"Miss Nan, you've got quite some nerve!"
The River - Tossing Dragon (Fan Jiang Long) looked rather young. He wasn't ugly. Although he didn't have Mu Qihan's cold and otherworldly charm, he could still be regarded as a handsome young gentleman.
However, the imposing aura around him overshadowed his good looks. People would instinctively feel nervous at first sight, and over time, no one would pay much attention to his appearance.
Just like now, with a smirk on his lips, he unleashed his full - blown aura and bore down on Nan Chaoyu.
"You're actually quite good - looking, but so fierce." Nan Chaoyu mumbled. But the next second, she felt a cold glare shooting at her.
Oh no!
How could she forget this person was right beside her? Nan Chaoyu twitched the corners of her mouth. She didn't want to play word games with this pirate leader any longer and directly asked, "I wonder why Mr. Jiang invited us here?"
The River - Tossing Dragon didn't answer. He placed his hand on the armrest of the chair and tapped it absent - mindedly. He said somewhat doubtfully, "It seems Miss Nan knows my name?"
"The uncrowned king of the Soul - Devouring Sea. People like us who do small business naturally have to find out about you clearly, so as not to offend you accidentally one day."
Hearing Nan Chaoyu say that they were doing small business, Hai Shisan twitched the corners of his mouth. This princess was really good at telling lies with a straight face.
"Oh~ If that's what the girl says, then how do you explain disturbing my formation?"
"What formation? What are you talking about, Mr. Jiang? I don't understand."
Hai Shisan was a bit speechless. This girl's ability to tell lies was really so self - assured.
However, they really had no evidence. Otherwise, their king wouldn't have silently swallowed this loss. He would have flattened Dream Sea City long ago.
Nan Chaoyu sized up the River - Tossing Dragon's expression and knew that they had no evidence. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so polite as to invite them here.
But who would have thought that this pirate leader didn't play by the rules. The next second, he stood up directly, walked up to Nan Chaoyu, leaned over slightly, and said, "Since you don't understand, I don't mind teaching you myself!"
"Shisan!"
"Your subordinate is here."
"I'm going to leave with Miss Nan. You'll be in charge of the journey from now on!"
Hai Shisan was shocked. He instinctively wanted to dissuade his king, but then he remembered that once his king made a decision, he wouldn't easily change it. So he swallowed his words, bowed, and said, "Yes!"
Nan Chaoyu was dumbfounded. She stared at this guy who was sticking to her and said, "When did I say I was taking you with me?"
The River - Tossing Dragon gave Nan Chaoyu a half - smiling look and suddenly said, "If the girl doesn't want me to go with you, what about Young Master Mu?"
This was the first time the River - Tossing Dragon looked squarely at Mu Qihan since he got on the ship.
As soon as these words were said, Nan Chaoyu's eyes darted between the two of them.
She was a bit surprised. Did these two know each other?
Mu Qihan gave the River - Tossing Dragon a warning look, stood up, and pulled Nan Chaoyu behind him. "Since you want to come with us, then come!"
"What?!" Nan Chaoyu felt that her mind wasn't working fast enough. She couldn't help but think that this guy didn't seem to be here to settle accounts with her.
However, neither of the two men cared about Nan Chaoyu's disagreement. Mu Qihan even directly put his arm around Nan Chaoyu's waist and took her to his own ship.
At this moment, Nan Chaoyu didn't even care that Mu Qihan was taking advantage of her. If she didn't figure this out, she would be tortured by curiosity.
When they landed on the deck, Mu Qihan let go of his hand, but was grabbed by Nan Chaoyu.
"Tell me clearly. How do you two know each other?"
Mu Qihan hesitated for a moment, as if thinking about how to answer.
It was actually the River - Tossing Dragon who followed them closely and heard the question. "Miss, you disturbed the formation. Didn't the man beside you want to kill you?"
"Kill me?"
"Shut up!" Mu Qihan glared at the River - Tossing Dragon and warned him.
Suddenly, Nan Chaoyu remembered that before entering the Secret Realm of the Soul - Devouring Sea, when Mu Qihan found out that it was she who had disturbed the great formation, he looked as if he wanted to devour her.
Did she really stir up something she shouldn't have?
Seeing Nan Chaoyu's expression, the River - Tossing Dragon gave her a meaningful look and then turned around and walked towards the cabin.
He seemed so familiar with the place that he didn't even need a guide.
Nan Chaoyu squinted her eyes and looked at Mu Qihan. "Don't you have anything to say?"
Mu Qihan was silent for a while, his lips tightly pursed. He looked very hesitant.
Just when Nan Chaoyu thought he wouldn't say anything, he finally spoke. "He's from Wuxiang City."
"Wuxiang City?" Nan Chaoyu suddenly understood. No wonder her people had investigated this man's background for so long but still couldn't find out anything. Now it all made sense.
Although she was confident in her own strength, she wasn't so over - confident as to think she could compete with an entire city in terms of manpower.
Mu Qihan paused for a moment and then continued, "There's an inner sea in Wuxiang City. There's a restricted area called Qianfeng Forest being suppressed there. But relying solely on the strength of Wuxiang City is still not enough. So..."
"So you activated the formation and every ten years, you draw the Secret Realm of the Soul - Devouring Sea to Wuxiang City to help you suppress the restricted area?"
Mu Qihan nodded. "If that restricted area were to be opened, the people on the Mysterious Ice Continent would be living in dire straits. Wuxiang City doesn't want to be the sinner. But that restricted area and our city co - exist. We have no way to destroy that place."
Nan Chaoyu understood. "So this River - Tossing Dragon is one of yours?" But then she asked, "When we first encountered the pirates, why did you look so nervous? I almost thought the pirates were going to capture you and make you their boss's husband!"
"Cough cough." Mu Qihan lost his serious demeanor in an instant. The solemn atmosphere was completely ruined by her words. He rubbed her head impatiently and said, "What are you thinking about! Jiang Long's identity is kept secret among the pirates, and not all of the four major pirate groups are convinced by him."
Nan Chaoyu understood. However, she asked, "Can I ask about that restricted area?"
Mu Qihan pursed his lips and looked at the girl in front of him.
She had the most noble status on this continent, strength that could outshine all the proud sons and daughters of heaven, and parents who protected her.
He was just a passer - by, an outcast exiled to this land, not accepted by his own clan. What right did he have to possess her?
Mu Qihan raised his hand, but finally didn't touch Nan Chaoyu's head. He said coldly, "This is a secret of Wuxiang City. It's late at night. Go and rest!"
After saying that, he walked into the cabin without looking back.
Nan Chaoyu stood there stupidly, not quite understanding why this man left just like that when they were talking well.
When she turned around, she suddenly saw Xiaotian still standing there without leaving.
She shot a sharp look at him. Xiaotian sensed something was wrong. He immediately knew something bad was going to happen. He turned around and tried to leave.
But the next second, he was grabbed by the collar. "Where are you running?"
At this moment, Xiaotian didn't have the slightest trace of his initial arrogance. With a smile on his face, he said, "Your Highness the Princess, I'm not running. I want to go and check on the young master."
Nan Chaoyu raised her eyebrows. "How much do you know about your Wuxiang City?"
Xiaotian shifted his eyes. "Not much, not much."
Last time when he talked to this princess, his young master said he was stupid. He had to be more careful this time.
Nan Chaoyu nodded. "Okay, then I'll ask you a few ordinary questions. Answer them honestly, and I'll let you go."
Xiaotian hesitated a bit. But since his collar was still in someone else's hand, he had no choice but to submit. "Your Highness the Princess, please ask."
"Okay, who are there in your young master's family?"
"Who?" Xiaotian gave Nan Chaoyu a strange look. Was this all she wanted to ask?
Nan Chaoyu let go of his collar. "I've already said these are just ordinary questions. I'm going to Wuxiang City with your young master to meet his parents. Shouldn't I know well about them?"
"Should!" Xiaotian felt relieved and began to introduce the members of his young master's family to her.
"Our young master is the eldest son of the city lord. He has a younger brother, who is the son of the current city lord's wife. The city lord's wife is the daughter of the Zhang family in Wuxiang City."
"Besides that, there's no one else. Our city lord has no concubines. He only has his wife."
"Now the second young master is not in the city. He seems to have gone to Snow God Mountain to marry the goddess there. Only the city lord and his wife are left in the city now. Don't worry, the city lord and his wife are very kind."
"Snow God Mountain!" She was reborn three years ago. So the current goddess on Snow God Mountain must be Nan Chaoxue. But why was it the second young master of the city lord's mansion?
"Your young master returned to Wuxiang City three years ago. Where was he before that?"
"On Snow God Mountain! Everyone in our Wuxiang City knows that Snow God Mountain chose our young master and asked him to practice martial arts there. He was supposed to marry the goddess in the future. But three years ago, our young master got injured and had no choice but to return to Wuxiang City to recuperate. So the person for the marriage alliance was changed to the second young master!"
After Xiaotian finished speaking, he suddenly remembered that this princess in front of him liked their young master. He suddenly felt a bit nervous. If she knew that the young master was supposed to marry another woman before, would she take her anger out on him?
But he was over - thinking.
At this moment, Nan Chaoyu felt as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had come out.
No wonder Mu Qihan had grown up on Snow God Mountain since childhood. But it was very likely that he wasn't there for the marriage alliance with the goddess!
He was probably a hostage. Snow God Mountain was the sacred mountain on the Mysterious Ice Continent with a super - noble status. Wuxiang City sending someone as a hostage meant that Wuxiang City had the strength to threaten this continent.
What exactly was the background of Wuxiang City?
Nan Chaoyu felt that she understood, but then she fell into a strange circle.
Since she found out about the marriage contract her mother had arranged for her, everything seemed to be beyond her understanding.
"Your Highness the Princess? Your Highness the Princess? Do you have any more questions?"
Nan Chaoyu's train of thought was interrupted by Xiaotian. She came back to her senses, looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Is your young master the biological son of the city lord?"
Mu Qihan didn't have a good time on Snow God Mountain. If it weren't for her care all these years, there would surely have been many people bullying this outsider. Didn't the city lord of Wuxiang City know about this?
"Of course he is the biological son. The city lord values the young master very much. Otherwise, the marriage on Snow God Mountain wouldn't have been arranged for the young master at first. The lady even had a big argument with the city lord because of this."
Xiaotian widened his eyes. "But I heard this from my father. My father is the city lord's bodyguard. Hehe."
"The young master wasn't born to the lady, so the city lord will naturally protect the young master more."
"Then who is your young master's biological mother?"
Xiaotian shook his head. "I don't know."
Nan Chaoyu nodded in understanding and waved her hand. "Thank you. Go and check on your young master."
Hearing this, Xiaotian immediately ran away without a trace.