Listening to Long Jinhan's words from behind, Bai Ran was a little moved, but still closed her eyes, not answering.
Smelling the faint fragrance from Long Jinhan, she unconsciously fell asleep.
Long Jinhan lay down, hearing the soft breathing beside him.
The little girl had fallen asleep?
He got out of bed quietly and tucked her in.
Seeing her unguarded sleeping face, which he had never seen before, Long Jinhan smiled. He reached out and gently brushed away her stray hairs, his heart filled with questions.
The little girl only had two older brothers, one at the border and one who had always treated her exceptionally well. Had she been betrayed by a brother?
Not long after, taking advantage of the night, Long Jinhan left.
Bai Ran, who had slept soundly until dawn, opened her eyes.
"I fell asleep?"
Was she already this unguarded with him?
Bai Ran lay on her back on the bed, his faint scent filling her nostrils and mind, unsettling her.
She washed up, quickly ate breakfast, left a letter for Bai Zhantian, and then went to Murong Jin's execution ground.
A dense crowd surged, constantly cursing Murong Jin, who was tied to a high platform. The news of the Vermilion Bird's emergence yesterday and Murong Chen becoming its guardian had spread rapidly throughout the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, and in the hearts of the people, Murong Chen's image was gradually elevated to that of a god.
"Pah! What is this! How dare you harm the Emperor!"
"The Emperor is the guardian of our Vermilion Bird Kingdom!"
"Kill him!"
"Yes! Kill him!"
Bai Ran, dressed in a black cloak, hid in the shadows. Bai Yang, however, appeared from nowhere and recognized her.
"Miss Bai, what a coincidence, meeting you here."
Bai Ran nodded. This was truly a coincidence; she wouldn't believe it if it were said to be accidental.
Looking at Murong Jin in the distance, he was currently hanging his head, gaunt and filthy all over, yet a smile played on his lips.
"Execution time!"
Two guards, holding long sabers, stood on either side of him and raised their weapons to strike.
Suddenly, Murong Jin, who was bound, lifted his head abruptly and laughed loudly at the crowd.
"Bai Ran! Murong Chen! You will get what's coming to you! Hahahaha!"
"Thump."
Murong Jin's head fell to the ground, rolling several times, still bearing a terrifying smile.
Bai Ran pondered his words, feeling as if she had missed something. She then looked at Bai Yang beside her, "Is Hua Heng dead?"
"Miss Bai, Hua Heng is dead, and the Hua family has been annihilated by the Emperor."
Bai Yang was a little confused as to why Miss Bai would suddenly ask about this.
Having received the answer, Bai Ran lowered her head. Could it be…
"Tell him to keep an eye on Murong Yun'er."
With that, she disappeared.
Bai Yang was left bewildered.
The Princess? She had been staying quietly in her room recently.
Bai Yang suddenly startled. He had forgotten the Emperor's instructions to find out Bai Ran's next plan!
He could only return dejectedly.
"You didn't find anything out?" Murong Chen asked, sitting in his study, leaning to the side with a smile.
"Your subordinate is incompetent," Bai Yang said, deflated like a leaky ball.
However, Murong Chen knew her wariness and guessed that Bai Yang wouldn't be able to find out her plans, so he wasn't too disappointed.
He still couldn't believe that his master wouldn't even attend his coronation ceremony; how heartless.
"But Your Majesty, Miss Bai asked me to relay a message to you."
"What message?" he asked excitedly.
"Miss Bai asked you to keep a close eye on the Princess."
The Princess?
Murong Yun'er had been staying quietly in her room lately. To be safe, guards entered daily under the pretense of delivering food to check on her, and not a single flaw was found.
Could it be that Murong Yun'er was acting strangely?
The Emperor had fallen, and the Empress had committed suicide. She spent her days crying in her room. Given her temperament, this was normal.
Murong Chen pondered but couldn't figure it out. In the end, he could only arrange for more people to watch Murong Yun'er.
Bai Ran, having left, boarded a carriage heading for the Star-Gazing Academy, completely unaware that rumors about her appearance were spreading like wildfire.
The enrollment period for the Star-Gazing Academy had long passed, but with Elder Hong's token, she could study there at any time.
Upon arriving at the Star-Gazing Academy, Bai Ran alighted from the carriage and looked at the academy's grand entrance, which soared into the clouds. It was indeed worthy of being the foremost academy.
"The academy's enrollment period has already passed; you're too late," said the mentor guarding the gate.
"I'm here to see Elder Hong."
Upon hearing this, the mentor suddenly became agitated.
"Let me tell you! Don't think the Star-Gazing Academy allows backdoor entries! The academy's selections are fair and open, and Elder Hong is just! I don't care about your identity; if you dare to use a backdoor, you can get out of here!"
Backdoor entries?
Looking at the spitting mentor in front of her, Bai Ran had no choice but to present the token.
Instantly, the mentor froze, his eyes fixed on the token.
"You... are a quota student?"
He asked cautiously, his attitude shifting one hundred and eighty degrees.
Quota students were extremely rare, directly selected by the academy's elders. Each quota student was considered a genius among geniuses.
"Elder Hong gave this to me. May I go in now?"
"Yes, yes! You're looking for Elder Hong, right? I'll lead the way."
Bai Ran followed the mentor into the academy, being subjected to countless admiring glances along the way. After several turns, they arrived at Elder Hong's courtyard.
In the courtyard.
"I've been waiting for you, like waiting for the stars and the moon."
Elder Hong came out enthusiastically but then froze.
"Who are you?"
Looking at the peerless beauty before him, Elder Hong couldn't recall knowing her no matter how hard he tried.
Bai Ran sighed, "Elder Hong, I am Bai Ran of the Bai family."
"Ran'er?"
Elder Hong pinched his cheek. "Ouch, that hurt! I'm not dreaming."
"What happened to your face?"
"I took a Marrow-Washing Pill; the poison was just expelled," Bai Ran vaguely explained.
"That's good news! You looked malnourished before, but now you're much more pleasing to the eye," Elder Hong said with a smile.
"Yes, I was delayed by some matters this time. I hope Elder Hong won't mind."
Bai Ran poured herself a cup of water and took a sip.
"It's good that you're here. By the way, child, which branch academy do you intend to join?"
The Star-Gazing Academy was divided into four branches: Beast Taming, Alchemy, Spiritual Cultivation, and Formations. Students could choose one branch to study.
Bai Ran pondered for a moment, then looked up at Elder Hong, "Can I join all of them except beast taming?"
All of them? This girl truly dared to think big.
"Generally, focusing on one major will prevent your energy from being dispersed. Majoring in multiple subjects might lead to excessive pressure, causing inner demons during cultivation. However, there's no rule against multiple majors. Ran'er, are you sure you want to do this?"
Elder Hong looked at Bai Ran with pity. Such a good cultivation seedling, it would be a shame to ruin it like this.
Bai Ran looked at Elder Hong and nodded.
Helplessly, Elder Hong gave her three student tokens for the academies.
"If you feel any pressure, return the other two tokens," Elder Hong still wasn't entirely at ease about Bai Ran.
Bai Ran nodded again.
Watching Bai Ran's receding figure, Elder Hong's mind was filled with thoughts. He wondered how her strength was and if she would be bullied at the academy.
A month later, whenever Elder Hong remembered his worries at that time, he felt like collapsing and wanting to start all over again.