Chapter 997 - 82: The Birthday Banquet Begins, Entering the Palace (19 Updates)

Chapter 997: Chapter 82: The Birthday Banquet Begins, Entering the Palace (19 Updates)

"Would you like to drink?" Mu Qingge casually handed the wine pouch she was holding over to Chu Nian.

As her hand stretched out, she realized that this might not be appropriate. However, it was too late to retract now, so she could only wait for Chu Nian to refuse.

But, just as she thought Chu Nian would refuse, Chu Nian came to her senses and reached out to take the wine pouch she offered, not minding that she had just drunk from it. Like Mu Qingge before her, Chu Nian raised the pouch to her slightly open lips and took a full sip.

Swallowing the strong liquor, the intense spiciness made her frown slightly, as her flawless skin quickly tinged with a thin layer of blush.

"Such fragrant wine, and so spicy," Chu Nian said as she handed the wine pouch back to Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge took it, appearing dazed.

Then, Chu Nian flipped her palm, revealing a delicate little wine flask. She raised her hand, holding the flask in a toast to Mu Qingge, and with a smile said, "I’ll stick to my fruit wine."

Mu Qingge chuckled, teasing, "I didn’t know Princess Chu Nian was a lover of wine."

Chu Nian replied, "Wine is a fine brew, a gift from heaven. Naturally, I like it. But I can’t handle your heart-burning, lung-scorching strong liquor. Something smooth, with a light drunk feeling, like fruit wine, suits me better."

"It’s rare to have a drinking companion, under the beautiful scenery today, let’s indulge ourselves in a feast," Mu Qingge laughed as she waved her hand, and a row of wine jars appeared between her and Chu Nian.

Seeing these wine jars, a glimmer sparked in Chu Nian’s eyes. She also waved her hand, and another row of small wine jars appeared beside Mu Qingge’s large ones.

She smiled and said, "I can’t handle your strong liquor. I’ll accompany you with this fruit wine."

"Both are fine," Mu Qingge nodded, not insisting.

After all, her liquor was indeed very strong, and most people couldn’t handle it.

She was simply accustomed to this spicy taste, enjoying the feeling that lit her blood afire as she drank.

The fact that Princess Chu Nian turned out to be a wine enthusiast surprised Mu Qingge greatly.

Perhaps it was due to shared interests that the two chatted leisurely while drinking, closing the distance between them considerably.

Especially Chu Nian, whose impression of Mu Qingge had improved much compared to the first day.

Over the past five thousand years, she had met countless young talents and celestial prodigies.

But regardless of who they were, inevitably some would reveal a hint of superiority in the face of universal adoration. However, Mu Qingge did not—it’s not that she lacked pride, but hers was different.

Mu Qingge’s pride wasn’t the high, disdainful kind, nor the arrogance born from talent.

It was an inherent, intrinsic arrogance, a rebellious spirit not yielding to heaven and earth. She refused to accept circumstances, and the breath she fought for had already transcended their current environment.

Yes, that’s the feeling Mu Qingge gave her.

Chu Nian sipped fruit wine, pondering why she felt Mu Qingge differed from others. Perhaps it was because Mu Qingge possessed the freedom many longed for but lacked.

So the two leisurely sat amidst tall grass, and as the wine jars emptied, Wuhua City’s evening glow arrived.

Enveloped in the twilight, Mu Qingge’s slightly drunken eyes gradually widened as she stared in astonishment at the scene before her.

She finally understood why Chu Nian said Wuhua Palace’s most beautiful scenery was the setting sun’s glow.

Without realizing it, she stood up, slightly parted lips gazing at the beauty before her.

Chu Nian also set aside her wine flask and stood up to join her.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" she asked.

Mu Qingge nodded sincerely, "Beautiful."

Amidst the Wuhua Domain at dusk, it shimmered with radiant paths of seven-colored rainbows, connecting the pavilions and towers in a fantastical sense.

Even at this transitional moment between day and night, stars in the sky began to shine ahead of time.

Mu Qingge tilted her head back, her gaze shifting from Wuhua Palace to the sky above. For the first time, she saw such dazzling stars like diamonds during the day.

Also, for the first time, she could clearly see the arrangement of these stars.

It seemed that if she reached out, she could easily grasp them.

The sunset glow of the Wuhua Domain lasted for two hours.

Only when the glow faded, did Mu Qingge and Chu Nian begin their return journey. Chu Nian walked Mu Qingge to the outer chamber where Mu Qingge resided, and Mu Qingge said to her, "Today, you drank quite a bit. Tomorrow is the Wuhua God Emperor’s birthday, so you might be busy. You should rest early."

"Alright, you should rest early too. Tomorrow, I’ll come over and take you to the Divine Emperor Palace," Chu Nian said as someone emerged from the outer chamber behind them.

The silver hair and blood-red eyes were unmistakable.

Chu Nian glanced up at Yin Chen, nodded slightly, and turned away.

After she left, Mu Qingge activated her divine power across her body, dissipating all traces of alcohol within her.

She looked at Yin Chen and asked, "How is it?"

Yin Chen nodded imperceptibly and said to her, "Let’s go inside and talk."

Mu Qingge nodded and returned to the side hall with Yin Chen.

"I used an illusion technique to create an illusion realm in the hall, making the two servants inside always think I’m there, without moving. Earlier, Princess Chu Nian saw me walk out of the hall with her own eyes, so even if something happens later, she won’t suspect us," Yin Chen said to Mu Qingge.

"Mm." Mu Qingge nodded slightly, her clear eyes already restored to clarity.

The two entered the room in the hall, Mu Qingge waved her hand to set up a forbidden technique to prevent eavesdropping, and Yin Chen also laid down a layer of illusion smoke. Anyone passing by would be confused by the illusion smoke, seeing the scene of Mu Qingge meditating in the room, unable to see him at all.

Yin Chen took out a map and laid it in front of Mu Qingge.

"This is the result of my investigation after entering the Divine Emperor Palace," Yin Chen said.

Mu Qingge’s gaze fell on the map. It depicted the layout of the Divine Emperor Palace simply and the guard rotation times.

"The Divine Emperor Palace is large, but there is nothing suspicious at the front. I bypassed to the back and, after sneaking deep inside, discovered the Nine Curves Maze," he said.

With that, he closed his eyes, touched his fingertip to his forehead, and the images in his mind materialized before Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge focused intently, through Yin Chen’s memory, she saw the Nine Curves Maze within the Divine Emperor Palace.

"This Nine Curves Maze is filled with forbidden techniques and traps everywhere," Mu Qingge commented.

Yin Chen nodded, retrieving his memory. He couldn’t extend his memory projection for too long, and Mu Qingge, with her photographic memory, could remember at a glance, so he naturally needed to retract it.

"I couldn’t enter the Nine Curves Maze, so I don’t know how dangerous Little Leaf Pavilion truly is. However, I observed from the shadows for a long time and found that in addition to the traps and forbidden techniques, the maze is guarded by Spirit Cave Realm Second Layer disciples taking turns. They each only guard specific spots and cannot move freely. So these guards likely don’t know the maze’s secrets either. When it’s shift change time, someone enters through a temporary channel for exchange. It’s said these rotating guards typically change every six months, and this batch has only been on duty for less than a month, so if we want to use the guard rotation time to enter, it’s probably impossible," Yin Chen explained all his discoveries to Mu Qingge.

This infiltration didn’t lead to Little Leaf Pavilion, which left him a bit dissatisfied.

Nevertheless, these pieces of information gave Mu Qingge some confidence in her heart.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and slowly said, "I’m not worried about the forbidden techniques. In reality, the tight security provided me with a clue."

"What?" Yin Chen asked.

Mu Qingge revealed a smile, playfully saying, "There must be secrets in Little Leaf Pavilion. Otherwise, why expend so much effort guarding it?"

"Could it be the Divine Strategy Lower Volume?" Yin Chen said excitedly.

Mu Qingge calmly shook her head, "Whether it is or isn’t, we have to go and see for ourselves to know."

"Then..." Yin Chen furrowed his brow slightly.

Mu Qingge turned her gaze toward him and instructed, "Tomorrow is Wuhua God Emperor’s birthday banquet. When the crowd is bustling, and Wuhua God Emperor is busy entertaining guests, that’s his most relaxed time. After midnight, I will leave early. You then set up an illusion realm here, making people think I stayed here the whole time, while I sneak into Little Leaf Pavilion for investigation." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"What about Wuhua God Emperor?" Yin Chen asked.

Mu Qingge took a deep breath, "If Little Leaf Pavilion does not yield the whereabouts of Divine Strategy Lower Volume, I have a way to explore whether it’s with Wuhua God Emperor. Don’t worry."

"Alright." Seeing Mu Qingge so well-prepared, Yin Chen asked no further questions.

...

The night passed without a word, and the next morning, people coming to celebrate Wuhua God Emperor’s birthday started ascending the mountain one after another.

Mu Tianyin mingled among the crowd with Mu Lin and Mu Shan, moving low-key.

The remaining two were in the shadows ready to assist, just in case.

Thinking of the opportunity to meet Princess Chu Nian again after entering Wuhua Palace, Mu Tianyin’s mood lifted a bit. For a brief moment, he nearly forgot the purpose of his elaborate journey to Wuhua Palace.

At the entrance of Wuhua Palace, people lined up in a long queue, started taking out invitations, and their identity verifications for checks.

Mu Lin and Mu Shan stood behind Mu Tianyin, vigilantly in secret.

The queue was very long, indicating the grand scale of Wuhua God Emperor’s birthday banquet.

Finally, it was the turn of Mu Tianyin’s trio, they presented their prepared invitations and borrowed identity verifications, after checking by Wuhua Palace guards, successfully passed with no danger, standing inside Wuhua Palace.

"Everyone, now I will lead you into the Divine Emperor Palace. However, I must remind you that the Divine Emperor Palace is a place of great dignity; after entering, please make sure to restrain yourselves, avoid roaming around freely or committing any taboos," Lu Ye said coldly to the crowd from a high place.

His tone was not exactly cold, but it gave a sense of being above all.

This made Mu Tianyin in the crowd quite displeased, as well as dissatisfied with having to queue as lowly as everyone else to get up.

He bore the strongest bloodline of the Divine Clan, was supposed to be a crown among crowns, yet now so humble!

Mu Tianyin’s eyes grew cold...