The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

As he spoke, he threw another punch, a heavy blow. This time, Black Wind used both hands to block the attack, then swung out a palm with a strong gale. The beggar's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he dodged quickly while cursing, "You old bastard, you actually went for it!"

Black Wind stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "If we don't play for real, are we going to play a fake game? Or is your attempt to steal my disciple also a fake?"

Upon hearing this, the beggar retorted, not to be outdone, "Of course it's true."

After deflecting Black Wind's attack, he took a breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "I'm exhausted. If you had used any more force with that move, this dilapidated temple would have collapsed."

Hei Feng didn't speak this time. He turned around and went back to where he had been lying. He curled up in front of the haystack, then sighed comfortably and glanced at Jian Yue.

Watching the two exchange blows, Jian Yue's eyes darkened, and she admired him in her heart. This person's martial arts were definitely no less than Hei Feng's. That lightness of movement could probably not be achieved in less than thirty or fifty years.

Thinking of this, she suddenly looked at Black Wind in surprise, then at the beggar, a deep sense of doubt washing over her.

Black Wind once said that he was quite old, but he looked to be only in his early thirties. This beggar, even though his face was covered in filth and his body was emaciated, did not look like a man over forty years old.

But the skill he displayed just now was not something someone under forty could possess. Even the martial arts of Bai Jianan, whom she had seen before, probably wouldn't last ten moves against this person.

If this person isn't truly gifted enough to cultivate supreme martial arts at the age of thirty, then he's just like Black Wind—an old monster.

But if that's the case, isn't that too bizarre?

Even if a person takes the best care of their health, they can only live for a hundred years. How can one live longer and still have the secret to staying young?

Surprise welled up on Jian Yue's face, and her gaze shifted to the beggar, staring intently at him. Upon seeing this, the beggar's eyes lit up, and he said, "You've chosen me as your master?"

Hei Feng frowned, then saw Jian Yue shake her head. Hei Feng immediately laughed again and said, "Don't flatter yourself. The little girl would never be a heartless person."

Jian Yue shook her head again, looking at Hei Feng with a face full of curiosity, and said, "Don't tell me it's what I think, that you and this beggar are both old fogies?"

Hei Feng was taken aback, then burst into laughter. The beggar wiped his face helplessly and looked at Jian Yue with a mournful expression, saying, "Little girl, why do you speak so rudely at such a young age?"

"Who's an immortal old man? Only the one next to you is. I'm in my prime, not even thirty yet, I'm not some immortal old man."

Hearing this, Black Wind laughed even harder, saying, "I say, you're too shameless. You're not even thirty yet. Let's see if you're thirty and people call you an old codger. That's an honor. Your good-for-nothing grandson will still be asking you to die."

The beggar, humiliated, looked utterly hopeless. Without hesitation, he glared fiercely at Hei Feng, then turned sharply towards Jian Yue and said, "Tell me, do you want to be my apprentice?"

Jian Yue frowned, dissatisfied, and said, "If I had a choice, would I be here? But senior, why do you insist on making me your disciple?"

The beggar sneered: "People from the Shangguan family naturally cannot choose their own lives. However, Hei Feng must have told you that as long as you reach a certain level, you can still have your own life."

As for wanting you to be my apprentice, it's only because I admire your ability to pretend to be asleep. Hey, little girl, tell me, how exactly do you manage to do that without anyone noticing?

"You know, that old bastard Black Wind, if I say he's second to none in this world, then no one dares to claim to be first. You say he didn't even notice you were pretending to be asleep? Don't you have the talent of a scout?"

The beggar's name was Kumu Zhang. He had no name or surname, but because of his ability to make people unable to find him, he was called Kumu. Later, because he had adopted a child with the surname Zhang, he was eventually called Kumu Zhang.

The Ironclad Soldiers have existed for hundreds of years, and now very few of the original members remain. He is the one who has followed Black Wind the longest, so long that he has forgotten why he followed Black Wind in the first place. Maybe it was because of the Ironclad Soldiers, or maybe it was something else.

But now, none of that matters anymore. It's become second nature; he's gotten used to this kind of life, and even finds enjoyment in it, which is quite carefree.

To this day, his only regret is that he has not found a successor to his skills, and the unfilial son he adopted was not cut out for it. He had already given up, but unexpectedly, he discovered a gem here.

Kumu Zhang felt a surge of excitement, vowing to snatch this gem from Hei Feng's hands. He even forgot that what they were supposed to do now was just test Jian Yue, the undecided successor of the Ironclad Soldier.

Scout? Jian Yue knew what that branch of the military meant, but how could a woman like herself do such a job? Even if it was just to conceal her presence, her current abilities were more than enough.

Thinking of this, Jian Yue shook her head and said, "This skill was naturally learned. As for who taught me, I'm sorry, I can't tell you. After all, we are strangers, and I still need to be wary of you."

Kumu Zhang's eyes widened immediately: "You don't know me? We've been sharing a room for so long, and you're saying we don't know each other?"

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue was taken aback and quickly said, "How can you talk like that? How can you be so disrespectful to your elders? How can you be so indecent? Who would share a room with you?"

Zhang the withered tree immediately pointed to the dilapidated temple with a righteous air and said, "How can we not be sharing a room? Look, aren't we still in the same room right now?"

Jian Yue opened her mouth, but swallowed the words that were about to come out. She found that she couldn't find any words to refute the other party.

After thinking for a moment, Jian Yue sighed and said sarcastically, "So you've had quite a few people sharing a room with you."

Now, the beggars who had been watching the spectacle with great interest were all grinning as they watched Kumu Zhang flirt with Jian Yue. Their eyes were filled with nothing but amusement. Jian Yue glanced around and was surprised to find that none of the dozen or so beggars were looking at her with the lewd scrutiny she expected.

She couldn't help but become curious about this so-called armored soldier.

Hei Feng watched the interaction between the two with a smile, the smile in his eyes deep but not reaching his eyes, so it was hard to tell whether he was really smiling or daydreaming.

Jian Yue didn't miss Hei Feng's expression, but she couldn't discern anything. Just as she was about to take a closer look, she was entangled by Ku Mu Zhang, who sat opposite her, blocking her view of Hei Feng, and began to chatter on.

"Why are you always staring at that old geezer? Don't be fooled by his presentable appearance. You have no idea what he's like when he's evil. Let me tell you, you can't judge a person by their appearance alone. You have to look at their inner qualities."

"Look at me. Although I may be a bit slovenly, I'm highly skilled. I can do things that Black Wind can't, and I can do everything Black Wind can. So, I think you need to carefully consider who your master should be. I believe I'm the best choice."

Jian Yue nodded and said, "You're right, I should indeed consider this carefully."

Kumu Zhang chuckled, then Jian Yue looked up and continued, "But I also have to consider appearances. With your looks, even if you have a lot of knowledge inside, I can't learn it, can I?"

"Given the smell you have, I'd probably be suffocated by the time I approached while you were talking. So, I think if I really had to choose a master, I should choose one who's clean and odorless."

puff~

Someone in the beggar group suddenly burst into laughter, and then, as if a switch had been flipped, laughter began to emanate uncontrollably from the beggar's den.

Kumu Zhang was stunned at first, but then the laughter brought him back to his senses. He stood there awkwardly, staring intently at Jian Yue, who was still covering her nose and standing far away from him after speaking.

How could that brat speak so viciously? He must have been sent by Black Wind.

After he finished speaking, he turned around and glared at Hei Feng, who looked completely innocent: What does this have to do with me? I haven't taught her anything yet.

Zhang the Drywood continued to glare: It was you, don't be stubborn, what you brought back must have your genes.

Hei Feng could only shake his head helplessly and looked at Jian Yue, saying, "If you choose him, it would be a good thing. We are from the same teacher. He knows everything I know, and he is proficient in everything I don't know."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue immediately raised an eyebrow and looked at Hei Feng, not believing at all that this guy would give her up.

Sure enough, Black Wind continued, "But before that, you still need to learn another skill, which is breath control. After all, you'll need to use it a lot when facing him."

Pfft haha!

This brilliant finishing blow left Kumu Zhang riddled with bloody holes, while the beggars around him laughed uproariously, completely losing their composure as beggars.

Jian Yue couldn't help but chuckle and secretly gave Hei Feng a thumbs up from behind.

Good for you.

Hei Feng smiled and returned her a smug, head-raised smile.

How about it? Not bad, right?

That smile, like a child who has stolen someone else's candy and is now returning home triumphant, made Jian Yue scoff and give him a disdainful sidelong glance.

What's so great about it? It's just a child's game. It's nothing to make a fuss about.

Hei Feng shrugged indifferently, then looked at the dejected Ku Mu Zhang. After thinking for a moment, he moved to his side, raised his hand to pat his shoulder, but stopped just before reaching his shoulder. He frowned and hesitated for a moment before finally withdrawing his hand.

Kumu Zhang looked even more aggrieved, his eyes filled with tears as he looked at Heifeng. Heifeng said helplessly, "This really can't be blamed on me. How long has it been since you last bathed? How long has it been since you changed these clothes? Don't you know how dirty you are? So, I really tried my best."

These words made Kumu Zhang's face contort with rage. Even through his filthy hair, Jian Yue could feel the resentment emanating from Kumu Zhang.