Xiao Ruoling glanced downstairs, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.
She was extremely disgusted with Cheng Tianfeng.
Not only because Cheng Tianfeng was the Heir Apparent of Great Zhen and an opponent of Chu Zhiyuan, but also because of the greed in Cheng Tianfeng's eyes.
The greed in his eyes was too intense, making her feel uncomfortable as if he wanted to strip her bare. Moreover, she knew he was plotting to snatch her away.
That would be equivalent to ruining her.
If it weren't for the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Skill, she would have found it difficult to maintain a calm expression.
Huang Shirong said softly, "What a coincidence?"
Li Hongzhao chuckled, "It really is a coincidence today! First, we ran into you, Miss Huang, and now we've run into Cheng Tianfeng!"
Xiao Ruoling gently shook her head, "I'd better avoid him."
Although this Cheng Tianfeng had already promised Chu Zhiyuan not to provoke her, he was not to be trusted.
Chu Zhiyuan's precautions were proof enough.
Besides, just seeing him made her uncomfortable.
"What about you, Sister Huang?"
"I'll do the same as Miss Xiao."
Li Hongzhao nodded with a smile, "Very well, you can go to the next room to rest for a while. I'll meet this Cheng Tianfeng!"
She was about to get up to escort the two women over when she saw a figure flash by the window. Cheng Tianfeng had already squeezed in and appeared in the room.
Li Hongzhao's expression immediately darkened.
Luo Xiu wanted to fling him out the window with a wave of her sleeve, but she forcibly restrained herself.
Xiao Ruoling and Huang Shirong both frowned and glared at him.
Cheng Tianfeng was dressed in a green robe, looking refined and elegant, like a young scholar, not like a wealthy and imposing heir apparent.
"Forgive my impudence," he cupped his fist and smiled, his eyes shining brightly.
He forcibly shifted his burning gaze away from Xiao Ruoling's face, then swept over Huang Shirong, and finally landed on Li Hongzhao's face.
Li Hongzhao's stunningly beautiful face was tense, her phoenix eyes seemed to smile but not smile, making Cheng Tianfeng's heart flutter.
As expected of the number one beauty in Tianjing.
Her beauty and demeanor truly had the aura of overwhelming all others and standing alone.
Only Xiao Ruoling could stand beside her without being overshadowed and losing all her charm.
How could he miss such a stunning beauty?
A strong desire surged in his heart, and he couldn't wait to reach out and embrace her, cherishing her and never separating again.
Li Hongzhao ignored his greedy and infatuated gaze and chuckled, "Cheng Tianfeng, you've come uninvited!"
She had seen such gazes many times, but so what?
It was just wishful thinking, a pipe dream!
"— I have seen Your Highness." Cheng Tianfeng's eyes were burning, and a smile hung on his lips as he cupped his fist and said with a smile, "Ninth Princess, please forgive me. I was too anxious to see the princess. The people below were dawdling and didn't even report my arrival after a long time. So, I simply spared the princess the trouble of welcoming me and came up myself."
Li Hongzhao narrowed her phoenix eyes, "I didn't intend to go down and invite you up. I don't want to see you."
"Why doesn't Your Highness want to see me?" Cheng Tianfeng said with a smile.
"You know your reputation yourself." Li Hongzhao pointed to her own eyes and shook her head, "A lustful fiend, a demon obsessed with beauty."
Cheng Tianfeng immediately looked wronged, "Doesn't Your Highness know that rumors are often exaggerated? Although I appreciate beautiful faces, I am by no means someone who doesn't cherish women. I regard every woman as a treasure and cherish them extremely."
"That's because you treat them as your own possessions, so naturally you cherish them." Li Hongzhao sneered, "But you've used quite a few methods to forcibly snatch them away! — Forget it, how are your talks with Great Jing going? Are you really going to join forces to deal with our Great Meng?"
"That's right!" Cheng Tianfeng's face darkened.
He glanced at Xiao Ruoling and Huang Shirong and said indifferently, "Why isn't Chu Zhiyuan here?"
Great Jing was negotiating with his side, yet they were also flirting with Great Meng. What were they trying to do, playing both sides?
Was the alliance with Great Zhen fake, and the alliance with Great Meng real?
Was Great Jing going to ally with Great Meng, first deal with Great Zhen, and then divide Great Zhen?
Although this guess was too bizarre.
But there were too many things in the world that were beyond imagination, so one had to fully use their imagination and think a little more bizarrely.
The principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' was understood by everyone, but if Great Meng gave Great Jing enough guarantees, even enough benefits, to allow Great Jing to develop and be able to resist Great Zhen, what would happen?
If Great Jing could strengthen itself by annexing Great Zhen, so that it could contend with Great Meng, would Great Jing agree?
If it were Great Zhen, Great Zhen might not necessarily disagree.
After all, it was far better to strengthen oneself and be able to resist Great Meng than to ally with others to resist Great Meng.
Although Great Meng's move might be a malicious deception, one could use a counter-strategy and see who had the better means.
He had seen Chu Zhiyuan's guards from afar.
It just so happened that Xiao Ruoling had already entered the teahouse. He only saw Guo Chi and the other three, and didn't see Xiao Ruoling.
So, he assumed that Chu Zhiyuan was there.
What exactly were Chu Zhiyuan and Li Hongzhao doing meeting in secret?
No matter what they were doing, it was best to disrupt it.
But he didn't expect to see three women when he came up, like three twin lotus flowers, dazzling him.
Xiao Ruoling's presence made him shudder.
He had promised Chu Zhiyuan not to cause Xiao Ruoling any more trouble, and his martial aunt had also guaranteed that he could not break his oath.
The guarantee of a Grandmaster was naturally to be followed, otherwise there would be repercussions.
He forcibly swept his gaze past Xiao Ruoling, staring at Li Hongzhao, using Li Hongzhao's attraction to resist Xiao Ruoling's deadly charm.
Li Hongzhao was as beautiful as a flower, her red lips like fire, equally captivating and mesmerizing, making him unable to extricate himself.
"Chu Zhiyuan, huh—" Li Hongzhao said with a smile, "He's in seclusion, how can you see him?"
"I thought he had already come out of seclusion."
Li Hongzhao smiled sweetly, "I heard that you were badly taught a lesson by Cheng Tianfeng, how dare you still see him?"
Cheng Tianfeng's face immediately darkened, and he said indifferently, "I was inferior in skill, there's nothing to say."
"That's true." Li Hongzhao nodded, "Being inferior in skill, there's nothing to say, but it's amazing that you were able to recover so quickly. Just thinking about it makes me feel sorry for you!"
Cheng Tianfeng frowned, glaring at her with dissatisfaction. Others might fear Li Hongzhao, but he didn't. His martial aunt was nearby, ready to protect him at any time.
So what if she was a Grandmaster? Before a Great Grandmaster, she was just as helpless!
If she, a Grandmaster, dared to bully him, a Xiantian, then don't blame the Great Grandmaster for bullying her, a Grandmaster.
Li Hongzhao smiled, "Thinking back to how high-spirited you were, before coming to Great Jing, you felt that with your own abilities, you could completely crush the Heir Apparent generation of Great Jing, making them unable to raise their heads, right?"
"Your Highness's thoughts are too dark," Cheng Tianfeng said coldly, "We and Great Jing are only holding a martial competition between the Heirs Apparent."
"Whoever wins gets to marry the other's princess?" Li Hongzhao said with a smile.
Cheng Tianfeng said indifferently, "That's right."
"But you always felt that you could win, and win cleanly, with overwhelming force, didn't you?"
"As a result, you were crushed by Chu Zhiyuan, giggle giggle giggle—" Li Hongzhao laughed wantonly, her body trembling.
Cheng Tianfeng's face became even darker, staring at her intently.
"Oh, I hit the nail on the head, are you going to be ashamed and angry?" Li Hongzhao just wanted to take the opportunity to suppress him and teach him a good lesson.
She had wanted to teach him a lesson for a long time, but she just never had the chance.
Moreover, teaching him a lesson would also be conducive to the upcoming negotiations with Great Jing.
"Does Your Highness think I'm very weak?"
"Aren't you weak?"
"Then please, Your Highness, give me some pointers!" Cheng Tianfeng said coldly.
He slowly drew his sword from its sheath.
"Oh, aren't you brave?" Li Hongzhao chuckled, "You really want to fight me?"
"That's right!"
"Very well, it's too narrow here, let's go down!" Li Hongzhao jumped out of the window, floating down to the street.
At this time, the street had already been cleared by the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry.
Cheng Tianfeng let out a cold laugh. Just as he was about to jump out of the window, he suddenly turned to look at Xiao Ruoling and Huang Shirong, then leaped down.
Xiao Ruoling looked at Huang Shirong, "What does he mean by this?"
"Is he telling us not to get close?" Huang Shirong said.
Xiao Ruoling furrowed her delicate eyebrows and came to the window.
Li Hongzhao held a cold, gleaming longsword, pointing it at Cheng Tianfeng.
Cheng Tianfeng also held his sword, pointing it at Li Hongzhao.
The two stood in place, the Cloud-Treading Iron Cavalry and the Frost-Lace Iron Cavalry each occupied half a circle, blocking the onlookers from the outside.
