C119 Unlucky Qiu Wanli

Qiu Wanli's smile seized up. Indeed, he had inadvertently vouched for Ning Qi.

The Ninth Princess huffed, "I'm well-stocked with spiritual grass for alchemy, particularly the Spiritual Nourishment Pills. There are about 300 portions in my spatial ring. Show me now."

With a flick of her delicate hand, over 300 sets of Spiritual Nourishment Pills and spiritual grass materialized before Ning Qi.

"A Spatial Battle Weapon! Truly befitting of the White Tiger Empire!"

A flicker of greed passed through Qiu Wanli's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and bowed his head. Being caught coveting by a Battle Emperor would spell trouble.

Ning Qi rattled the chains on his limbs. "Given these circumstances, how am I to proceed with the refinement?"

The Ninth Princess nodded subtly at Deng San, who promptly unlocked Ning Qi's shackles. Stretching his limbs, Ning Qi shot a reassuring glance at Purple, who was gazing at him with forlorn eyes. He then set to work, refining the Spiritual Nourishment Pills right there and then.

The emergence of the Dragon Devourer Hellfire made the Ninth Princess, Deng San, and the others start to believe in Ning Qi's claimed identity.

Qiu Wanli watched Ning Qi with bated breath, silently chanting, "Fail, fail, fail!"

Alas, his silent pleas were in vain. Ning Qi produced one Yellow Rank Medium-grade Spirit Nourishing Pill after another, his alchemy skills fluid and practiced. Even to the untrained eyes of Deng San and the others, Ning Qi's talent was undeniable.

Half an hour later, ten Yellow Rank Medium-grade Spirit Nourishing Pills lay completed. The young Tyrant Sky Ape let out a cry and leaped to Ning Qi with the swiftness of a thunderclap, snatching up the pills and gobbling them down before letting out a contented burp. It then clambered onto the Ninth Princess, wrapping its arms around her neck, and pointed at Ning Qi, chattering excitedly.

A smile of satisfaction spread across the Ninth Princess's face as she turned to Ning Qi, "Little Grey is quite impressed with the quality of your Spiritual Nourishment Pills. It seems you've told the truth."

Rising to his feet, Ning Qi addressed her, "Your Highness, now that my status as an Alchemist Grandmaster has been confirmed, it's clear I'm no assassin. May I have your permission to leave? I have urgent matters to attend to."

Ninth Princess watched Ning Qi with a bemused smile and declined, "While you've proven your status as an Alchemist Grandmaster, that doesn't rule out the possibility of you being an assassin. And since you've collided with my convoy, you'll need to accompany me back to the Imperial Capital. However, I will return your demonic pet to you. You may ride it as you follow us."

At the right moment, Deng San employed his Qi to secure Ning Qi. Sensing this, Ning Qi inwardly let out a wry chuckle. He nodded, "In that case, I hope you'll dispatch someone to the Qintang Empire to confirm my identity without delay."

Clearly, she valued his credentials as an Alchemist Grandmaster and was reluctant to let him go. Ning Qi realized he had no choice but to bide his time for an escape.

The current circumstances were at least an improvement from being in shackles and reduced to a prisoner. Reflecting on this, he glanced at Qiu Wanli with a trace of malicious glee. The sight of a once-mighty Peak Battle King trudging in chains was a profound humiliation.

Deng San removed the shackles from Purple's legs, and Ninth Princess returned Little Grey to the carriage. Purple chirped joyously, finally free. Ning Qi swung onto its back, stroking its neck soothingly. He then turned to Deng San, "What should I call you?"

"Just Deng San will do," Deng San replied with a smile.

"I'm Ning Qi. I'll address you as Brother Deng, if that's alright," Ning Qi said with a grin.

Brother Deng? He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Master Ning, whatever you prefer."

Ning Qi glanced sideways at Qiu Wanli and suggested, "Brother Deng, this man is vicious and dangerous. Wouldn't it be simpler to execute him here and now?"

Qiu Wanli shot Ning Qi a furious look.

Deng San merely smiled and shook his head. "He may have rammed the princess's carriage, but his actions don't warrant a death sentence. Ten years' imprisonment will suffice."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Wanli's anxiety subsided somewhat; his life was spared for the moment. Yet, he couldn't bear the thought of confinement. His mind raced, desperate for an escape plan.

Realizing his ploy had failed, Ning Qi fell silent. He rode Purple, keeping pace with Deng San. Shortly after, Ninth Princess's voice echoed once more.

"Little Grey's hungry, and since we're still days away from the capital, go ahead and refine all these Spiritual Nourishment Pills."

Ning Qi inwardly grumbled about the Ninth Princess's haughty demeanor but didn't dare refuse her outright. Refining the Spiritual Nourishment Pills was a breeze for him, so he set to work atop Purple.

Initially, Little Grey stayed put in the carriage. Once Ning Qi had crafted ten pills, Deng San's men delivered them to the carriage, where a frosty maid of the Ninth Princess fed them to Little Grey. Eventually, Little Grey seemed to find this arrangement too cumbersome and bolted from the carriage to stay by Ning Qi's side. It watched eagerly as Ning Qi refined the pills, and as soon as one was ready, Little Grey gulped it down without fear of the heat, each pill consumed bringing a contented smile to its face.

Purple had a sweet tooth too, but Ning Qi didn't want the Ninth Princess or Little Grey to catch on to his stash of Spiritual Nourishment Pills, lest he be plundered. So, he asked Purple to hold off for now.

Days flew by in a flash.

Ning Qi had grown quite chummy with Deng San, Little Grey, and Deng San's retinue of Peak Battle King subordinates. As an Alchemist Grandmaster, Ning Qi found Deng San's men eager to mingle, and before long, he was calling them brothers.

The traffic on the imperial road thickened. Passersby would halt and bow at the sight of the Ninth Princess's entourage, not daring to proceed until the caravan was a good 300 meters away. This reverence was consistent throughout their journey, leaving Ning Qi in awe of the White Tiger Empire's royal influence, which dwarfed that of the Qintang Empire.

Upon entering the city gates, the soldiers, led by a general, knelt in unison before the Ninth Princess. In that moment, her usual petulance was nowhere to be seen. With a dignified wave and a smile, she said, "Rise, everyone. There's no need for such formalities."

After she spoke, she turned and stepped into the carriage.

Deng San gave a nod to the general and proceeded to lead the convoy toward the Ninth Princess Mansion.

"She's incredibly skilled at disguise," Ning Qi mused to himself.

Purple, attuned to his thoughts, subtly nodded in agreement.

Determination flickered in Qiu Wanli's eyes. "It seems I have no choice but to resort to that secret technique. Otherwise, once I'm locked away in the dungeons of the White Tiger Empire, there will be no chance of escape!"

"Who is that fellow standing next to Deng San? He seems like a stranger to me."

From a distance, within an opulent carriage, the curtains parted slightly, revealing a pair of eyes observing the Ninth Princess's entourage. Those eyes lingered on Ning Qi for a moment.

Outside the carriage, a knight clad similarly to Deng San glanced at Ning Qi and murmured, "This man has never been seen in the imperial city. Perhaps he's a relative the Ninth Princess has brought from her grandfather's home."

"Sky Region Sect? Now that the Ninth Sister is back, summon Sima Ci. Let's pay a visit to her residence."

"At once, Third Princess!"