"By the way, you should prepare yourself well. The Third Prince of the Purple Eagle Kingdom plans to hold a grand banquet tomorrow night, and you are among the invited guests. The invitation should have already been sent to your residence." Princess Qin suddenly remembered something and reminded him.
I'm invited too? Chen Ke looked surprised.
Aside from that time in the Bearman Cave, he had no interaction with the Third Prince, Yin Tianzheng; they were more like enemies.
Why would Yin Tianzheng, this major rival in love, invite him?
Was it to show off his strength, or perhaps to humiliate him in front of the powerful figures attending the banquet?
Even after bidding farewell to the princess and leaving the palace, Chen Ke couldn't think of anything to prepare.
Back at the Chen residence, sure enough, the steward handed Chen Ke an invitation with gold lettering.
Chen Ke casually tossed it on the table, returned to his room in the small courtyard, and fell into a deep sleep.
He slept until dawn, then got up, his body aching all over, his head still spinning.
He knew that his chase with the eight white-robed masters the night before had exhausted him greatly, and the physical and mental fatigue had not yet subsided.
Moreover, although his injuries had healed, they weren't fully recovered, especially his internal organs and broken bones, which wouldn't heal quickly.
The two princesses' female guards had appeared early in the morning, bowing respectfully upon seeing Chen Ke emerge.
When they saw him walk towards the dining room, their lips twitched simultaneously.
Hesitating for a moment, they didn't dare follow. Watching Chen Ke eat was like watching a horror movie; out of sight, out of mind.
After eating and drinking his fill, Chen Ke leisurely strolled through the garden with his teapot, occasionally sipping hot tea from the spout, looking completely at ease .
"Young Master, a letter has arrived from Haotian Academy! It's a personal letter from Headmaster Wu!" The steward, Chen Xiaofu, rushed over, took the teapot from the young master, and handed him a letter.
Chen Ke was astonished. He opened the envelope and read the letter, immediately understanding.
The letter contained no sensitive content, only eight words: "Mind your own business, study harder."
Mind your own business? That meant he shouldn't concern himself with the matter of the Eight-Winged Goddess's incarnation, Shui Changqing; he should pretend he didn't know?
Study harder? It certainly wasn't to urge him on his studies, but rather to have him quickly consult Master Mo Lin's notes?
Chen Ke put the letter away. It seemed he would have to go to the Divine Dragon Pavilion today.
"By the way, young master, you're attending a banquet tonight. Is there anything you need to prepare?" Chen Xiaofu asked eagerly, his face beaming with excitement.
Incredible!
The Third Prince of the Purple Eagle Dynasty had actually invited the young master to a banquet—what a great honor!
In Chen Xiaofu's memory, this was the first time the young master had received an invitation from such a powerful figure.
Well, once there's a first time, there will be a second.
Chen Ke looked at Chen Xiaofu with a strange expression and mumbled, "No need, it's just a meal. I'll be back after I finish."
After Chen Xiaofu left, Chen Ke went back to change his clothes, and with two female guards, left through the back door in a carriage.
Using his token, he entered the Divine Dragon Mansion in the underground city without hindrance, and then safely entered the Divine Dragon Pavilion.
Chen Ke found it amusing; it seemed that his baldness had its advantages, at least the Divine Dragon students wouldn't recognize him.
If they didn't recognize him, they naturally wouldn't bother him.
Walking up the stairs from the first floor to the second floor, Chen Ke unconsciously looked down, the image of Shui Changqing lingering at the top of the stairs constantly flashing before his eyes.
The security on the second floor was stronger, but this was only Chen Ke's perception; in reality, it looked the same.
That mysterious pressure was more powerful and acute, and the door to the special exhibition room clearly had the aura of an array.
It seemed that the Great Xia Academy had received a warning from Headmaster Wu, hence the increased security on the second floor.
Chen Ke remained calm and walked to the small door of the special envoy's exhibition room, handing the token in his hand to an old man behind a desk on the left.
The old man verified the token, his sharp gaze sweeping over Chen Ke.
Then, his eyes clouded over again, and he returned the token to Chen Ke: "Go in!"
Chen Ke pushed open the door of the exhibition room, and his vision immediately opened up.
The exhibition room resembled a museum from later generations. Near the walls, transparent glass cases were placed on the floor, displaying the notes and manuscripts of ancient sages and great figures.
On the walls, some calligraphy and paintings were also hung, protected in transparent frames.
Chen Ke looked around and was immediately drawn to a piece of calligraphy on the wall.
It was cursive script, the characters unrestrained and vigorous, with a powerful and majestic aura, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure.
For some reason, Chen Ke suddenly thought of Wu Jiutian's "Ten Thousand Miles of Yellow Sand Map."
Then he realized that this calligraphy must be from the hand of Master Molin, which explained its similar spirit.
Unfortunately, Chen Ke couldn't recognize cursive script characters, and he wasn't even sure if it was three or four characters.
"These four characters are, 'zhèn yú wú jìng'," a voice came from behind. Lu Changfeng, the headmaster of the Great Xia Academy, stepped forward, gazing at the calligraphy with a mesmerizing look.
"zhèn yú wú jìng?"
Chen Ke's mind raced, and he immediately found the source.
'zhèn yú wú jìng' roughly means to be invigorated in the boundless land of the Great Dao, a state of carefree ease.
Knowing the meaning of these four characters, Chen Ke felt a deeper connection to Mo Lin Zhenren's wild cursive script.
Looking at those four large characters, it was as if he saw a towering giant rising from the horizon, head held high, marching forward.
Within Chen Ke, a mysterious power seemed to be awakened, and an incomparably powerful life force instantly swept through his body.
In an instant, his injuries were almost completely healed!
Not only were his injuries healed, but his fatigue also vanished, and Chen Ke became invigorated.
Chen Ke was utterly astonished. "Is this what they call an epiphany?"
Little did he know, Lu Changfeng, standing beside him, was even more shocked, staring at Chen Ke as if he were a monster.
The reason the calligraphy, paintings, and manuscripts in the exhibition hall were so precious was that they were all genuine works, each imbued with the unique spirit of the great masters of the past.
This spirit had been integrated into their calligraphy and paintings, something that no replica could ever replicate.
Lu Changfeng often came here to experience the various spirits within the calligraphy and paintings, and had indeed gained some insights, benefiting greatly.
But he never expected that Chen Ke, this academic underachiever, would gain such enlightenment on his first visit to the exhibition hall, his first glimpse of Master Molin's wild cursive script.
No wonder, no wonder Old Wu always said that Chen Ke and Master Molin had an immense destiny; now it seemed to be true.
Composing himself, Lu Changfeng regained his composure and looked at Chen Ke, asking, "Chen Ke, Wu Jiutian sent a letter instructing me to strengthen the defenses of the Divine Dragon Pavilion and increase scrutiny for entry into the special exhibition room. Do you know the reason?"