So you are going back now to lead the Clan?”

Gu Lingzhi laughed wordlessly.

Looking silently at the luggage that Gu Lingzhi had packed, Qin Xinran suddenly said, “Let me go back with you.”

Gu Lingzhi raised one of her eyebrows in confusion.

Qin Xinran was taken aback. Gu Lingzhi’s movement reminded her exactly of the Third Prince.

“I have nothing to do at home anyway. If I go to Tai-an City, I can look around. Anyway, in half a month it will be the opening of the secret territory and we can go together then.”

Gu Lingzhi immediately thought of Gu Rong’s letter.

The Four Great Clans collaborated to be in-charge of the faraway, ancient Secret Territory, the “Cangwu Realm”. It opened once every ten years and as luck would have it, the Cangwu Realm was going to be opened this year in half a month’s time. At that time, Martial Students and Martial Practitioners from the four clans would have a chance to enter so that they could discover their destinies. The two of them could certainly go together.

“Okay, then you can come with me. I will bring you around Tai-an City.”

“I want to go too…” Ye Fei flattened her lips and looked pitiful. “The Four Great Clans are too stingy, every time there is anything good, only you people will get it and don’t share with anyone else.”

Gu Lingzhi chuckled, “Doesn’t your family own a Revolving Island? I remember it being a historical remnant from an ancient superpower.”

Ye Fei rolled her eyes as she kept silent.

The Secret Territory was the fundamental base of any successful clan and unless there was no choice, it would never be shared with others. Ye Fei knew this and had commented for fun. She did not think that Gu Lingzhi would retort so seriously and started to complain, “You really have been hanging out with the Third Prince too much. You even know how to talk back now.”

Gu Lingzhi kept silent as she said, “Well, if you marry into the Gu family, your children will be able to enter both secret territories.”

It was the first time Ye Fei was rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Tianfeng Jin took another jibe at her expressionlessly, “Or you could marry into the Tianfeng Family.”

Qin Xinran added on, “The Qin Family welcomes you too.”

Ye Fei died a little inside.

The next day, after saying goodbye to Ye Fei and Tianfeng Jin, Gu Lingzhi and Qin Xinran greeted the people Gu Rong sent to pick them.

Compared to last year, where Gu Rong had sent a few people to fetch her, this time, Gu Rong had splurged and sent an entire group of over 50 people to escort her home.