C118 Ninth Princess of the White Tiger Empire

The knight commander fixed his gaze on Ning Qi. "You didn't notice our caravan passing by?"

Ning Qi, clearly bewildered, replied, "I was asleep just now. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"Asleep?" The knight commander scoffed. "No one is permitted to fly over the Ninth Princess's procession in the White Tiger Empire, not even in slumber!"

"So it is the royal family's procession," Qiu Wanli mused with an inward sigh before addressing the group, "Gentlemen, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I am an elder of the Blood Kill Sect, currently on a mission."

The knight commander's voice was icy as he declared, "You've insulted the Ninth Princess, an unforgivable offense. By the laws of the White Tiger Empire, you are to be imprisoned in the Sky Dungeon for a decade." Without allowing Ning Qi a chance to defend himself, the commander knocked both Ning Qi and the Purple Lightning Bird unconscious. Qiu Wanli opened his mouth to protest but was struck from behind and succumbed to darkness.

At that moment, a young girl with alabaster skin, about thirteen or fourteen years of age, emerged from the most opulent carriage. She appeared sharp-witted, cradling a tiny monkey in her arms—a young Demonic Beast.

A strikingly aloof maid accompanied her.

"Ninth Princess, please return to your carriage. They're merely petty thieves," urged the knight commander, bowing respectfully.

The Ninth Princess chuckled. "I was curious to see who would be so audacious as to cross me."

Approaching Ning Qi, she nudged his head with the tip of her shoe and expressed her disappointment, "He's merely a Peak Grand Battle Master? I was expecting someone formidable, perhaps an assassin."

Her gaze shifted to Qiu Wanli, and her interest waned. It wasn't until she noticed Purple that she approached with astonishment, "Is this a fully-grown Purple Lightning Bird?"

"Indeed, it is," confirmed the knight commander.

The Ninth Princess glanced at Ning Qi, her curiosity piqued. "Is this his demonic pet? Despite his seemingly modest strength, he possesses a fully-grown Purple Lightning Bird as a pet. His origins must be extraordinary."

The knight commander offered a slight smile. "Ninth Princess, in comparison to you, he's inconsequential."

His eyes then fell on the small monkey nestled in the Ninth Princess's arms. Unassuming in appearance, it was, in fact, the offspring of a Seventh Rank Demonic Beast, the 'Tyrant Sky Ape'. Once it reached maturity, its power would rival that of a Peak Battle Ancestor!

"Of course. My Little Grey makes the Purple Lightning Bird look like a mere trifle."

Ninth Princess beamed with pride.

The little monkey cradled in her arms appeared to grasp human speech, casting a contemptuous glance at the Purple Lightning Bird before affectionately wrapping its arms around Ninth Princess's neck and letting out a chirp.

Upon awakening, Ning Qi discovered his limbs were bound by shackles forged from an unidentifiable metal. Qiu Wanli was similarly restrained. They were shackled in tandem, one leading the other.

Purple, upon noticing Ning Qi's return to consciousness, let out a desperate cry for help.

Its own legs were shackled, with Ninth Princess perched on its back. A carefree grey monkey sat atop its head, occasionally plucking its feathers in a teasing manner.

Owing to the knight leader's presence, it had been compelled to suppress its Purple Lightning Battle Power, leaving it looking rather disheartened.

"That monkey is actually a Seventh Rank Demonic Beast, a juvenile Tyrant Sky Ape!" Ning Qi gasped in astonishment at the sight of the grey monkey. Glaring at the shackles on his limbs, he demanded furiously, "What is the meaning of this? Why have you shackled me?"

Qiu Wanli, realizing that arguing was futile, chose to remain silent. Observing Ning Qi challenge their captors, a glint of cold amusement flashed in his eyes.

Ninth Princess scolded Ning Qi sharply, "You disrupted my caravan; of course you should be shackled! Are you an assassin sent by some insurgent? Speak another word of nonsense, and I'll sever your tongue!"

Ning Qi retorted with fury, "I am the esteemed Alchemist Grandmaster of the Hundred Herb Hall, the Dragon Slaying Marquis of the Qintang Empire. How could I possibly be an assassin? However, this man!" He pointed at Qiu Wanli and declared, "He is an assassin from the Blood Kill Sect, who pursued me with murderous intent after I left Jing City. You ought to execute him immediately!"

Qiu Wanli's expression darkened, his gaze towards Ning Qi brimming with lethal intent.

An Alchemist Grandmaster from the Hundred Herb Hall? A Dragon Slaying Marquis from the Qintang Empire?

The leader's demeanor shifted subtly.

Ninth Princess eyed Ning Qi with skepticism and said, "You claim to be an Alchemist Grandmaster? You don't look much older than me. Be aware that deceiving me will lead to dire consequences!"

Ning Qi swiftly produced the token from the Hundred Herb Hall.

The knight commander inspected it closely, then murmured to the Ninth Princess, "This token is authentic, but it doesn't verify his status as an Alchemist Grandmaster."

The Ninth Princess huffed, "You claim to be the Dragon Slaying Marquis from the Qintang Empire, but where's your proof?"

Ning Qi replied confidently, "Your Highness, anyone you send to the Qintang Empire will know of me. I'm no stranger there."

The Ninth Princess turned to the knight commander, "Deng San, isn't the Qintang Empire a vassal state under the Hundred Herb Sect? And isn't their strongest warrior merely a Battle Emperor?"

The knight commander nodded, "Indeed, the most powerful in the Qintang Empire is their Emperor, Qin Zheng, a Six Star Battle Emperor. He even visited our White Tiger Empire over a decade ago to pay respects to our Emperor."

"A mere Lord Marquis from such a minor nation is less significant than a servant in my household," the Ninth Princess scoffed with contempt.

Deng San's lips twitched slightly as he whispered, "His title may be inconsequential, but if he truly is an Alchemist Grandmaster, that would be valuable. Remember the challenge posed by the Third Princess?"

"Yes, I do," the Ninth Princess's eyes sparkled with realization before she addressed Ning Qi, "Prove your Alchemist Grandmaster credentials, and I'll remove your shackles."

Internally, Ning Qi cursed, but he maintained a stoic facade. A glance at the Tyrant Sky Ape gave him an idea.

"It's quite simple to prove myself," Ning Qi declared. "I excel at crafting Yellow Rank Medium-grade Spirit Nourishing Pills. Provide me with spiritual grass, and I'll demonstrate."

The Ninth Princess bristled with rage, "You think you can deceive me? Even a Master Alchemist can produce the Spiritual Nourishment Pill!"

Deng San stepped forward, eyeing Ning Qi with a frosty gaze, "Are you mocking us?"

With a smirk, Ning Qi retorted, "Tell me, how many Spiritual Nourishment Pills can a Master Alchemist produce in a day? And what's their success rate?"

Caught off guard by the question, the Ninth Princess looked to Deng San for an answer. After a moment's thought, Deng San replied, "A Master Alchemist might manage ten Spiritual Nourishment Pills a day, with a success rate of about 10%."

Ning Qi burst into laughter and boasted, "I can craft over 200 Yellow Rank Medium-grade Spirit Nourishing Pills in a single day, with a success rate of 100%! Tell me, doesn't that make me an Alchemist Grandmaster?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Wanli couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh. He countered, "Your Highness, he's pulling the wool over your eyes. I've witnessed his pill-making firsthand, and he barely manages a few dozen pills a day!"

Though Qiu Wanli hadn't directly observed the showdown between Ning Qi and Duan Linshu, the Blood Kill Sect's efficient intelligence network had relayed the details to him by the following day. Naturally, Qiu Wanli had access to all that information.

Muttering to himself, Deng San remarked, "Producing dozens of Spirit Nourishing Pills a day? That seems to already exceed the level of a Master Alchemist."