323. A Woman By The Window

"Lingling, I'll be back soon."

Qian Renjue gently wrapped his arm around Ye Lingling’s waist, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Hmm," she murmured, looking up at him with a shy and admiring expression. Her lips moved slightly behind her veil. "Don’t rush back—focus on handling the important matters first."

"I will."

Qian Renjue smiled, though with a hint of hesitation. He wasn’t sure if meeting Liu Erlong could really be considered "business."

Ye Lingling pressed her lips together, giving him a gentle, understanding smile, as if she would support him no matter what he did.

Standing nearby, Dugu Yan pouted slightly, feeling a bit left out.

"Yanyan, let’s go," Ye Lingling said as she left Qian Renjue’s embrace, linking arms with her close friend.

"See you, Your Highness," Dugu Yan waved at him.

"Yes, see you."

After watching them and the maids head toward Heaven Treasure Inn, Qian Renjue stood in place, watching them go.

In the bright light of day, Ling Yuan appeared beside him, quietly looking up at him with admiration laced in her respectful tone.

"Your Highness, where are we headed?"

"To Blue Tyrant Academy."

Qian Renjue looked towards the distant, towering entrance of the academy, visible even from within the city.

"Blue Tyrant Academy?"

Ling Yuan’s eyes held a look of reminiscence, recalling the woman they had seen at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—someone who seemed almost abandoned by the world.

She naturally extended her arm, linking it with Qian Renjue’s.

"Your Highness, when did you meet her?"

"In a dream," Qian Renjue replied with a sigh.

Ling Yuan looked confused but said nothing further, following him toward the academy.

She knew he had no reason to lie, and as a woman herself, she could see Liu Erlong’s true feelings.

They soon entered a secluded path, Qian Renjue using the Evil God's Heart to cloak them in invisibility.

Moments later, they stepped onto the grounds of Blue Tyrant Academy, bypassing the main gate with its pristine white marble structure, surrounded by a path lined with dense trees and leading to a large open training ground.

"This soul master academy seems quite impressive," Ling Yuan remarked, glancing at the buildings and students with approval.

"Of course it’s impressive, it has the backing of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan," Qian Renjue replied, holding her hand as they made their way towards the back of the academy.

"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" Ling Yuan's eyes filled with surprise. "Isn’t the principal’s surname Liu? How is she connected to them?"

"A mutation of her martial spirit, and she’s an illegitimate child," Qian Renjue explained briefly.

Ling Yuan nodded in understanding, staying by his side as they ventured through the forest bordering the academy grounds.

After several hundred meters, the thick trees gave way, and a lake came into view. A small, three-meter-wide creek fed into the fifty-meter-diameter lake, then flowed out the other side.

Across the lake stood a modest wooden courtyard, its entrance marked by a stone bridge and surrounded by vibrant flowers. Wind chimes hung from the eaves, adding a soft melody to the serene scene.

"Wait here for me, Sister Ling Yuan."

"Yes, as you wish." Ling Yuan smiled, stepping back after kissing him lightly on the cheek.

With a resigned smile, Qian Renjue set off, stepping onto the lake’s surface, where ice formed beneath his feet, allowing him to walk across.

Inside the courtyard, no one was visible, but he could sense the presence of a spirit master on the other side.

Ling Yuan leaned against a tree by the lake, watching him with gentle eyes.

"I really can’t defeat His Highness," she thought.

In just a few steps, Qian Renjue reached the courtyard’s fence.

He stood before the entrance, the dark violet mark on his brow glowing as a breeze stirred the air.

The chimes beneath the eaves jingled as he reached up and gently tapped them, their sound growing even more vibrant, as if welcoming his presence.

After waiting for a while without seeing Liu Erlong, he frowned.

"Could she be asleep?"

He muttered softly, pushed open the unlocked gate, and entered the courtyard, heading straight for the house.

Before he reached the door, his gaze shifted to an open window at the side, drawing him closer.

Inside, the room was warmly decorated and faintly fragrant.

Around the space hung sketches, all bearing a clear resemblance to him.

He lowered his gaze toward the desk by the window, seeing various colors of paint and a canvas with a woman lying beside it.

She appeared no older than thirty, with delicate features and slightly pale skin.

Her fiery yet gentle gaze softened by her reddened eyes gave her a impression of vulnerable beauty.

Dressed in a simple blue robe, her loose hair was tied up casually, and her voluptous frame was something ordinary girl couldn't match.

Even by lying on the desk, one could see the soft mounds seem overflowing all around.

Below her lay an incomplete painting—a boy with golden hair rendered with bright particles that shimmered in the light.

With a conflicted and slightly anxious look, Qian Renjue extended his hand toward the painting.

The dark violet mark glowed, and the unfinished canvas shifted slightly, drawn toward him as if passing through a portal.