Chapter 1366: Mingyan Departs

In a mountain range several hundred miles outside Huanling City.

Inside an inconspicuous cave.

Wang Jianqiang was sitting cross-legged, waiting silently.

He had a premonition that Mingyan's status within the Mermaid Clan was likely very high, and once his relationship with Mingyan was exposed, it would likely be very troublesome.

Therefore, he chose this place as their meeting spot.

This place was rarely visited by people, and coupled with the Array he had set up in the surroundings, it was absolutely safe.

After he had waited silently for a while.

He frowned.

"Why haven't you arrived yet?"

His whispering voice had just fallen when his expression suddenly shifted; he looked toward the cave entrance, and a faint arc lifted at the corner of his mouth.

A moment later.

A figure landed at the cave entrance and walked in slowly.

The person who arrived was a young woman.

She had a tall figure and exquisite features; although she looked very young, her beautiful eyes revealed a sense of inexplicable maturity.

It gave people a strong sense of contrast.

"You arrived slower than I imagined."

Wang Jianqiang looked at Mingyan with a smile.

Mingyan's expression was cold, "I happened to have something to attend to, which delayed me for some time."

"Something to attend to? It wouldn't be that you are currently complaining about me to the Empress, would it?" Wang Jianqiang remained smiling, speaking lightly.

Hearing Wang Jianqiang's words, Mingyan's heart stirred.

She said calmly, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Still trying to deny it?"

Wang Jianqiang shook his head, "I have never met that old woman, the Mermaid Empress, yet that old woman has been targeting me for no reason."

"Among everyone I know, the only one who could be stirring things up in this is you."

Hearing Wang Jianqiang's words, Mingyan was so angry her pretty face turned bright red, "You—how can you speak of the Mermaid Empress like that?"

Seeing Mingyan's reaction, Wang Jianqiang laughed.

This was simply a confession without being pressed.

"You really do have a very deep relationship with the Mermaid Empress."

Wang Jianqiang was full of certainty, "Tell me, what is the relationship between you and the Mermaid Empress?"

Hearing Wang Jianqiang's words, Mingyan opened her mouth.

Just as the words were about to escape, the Soul Imprint in her mind suddenly erupted with an invisible force, shrouding her Soul, forcing her to swallow the words that had reached her lips, as she was about to speak the truth.

Regarding this, Mingyan was not panicked in the slightest.

In her Soul Sea, a crystal resembling a teardrop suddenly lit up with a faint glow.

This light instantly filled Mingyan's Soul Sea Space, helping to suppress the Beast Control Mark for a split second.

In that very instant, Mingyan took the opportunity to speak.

"Master and disciple."

Over these years, although she had not been able to successfully remove the Imprint in her mind.

She had, however, researched a method to briefly suppress the Imprint.

Such suppression only lasted for three breaths of time.

And it could not be done while the Imprint was being thoroughly triggered.

The Imprint in her mind would react with varying intensity depending on the degree of harm she posed to Tianyu.

For ordinary lies that posed no harm to Tianyu, the reaction was minimal, and the degree of triggering the Imprint's power was at its lowest; at such times, with the help of the Mermaid Tear, she could completely suppress the Imprint's power temporarily.

But if it were an action that would cause a life-threatening danger to Tianyu, it would be regarded as the highest restriction level, and once violated, the Imprint's power would be thoroughly triggered.

She could not suppress such a full-blown eruption of the Imprint's power, even with the help of the Mermaid Tear.

The current situation clearly would not cause the slightest life-threatening danger to Tianyu.

The degree of the Imprint's activation was very low, allowing her to successfully exploit the loophole.

Hearing Mingyan's response, Wang Jianqiang was stunned, then revealed a look of sudden realization.

So she was the Mermaid Empress's disciple.

No wonder when he first met this Mingyan, the other party had so many treasures hidden on her.

And no wonder the Mermaid Empress would be influenced by her, causing her attitude toward him to turn so poor for no reason.

After learning the "truth" of it all, Wang Jianqiang couldn't help but be so angry his teeth itched.

"Very well."

"Daring to sabotage your master behind their back."

"If I don't punish you properly, what will happen in the future?"

As he spoke, Wang Jianqiang waved his palm.

Dozens of chairs appeared.

Twenty days later.

Wang Jianqiang walked into Huanling City with his hands behind his back, looking proud.

Not long after he entered Huanling City.

A figure appeared above Huanling City.

She stood openly above the city gate, yet neither the guards stationed at the gate nor the Mermaid Clan Cultivators entering and exiting Huanling City.

Seemed to notice her in the slightest.

Mingyan watched the figure walk into Huanling City and merge into the crowd on the main street, gritting her teeth.

"Bastard, don't let me think of a way to remove that strange mark."

"Otherwise, I will definitely make you pay!"

She muttered fiercely.

Her figure flashed, and she flew toward her own mansion.

……

After Wang Jianqiang entered Huanling City.

He did not return to the Black Scale Lineage, but instead entered the Inner City District and headed straight for the Princess Mansion.

Upon learning of Wang Jianqiang's arrival, Lianyin summoned him to the Pavilion where she resided immediately.

When Wang Jianqiang arrived in a spacious hall, Lianyin was sitting on a chair waiting.

Seeing Lianyin, Wang Jianqiang walked to her side quite naturally and squeezed onto the same chair as her.

Lianyin was helpless and could only stand up, letting Wang Jianqiang sit down.

She was just about to sit to the side.

An arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, and she could only sit back down on Wang Jianqiang's lap.

Lianyin blushed and said to Wang Jianqiang, "What are you doing? I have serious business to discuss with you."

Wang Jianqiang smiled, "What business?"

Lianyin's expression gradually recovered, and she said solemnly, "I went to see the Imperial Lord earlier, and the Imperial Lord specifically mentioned you to me."

"Oh?"

Wang Jianqiang's expression shifted, then he smiled, "I guess it probably wasn't anything good."

Lianyin nodded, "The Imperial Lord knows I have frequent contact with you and specifically warned me not to get too close to you, telling me to keep my distance."

Hearing Lianyin's words, Wang Jianqiang frowned.

He sneered in his heart.

No need to guess.

It must be Mingyan's idea.

That woman really made quite a few arrangements behind his back without his knowledge.

She really is restless.

Looking at it this way, his previous punishment was a bit too light.

Thinking of this.

His palm couldn't help but clench.

"Brother Qiang."

Just then, Lianyin's voice suddenly came to his ears.

Wang Jianqiang was startled, and noticing Lianyin's teary-eyed gaze, a flash of embarrassment crossed his face.

"Ahem, my mood fluctuated a bit just now, I didn't mean it."

Lianyin shook her head, "Brother Qiang, don't take this matter too seriously; the Imperial Lord is busy with a thousand tasks every day and doesn't have much time to watch us personally."

"In the future, we just need to avoid the eyes of others slightly when we interact."

Wang Jianqiang nodded.

Just then, Lianyin suddenly spoke again, "By the way, just two days ago, Fairy Bi left the Mermaid Clan and asked me to bid you farewell on her behalf."

"Oh?"

Wang Jianqiang's expression shifted, "Why did she leave so hurriedly? Did something happen?"