Chapter 337: The Appointment (Fourth Update)

Mu Qinghe finally looked toward Chu Liuyue, his voice as cold and indifferent as ever

"Speak."

Seeing that it had done enough, the Red Demon immediately took the opportunity to flee, hiding behind the window.

Chu Liuyue glanced at it out of the corner of her eye and sighed inwardly.

This Red Demon was truly quite a troublemaker; knowing that Mu Qinghe hated it most when people touched his tea, it actually dared to do such a thing.

It was truly a miracle that it had managed to live this long.

Strangely enough, Mu Qinghe came from a lowly background. When he was young, he had to snatch stale steamed buns from beggars and had never lived a single day of comfort.

Later, when he followed her, his conditions in all aspects improved significantly, but unlike others who rose from poverty to prosperity and became obsessed with luxury, he focused his entire heart on cultivation and warfare.

Except for one thing—tea.

Even she did not know when he had developed a fondness for this stuff.

He didn't just like drinking tea; he also liked brewing it.

Chu Liuyue remembered that he possessed excellent tea-brewing skills, perhaps even surpassing the tea masters within the Imperial Palace.

She withdrew her thoughts, looked at Mu Qinghe, and briefly explained her plan to him.

"...Therefore, I have come this time hoping for your approval. As for how long I stay at Taiyan Academy, that will be decided by you."

Mu Qinghe picked up another cup, poured a serving of tea, and looked at Chu Liuyue with a scrutinizing gaze.

"It seems you are certain that I will not be leaving here in the short term, which is why you have the audacity to make this request?"

Chu Liuyue's smile remained unchanged.

"Did you not say before that you would be staying here for a period of time? I do not know how long you meant by that, so I have taken the liberty to inquire. After all... the opportunity to borrow books for free from other academies' libraries is extremely rare, and I do not wish to miss it. I ask for Vice General Mu's understanding."

Mu Qinghe remained silent for a long while.

Aside from searching for geniuses possessing the Earth Scripture Original Veins, he indeed had other important matters to attend to during this trip.

Three to five days certainly would not be enough to finish them.

Chu Liuyue's request did not seem to be unreasonable.

However...

"You may go if you wish, but there is one question you must answer honestly."

Chu Liuyue nodded.

"Please speak, Vice General Mu."

Mu Qinghe stared at her.

"That day, inside the Nine Nether Tower, did you obtain something?"

Chu Liuyue's heart skipped a beat.

Immediately, her eyes widened slightly, appearing somewhat surprised and curious

"What do you mean by that?"

Mu Qinghe did not speak; he merely watched her with a deep gaze, as if trying to pierce through her lie.

His own realm was extremely high, so the pressure emanating from his body was also incredibly strong, his piercing gaze feeling almost tangible.

If it were anyone else, they likely would not have been able to withstand such scrutiny.

But Chu Liuyue was different.

She had met him when he was at his lowest ebb and had seen him at his most miserable and pitiful.

She had also given Mu Qinghe the opportunity to become the youngest Vice General of the Tianling Empire and had seen him at his most glorious.

Therefore, Mu Qinghe's gaze was of no use against her.

She frowned slightly as if thinking, and after a moment, she shook her head.

"Vice General Mu, I am sorry, but I truly do not know what you are talking about. The situation that day was critical; Prince Li and I barely managed to escape from within. Forget about bringing anything back—we nearly lost our lives there. What exactly are you trying to ask?"

Mu Qinghe looked at the woman before him.

Intelligent, quick-witted, a genius.

Her expression was incredibly sincere, to the point where he began to doubt whether his initial suspicion was wrong.

Chu Liuyue bit her lip hesitantly, then asked in a tentative, soft voice

"Vice General Mu? Could it be that you are looking for something?"

Mu Qinghe's eyes sharpened instantly! The aura surrounding him surged violently, rushing toward Chu Liuyue!

*Skree!*

The Red Demon let out a sharp cry.

A streak of cyan flame instantly flew in front of Chu Liuyue! It transformed into a barrier, blocking Mu Qinghe's pressure!

The two forces clashed wildly!

*Bang!*

The tea set beside Mu Qinghe shattered!

Even the entire set of tables and chairs was covered in cracks!

Chu Liuyue frowned slightly.

She had only asked a probing question; she hadn't expected Mu Qinghe's reaction to be so intense.

This only proved that she was right!

But—what exactly had Mu Qinghe traveled such a vast distance to find?

As the strength of both sides gradually dissipated, the room was left in a state of total disarray.

Chu Liuyue glanced lightly at the shattered teacup on the floor.

Inside it seemed to be freshly brewed Jin Jun Mei.

In the past, Mu Qinghe never drank this kind...

She withdrew her gaze

"Vice General Mu, have you perhaps misunderstood something? I was only trying to say that the upper floors of the Nine Nether Tower are rarely stepped upon. The reason Prince Li and I were able to exit the sixth floor safely was thanks to something his mother left there. If you are truly looking for something, perhaps Prince Li might have some clues."

The killing intent in the depths of Mu Qinghe's eyes gradually receded.

"No need."

As his voice fell, the room fell into a deathly silence.

Chu Liuyue felt that if this continued, her business might not get done, so she coughed to break the deadlock.

"Vice General Mu, your tea has spilled. How about I compensate you with a pot of tea? Not long ago, I happened to obtain a jar of high-quality Jin Jun Mei. Although it certainly won't meet your standards, however—"

"No need."

Mu Qinghe interrupted her, pausing for a moment.

"I will give you ten days."

Chu Liuyue smiled joyfully

"Thank you, Vice General Mu!"

Although this man's temperament had become increasingly unpredictable, she was still very happy in her heart that he had agreed to her request.

Looking at the smiling, cheerful woman before him, Mu Qinghe lost himself for a moment.

Those eyes, bright and brilliant like pure black jade, were simply too similar.

They were clearly two different faces, yet when she smiled, the expression between her brows felt so much alike.

However, when he looked closely, he felt as though they were not the same.

Too many things were hidden in Chu Liuyue's eyes.

It was an expression that only comes from experiencing countless hardships.

She was different.

She was always noble, clean, and pure.

Mu Qinghe calmly averted his gaze.

During this period, he had thought of her far too frequently.

This was not a good thing.

"You may go back. Remember, you only have ten days."

Chu Liuyue noticed that Mu Qinghe's emotions seemed to have shifted slightly, but she knew there was no benefit to staying, so she joyfully bowed and took her leave.

The Red Demon followed her to the door, looking very reluctant to let her go.

She had only been here a little while and was already leaving... And, from what they had just said, wouldn't that mean it wouldn't see her for the remaining ten days?

Chu Liuyue walked to the barrier and looked back at the lingering Red Demon.

She leaned in a little closer and whispered

"I'll bring you a gift when I return."

(End of Chapter)