Around fifteen minutes later.

Han Li and Shi Chuankong were quickly making their way toward the northern city gate.

If it weren't for the fact that they didn't want to attract any attention to themselves, they would've already defied the flight prohibitions in the city and taken to the skies.

"It looks like we're going to have a rough journey from here onward," Han Li said with slightly furrowed brows.

"Who could've anticipated that we would run into the Black Weasel Army? Then again, we never intended to stay here for long anyway, so I suppose it makes no difference," Shi Chuankong sighed.

All of a sudden, both of them stopped cold in their tracks before looking directly forward with apprehensive looks on their faces.

A refined young scholar was currently making his way toward them through the bustling crowd up ahead, and Han Li and Shi Chuankong could only exchange a wry smile at the sight of the young man.

Even though this was their first meeting, they were able to instantly identify the man as none other than the Black Weasel King.

The Black Weasel King was walking along at a leisurely pace with a placid look on his face, and he wasn't giving off even the slightest aura fluctuations, as if he were nothing more than a harmless mortal.

He was holding a book in one hand, and he extended a slight bow toward Han Li and Shi Chuankong as he said, "What an honor it is to have you in our city, Your Highness."

A warm smile appeared on Shi Chuankong's face, and he returned the bow as he said, "The honor is all mine, Senior."

Han Li's brows were slightly furrowed, and he remained silent as he also extended a slight bow.

"It's hardly fitting for us to be talking in the middle of the street. How about we go and take a seat in my palace?" the Black Weasel King invited with an earnest smile.

Refusal clearly wasn't an option here, so Shi Chuankong replied, "Please pardon our intrusion."

The Black Weasel King made an inviting hand gesture, then swept a sleeve through the air, and a burst of black light appeared beneath the feet of all three of them.

In the next instant, they found themselves in an enormous garden that was filled with strange and exotic plants and rocks.

There was also a bamboo forest that was filled with birds and interspersed with many pavilions and pergolas, presenting a breathtaking sight to behold.

As they made their way deeper into the garden, the scenery began to change, and it felt as if they were making their way through the seasons, starting from the colorful vibrancy of spring before ending in the white snowscape of winter.

"I had always heard that there was an exceptionally beautiful garden in your palace that was home to scenery from all four seasons, and it's certainly lived up to its reputation, Senior Black Weasel," Shi Chuankong said.

"This is nothing compared with the scenery of Night Sun City," the Black Weasel King said in a modest manner, but the look in his eyes indicated that he was very pleased with Shi Chuankong's compliment.

Neither of them mentioned the conflict that had just taken place back at Guan Sheng's shop, and they continued to chat amicably with each other as they arrived in front of a red building.

"Your Highness, I would like to chat with you in private in the Bell Spirit Palace. Can we get Fellow Daoist Li to have some tea and wait for us in the Spring Water Palace in the meantime?" the Black Weasel King asked.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Han Li turned to Shi Chuankong upon hearing this, and the latter gave him a silent nod.

"We'll do as you say, Senior Black Weasel," Shi Chuankong replied with a smile.

With that, Han Li was led by a beautiful palace maiden to the Spring Water Palace, while Shi Chuankong accompanied the Black Weasel King to the Bell Spirit Palace.

Upon Han Li's arrival in the Spring Water Palace, some tea had already been prepared for him, and he sat down for a sip.

Meanwhile, in the Bell Spirit Palace.

Shi Chuankong and the Black Weasel King made their way into the palace together, and Shi Chuankong's expression remained calm and composed, but his palms were sweating profusely.

He looked around to discover that the interior of the palace resembled a study, and that around two thirds of the palace was taken up by large wooden bookshelves that were laden with hundreds of thousands of books.

A brief glance at the bookshelves told Shi Chuankong that most of the books were poem anthologies and other such works of mortal literature, and there were barely any cultivation arts among them.

On top of that, there were also some elegantly framed pieces of calligraphy hanging on the walls, most of which also consisted of ancient poem phrases and some Buddhist and Daoist mantras. As for the handwriting, it could only be referred to as stable and consistent, but there wasn't a lot of flair.

Shi Chuankong suppressed his apprehension as he praised, "Your calligraphy is just as refined as your taste for literature, Senior Black Weasel."

"There are far too few people who can appreciate good calligraphy in this primordial mountain range. What a breath of fresh air it is to have someone like you here," the Black Weasel King replied with a pleased expression.

"Regarding the conflict that we had with your son, I am truly..."

The Black Weasel King waved a hand to cut Shi Chuankong off before he had a chance to finish.

"It's fine, it was just a minor run-in. I certainly didn't invite you to my palace over such a petty matter," the Black Weasel King said with a meaningful expression.

"In that case, may I ask why you invited me here?" Shi Chuankong asked.

The Black Weasel King strode over to a bookshelf and set down the book that he was holding, then replied, "Right now, Night Sun City and even the entirety of the Holy Realm has been stirred up into a state of chaos over the matter of inheritance, and many powers are being forced to make choices. Our Ten Hazards Mountain Range has never been regarded with much importance, but when the time comes, we'll inevitably be affected as well, so I have no choice but to make plans early."

"I never had any intention of throwing my hat in the ring when it comes to the matter of inheritance, and I certainly didn't think that it would cause such a massive stir," Shi Chuankong sighed.

"A bright jewel will inevitably shine no matter where it is. Even if you hadn't returned to the Holy Realm, you still wouldn't have been able to escape scrutiny, Your Highness," the Black Weasel King said with a meaningful smile.

"What do you mean by that, Senior Black Weasel?" Shi Chuankong asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone knows that among the Holy Monarch's thirteen sons, the eldest prince, Shi Zhanfeng, commands the most power, and that the only one who can contend with him is the third prince, Shi Pokong, the prince that possesses the greatest aptitude. You and the third prince share the same mother, so the two of you are extremely close, and everyone knows that you'll be sure to pledge your allegiance to him," the Black Weasel King said.

"I see, so you're planning to pledge your support to my brother through me, is that right, Senior Black Weasel?" Shi Chuankong asked with an enlightened expression.

"When I first received the eldest prince's orders to hunt you down, I was planning to bet on him. After all, the compensation that he promised me was too handsome to ignore. However, I began to change my mind after I learned that you and your servant slew both Tie Yu and Tong Yu," the Black Weasel King continued.

Shi Chuankong's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he knew that the Black Weasel King had misinterpreted Han Li's status. At the same time, he suddenly recalled that Han Li had mentioned sensing another powerful aura as they were fleeing from the Golden Rhinoceros King, and he asked, "Senior Black Weasel, was it you who helped us escape from the Golden Rhinoceros King on the border?"

"That's right. I had already been keeping tabs on you prior to that, and my initial plan was to wait for the Golden Rhinoceros King to crush you before swooping in to claim the spoils. However, after seeing you escape from him on two separate occasions, I changed my mind and decided to save you so that I can throw my support behind the third prince. However, now..."

The Black Weasel King's voice suddenly trailed off here, and Shi Chuankong immediately tensed up, only to then relax again.

At this point, the situation really couldn't get much worse.

"Now that I've met you, I've decided to place my bets on you," the Black Weasel King chuckled.

Shi Chuankong was astonished to hear this, and he was stunned into silence for a moment before asking, "Why?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I was doing it on a hunch?" the Black Weasel King asked.

Shi Chuankong immediately shook his head in response, and he was just about to say something when the Black Weasel King continued, "You possess immense potential, but it's still yet to show. On top of that, the fact that you have such a powerful servant by your side and the lengths that the eldest prince has gone to in order to hunt you down are also very telling signs."

"Your courage is very admirable, Senior Black Weasel," Shi Chuankong praised with a smile.

"Now that I've made my intentions clear, let's discuss some more concrete matters," the Black Weasel King said.

……

Close to half a day passed by in a flash.

Han Li remained seated in the Spring Water Palace the entire time, and he was approached by no one with the exception of a few beautiful palace maidens, who refilled his cup whenever he finished the tea inside.

He appeared calm and collected on the surface, but internally, he was feeling very concerned.

Right as he was about to run out of patience and break out of the palace, Shi Chuankong and the Black Weasel King made their way into the palace, looking like a pair of old friends.

"It's not every day that our Black Weasel City gets to entertain such esteemed guests, so why don't you stay for a while so I can show some hospitality? I'll make the arrangements for you to leave the Ten Hazards Mountain Range safely," the Black Weasel King said with a smile.

"We'll be in your care then, Senior Black Weasel," Shi Chuankong replied with a smile of his own, and he and Han Li were arranged a place to stay in the palace.