"Se-Young, this is truly no way to speak to the friends of our nation."
The moment those words rang out, everyone turned toward the crowd, searching for the source of the voice.
From the very center of the gathering stood Jiang Jin, dressed in an elegant white robe. His posture was straight, his presence overwhelming, and his expression cold and unreadable as his gaze swept across the people.
The instant they recognized him, those standing closest to Jiang Jin—followed by everyone else—fell to their knees in unison, bowing deeply in reverence. Only the Crown Prince and the Elders remained standing, yet even they lowered their heads respectfully upon seeing him.
"This subject greets His Imperial Majesty!"
Jiang Jin gave a slight nod, his expression calm and unreadable.
"Rise," he said.
Only then did the kneeling crowd dare to stand.
The moment Se-young saw him, he stepped forward. Stopping before Jiang Jin, he lowered his head deeply, his posture filled with guilt.
"Your Majesty," Se-young said in a subdued voice, "I beg your forgiveness. I failed to ensure your safety properly."
Jiang Jin looked at him quietly.
He had always known—Se-young worried about him more than anyone else. To Jiang Jin, Se-young was not merely a subordinate, but someone he regarded as a brother.
Reaching out, Jiang Jin placed a steady hand on Se-young's right shoulder. His voice was calm, carrying a faint trace of amusement.
"Se-young," he said, "you didn't truly believe that a few spirit beasts here could do me any harm... did you?"
At those words, the tension finally left Se-young's body.
He let out a slow breath, relief washing over his face.
The moment they witnessed this, the Crown Prince stepped forward.
Stopping a few paces before Jiang Jin, he straightened his posture and spoke with solemn dignity.
"Your Majesty Jiang Jin," he said, "on behalf of myself and this entire nation, I offer you our deepest apologies for any hardship or distress you may have suffered."
As the Crown Prince of this country, he lowered his head and bowed deeply.
At his gesture, the elders followed without hesitation. The other princes and members of the royal court bowed as well, their movements synchronized, their expressions filled with remorse and respect.
Silence fell.
Jiang Jin looked upon them calmly.
"There is no need for apologies," he said coldly. "Incidents such as these can occur anywhere, at any time."
His gaze shifted to the Crown Prince.
"Crown Prince," Jiang Jin continued, "you may rise."
The pressure in the air eased slightly as the Crown Prince straightened.
Just then, Nu Shi-jie stepped forward.
She bowed lightly, her tone respectful yet laced with unmistakable concern.
"Please forgive my boldness, Your Majesty Jiang Jin," she said. "But where did you go? We have been searching for you for the past two days... yet we were unable to find you anywhere."
Her words stirred the crowd once more.
All eyes turned back to Jiang Jin, waiting.
At her words, a faint smile appeared on Jiang Jin's lips—so slight it was almost imperceptible. Yet within his eyes, a glint of mischief quietly surfaced.
"During the chaos," Jiang Jin said calmly, "I noticed a student fleeing toward the forest in fear. I followed after them."
As he spoke, he took a step to the side, moving away from where he had been standing.
Only then did the figure behind him come into view.
Standing there was Bai Xu.
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd. Gasps echoed softly as all eyes turned toward her, disbelief written across their faces.
No one had expected this.
Bai-Xu shot a sharp, irritated glance at Jiang Jin and thought to herself, He did this on purpose. I know it.
Then Bai-Xu turned toward everyone present. She stepped forward and bowed respectfully, offering her greetings.
The moment they saw her, the crowd was stunned.
Most of them were seeing Bai-Xu for the very first time. Except for a few, everyone else had only heard rumors about her—that despite being the daughter of the strongest warrior in the country, she was unable to cultivate.
As Bai-Xu stood there calmly, all eyes were fixed on her. Soon, whispers spread through the crowd as people began murmuring among themselves, their gazes filled with curiosity, doubt, and surprise.
The moment Jia-Hai saw Bai-Xu, he rushed toward her without a second thought. He gently but firmly held her by the shoulders, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.
"My child, where did you go?" he said anxiously. "Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere, are you? Do you have any injuries?"
Bai-Xu could hear the fear in his voice.
"You have no idea how worried I was," Jia-Hai continued, his tone both scolding and relieved. "Do you know how frightened you made your grandfather? You nearly gave this old man a heart attack."
Seeing such genuine concern in her grandfather's eyes, Bai-Xu smiled softly from the depths of her heart.
"I'm completely fine, Grandfather," she replied gently.
Since coming to this world, Bai-Xu had gained many allies. Yet, seeing Jia-Hai care for her so deeply stirred something within her. For a brief moment, his warmth reminded her of her father, Rayman—and the memory made her chest ache with both comfort and longing.
Bai-Xu was still speaking with Jia-Hai when someone suddenly rushed forward and wrapped their arms tightly around her neck.
It was Cai-Hang.
"Princess Cai-Hang," Bai-Xu whispered softly in surprise.
"Don't speak," Cai-Hang sobbed, tightening her embrace. "Don't talk to me at all. Do you know how frightened I was? When I woke up and couldn't find you there, my heart nearly stopped."
She refused to let go, her shoulders trembling as quiet sobs escaped her.
Bai-Xu gently raised her hands and hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Cai," she said softly. "Please forgive me. I shouldn't have left without telling you."
At those words, Cai-Hang finally pulled back a little, though her eyes were still red.
"Fine," she said, trying to sound stern while sniffing. "Since you're completely safe, I'll forgive you—this time only. And don't think there will be a second chance."
Bai-Xu smiled warmly, her expression filled with affection. She reached out and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of Cai-Hang's eyes.
Behind Princess Cai-Hang stood Wang-Wei. He stepped forward slightly and asked with concern,
"Princess, are you truly unharmed?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Bai-Xu, unconsciously scanning her from head to toe.
Cai-Hang is five months older than her, he thought. Yet the difference between them is so obvious.
Bai-Xu looked fragile—too delicate, too weak. She seemed like someone who might collapse after walking for only a short while.
She's like a thin piece of glass, Wang-Wei concluded silently. One wrong touch, and she might shatter.
Bai-Xu looked toward Wang-Wei and gave a small nod in acknowledgment.
At once, Cai-Hang spoke up, her voice steady as she introduced him.
"This is my elder brother—the Crown Prince, Wang-Wei."
Hearing this, Bai-Xu immediately lowered herself and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings to the Crown Prince."
Before the moment could settle, Min-Sheng stepped forward with visible relief.
"Bai-Xu, seeing you return safely truly makes me happy."
Bai-Xu parted her lips, about to respond—but the presence of so many people around them made her hesitate. In the end, she remained silent.
From the corner of the crowd, Ya-Ting's eyes darkened the moment she saw Min-Sheng standing so close to Bai-Xu. Grinding her teeth, she deliberately stepped forward and spoke with an exaggerated smile.
"Bai-Xu, my dear little sister," Ya-Ting said sweetly. "How fortunate that you're safe. Everyone here was so worried about you."
Bai-Xu didn't even spare her a glance.
Yet Ya-Ting continued, her voice dripping with false concern.
"But Sister Bai-Xu, what were you doing in the forest in the first place? In all that chaos..."
She clicked her tongue lightly, as if scolding out of kindness.
"And let us be honest," Ya-Ting continued smoothly, "in such a chaotic battle, if one cannot fight, the wisest choice would be to hide quietly. Instead Look at how distressed everyone became because of you—especially His Majesty, King Jiang Lin."
At those words, Jia-Hai's expression darkened instantly.
"Ya-Ting!" he roared angrily. ENOUGH..
Before he could continue, Nu-Shi-Jie stepped forward and interrupted calmly.
"Master Jia-Hai, Lady Ning is not wrong. Princess Bai-Xu should have been mindful of such simple matters."
Jia-Hai glared first at Ya-Ting, then at Nu-Shi-Jie. His hands clenched tightly at his sides before he turned his face away, clearly suppressing his fury.
Breaking the tense silence, Wang-Wei spoke in a calm, authoritative tone.
"Princess Bai-Xu," he said, looking directly at her, "please tell us what happened that forced you to go toward the forest."
All eyes turned to her.
And in that instant, the air itself seemed to grow heavy with anticipation.