The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

The two men's expressions changed. Looking at the steward's serious expression and recalling Ying Li's qualification to enter the manor, they couldn't believe that such a young girl could be associated with such an important figure.

The steward watched Ying Li's departing figure, a solemn expression flashing across his face. He then sat down again and continued with his work. Ying Li could only wait and see. Once the manor's tests began, the girl's true abilities would become clear.

Ying Li entered Winter Night Manor smoothly and saw a familiar figure not far away. She was surprised to see him in Winter Night Manor. She wondered where the fate was.

"Hey! How come I run into you here?! Shouldn't you be toiling away in Bixia Palace cultivating?!" Ying Li ran up to the man in one stride, patted him hard on the shoulder with his right hand, and said happily.

Yi Bicheng was chatting and laughing with others while waving his Northern Red Plum Blossom fan when someone attacked him from behind. His good mood was about to turn into a storm, but after hearing a familiar voice, he turned around in surprise, forcefully slammed his fan shut, and pointed at Ying Li, saying, "What are you doing here again?"

"Of course I came to Winter Night Manor to gain some benefits; otherwise, how could I participate in the assessment for intermediate disciples?" Ying Li said with a hearty laugh. She was indeed very happy to see her friends here; heaven knows how long it had been since she had seen an acquaintance.

Yi Bicheng was somewhat pleased to hear this. He genuinely wanted to be friends with Ying Li, and seeing her here naturally made him happy. However, despite his happiness, the thought of Ying Li's furious killing of Yuan Zhongyue, and Yuan Zhongxue's pursuit with his men, made Yi Bicheng's expression change. He greeted the person beside him, then pulled Ying Li aside and cautiously asked, "Girl, weren't you hiding from Yuan Zhongxue? There are many people at Winter Night Manor, and if you are recognized by those involved, it will be a big problem."

Ying Li glanced around and said with relief, "No, Winter Night Manor is far from Bixia Palace. Besides, I ran into Yuan Zhongxue and the others on my way here. I'm afraid they're still in the Spirit Array, their fates unknown!" After saying that, Ying Li told Yi Bicheng everything she could about leaving Bixia Palace.

Yi Bicheng was both shocked and frightened, especially when she heard that Ying Li had rushed into the malfunctioning array, she broke out in a cold sweat and felt a chill run down her spine.

That disorientation array was so terrifying that even the most powerful person in his family wouldn't be entirely confident of escaping unscathed. Yet Ying Li and Yin Huan broke it so easily; their strength was truly more terrifying than the array itself. If Yi Bicheng hadn't known Ying Li, he probably would have thought Ying Li was blatantly boasting.

"Who is Yin Huan? Is he really a mid-level disciple of Bixia Palace? Such a powerful figure, even the princess of the Mu Dynasty looks down on him, he is no small fry. Girl, if you see him again in the future, you must be careful." Yi Bicheng was somewhat suspicious. Such a powerful figure should not just be a mid-level disciple, he should at least be at the level of an upper-level disciple.

Ying Li shrugged. Whenever she thought of Yin Huan, she felt inexplicably lost. She had been abandoned countless times in her life, but Yin Huan had helped her open her heart. After experiencing another unexpected separation, Ying Li felt a bit suffocated. Although she knew it wasn't the other person's fault, she felt strange, a kind of reluctance mixed with a conflicted understanding.

"I don't know either. He must be a big shot from Bixia Palace. We should find out when we become middle-level disciples. As for meeting him, the chances are probably slim. But why did you leave Bixia Palace to come here? If it's not because Bixia Palace is short of resources, then is it because of that woman named Wei Lingyun?" Ying Li put aside his own situation and started teasing Yi Bicheng. Back then, Yi Bicheng had killed another woman for the sake of another woman. Their bond must be deep, and Ying Li was very curious about it.

Bixia Palace would certainly not lack resources, so there is only one possibility for Yi Bicheng to be here.

Yi Bicheng's expression froze for a moment. Seeing Ying Li's words, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his previously normal face. "The manor test starts tomorrow. Do you know how the test will be conducted?"

Seeing that he had changed the subject, Ying Li smiled and didn't ask any further questions. She then followed his lead and said, "I would like to hear the details."

Yi Bicheng let out a long sigh and said, "The ancestor of Winter Night Manor was Cheng Dongye, a legendary figure. It is said that he rode on a wolf and held a hawk. His unique martial art, 'One Sword Asks the Heavens,' was hailed as the best of the seven levels of martial arts, with extremely high attack power. Back then, Winter Night Manor became famous throughout the Spirit Realm Continent because of this ancestor. However, Cheng Dongye was later slaughtered in the war between humans and ghosts, and since then, Winter Night Manor's reputation has been mediocre. However, a large number of spiritual herbs grow on Winter Night Mountain every year, which prevents Winter Night Manor from becoming unknown. Winter Night Manor also attracts a large number of capable people by opening Winter Night Mountain to the outside world every year. Since then, Winter Night Manor has had a constant stream of fresh blood, which is why it has not declined. The manor's test is conducted in an illusion created by the current manor owner, Cheng Bo. The first place winner will receive ten Ant Beast Spirit Pearls as a gift."

"Ten Ant Beast Spirit Pearls, Winter Night Manor is really something, such a generous offer." Ying Li's eyes lit up. As expected of a grand manor, the prize for first place was simply too tempting. Ten Ant Beast Spirit Pearls were equivalent to ten thousand Ant Beast Inner Cores. If one used these spirit pearls to cultivate, one could probably break through to the Divine Cultivation stage.

Ying Li secretly resolved to get first place in the mountain villa test, so that he could take another step closer to passing the assessment of intermediate disciples.

The night was long, and Ying Li lay in bed hugging the brocade quilt, unable to fall asleep for a long time. She looked at the alluring man lying on the table, his profile, the crescent-shaped scar on his forehead, and a strange feeling lingered.

"What am I thinking about? The test is tomorrow, I can't fail." Ying Li muttered to himself, forcing himself to close his eyes. The fatigue of the past few days finally swept over him in many ways, and soon the little girl on the bed fell asleep.

Her breathing was soft. The alluring man rose from the table and sat down beside Ying Li's bed. He brushed aside Ying Li's stray hairs with his hand, his face expressionless. He withdrew his hand, turned to look at the silvery moon outside, and for some reason, suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Who exactly are you?"

No echo, no dreams that night.

The next day was the test at the manor. Ying Li and Yi Bicheng arrived at the Winter Night Manor Square together. The square was packed with people, at least a thousand people. These people were all high-level spiritual power participants in today's test. It seemed that passing this test and becoming the first place would not be so easy.

Ying Li glanced at them and saw several experts at the Divine Cultivation level. This was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Among these thousands of people, there were probably many hidden experts.

She frowned slightly; it seemed she couldn't underestimate her opponent. Just then, the crowd suddenly quieted down, and a middle-aged man in a golden robe slowly walked in, surrounded by the crowd. He was only in his forties, but his eyebrows were completely white, and his appearance was serene and carefree, exuding the air of a patriarch.

"The third stage of the Spirit Master realm, just average cultivation. No wonder Winter Night Manor has lost its former glory. The current generation is quite useless." The alluring man spoke from within the bone ring at the right moment, seemingly with regret, but more so with contempt.

Ying Li knew the alluring man's strength; he was at least at the Gathering Spirit Master level, so this kind of Spirit Opening Master was simply beneath his notice. After entering the Divine Cultivation stage, the difference between each stage was like heaven and earth, let alone the difference between Spirit Masters. Lin Piaopiao's father, Lin Ying, was only one stage below Ying Li's grandfather, yet he still dared not act rashly to anger Ying Wuyou, demonstrating just how vast the gap was.

Ying Li had never seen Ying Wuyou make a move, so she didn't know just how strong Cheng Bo was.

She looked at Cheng Bo, but Cheng Bo unexpectedly looked in Ying Li's direction as well.

"Master, what's wrong?" The steward, noticing Cheng Bo's unusual behavior, asked. He followed Cheng Bo's gaze and saw Ying Li standing there, her eyes clear and calm, with a hint of curiosity. It was indeed that girl.

"It's alright. Now that everyone's here, let's begin the test," Cheng Bo said, waving his hand. The girl possessed a familiar spiritual energy, as if he'd seen it somewhere before, but then he thought, how could that be? He must be mistaken. Ying Li, a newcomer, hadn't left the manor for over a decade. He had absolutely never seen the girl before; perhaps it was just a coincidence.

The steward looked embarrassed, seeing Cheng Bo's pale and ashen face. He wanted to say something but found it difficult to speak. Finally, under Cheng Bo's gaze, he said helplessly, "Young Master hasn't arrived yet."

Cheng Bo's face showed some displeasure. He glanced at the steward and said, "What kind of work is this? Even if you have to tie him up, you have to tie him up and take him in! How can it be proper for the young master of Winter Night Manor not to participate in such an important event!"

The steward lowered his head and hurriedly said, "I'll go find it right away, I'll go find it right away."

As they were talking, a dozen or so people rushed out of the crowd in a panic. Their faces were pale, and they were panting heavily. The leader, upon seeing Cheng Bo, knelt down with a thud as if he had found a lifeline, and cried out in a panic, "Master, it's terrible! Miss has been captured by bandits from Chen Family Village! Young Master has led a group of men to storm into Chen Family Village to rescue her!"

"What?!" Cheng Bo's expression changed drastically. He usually had so many skilled people around his son and daughter, how could those crude people have succeeded and kidnapped his beloved daughter?! If his daughter had been violated, this would be a disaster!

"Go! Follow me to Chen Family Village. If they dare to lay a finger on Fei'er, I will make them pay with their lives for nine generations!" Cheng Bo's eyes were bloodshot, his once serene face now contorted with rage! His fury was palpable.

"Master, something terrible has happened! The underground vault, the gate to the underground vault has also been opened!" Several more people rushed over in a panic. Cheng Bo's facial muscles were trembling uncontrollably. Who on earth was it that dared to attack from two places on such a day? This was truly outrageous!