“By the way, Little White, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Huilian sighed. “That girl Viki disappeared from the confinement room last night.”
“Disappeared?”
“That’s right.” Huilian asked, “You were in the palace last night too. Did you see where she went?”
Of course I know. That coward was hiding under the bed with my Slime pet, eavesdropping the entire night.
Bai Yue Ling kept her face expressionless. “No idea.”
“Yeah, the palace is huge. What are the odds you two would run into each other?”
Huilian let out a helpless sigh.
“I had hoped to give Viki a chance to atone and reform in the future, but I didn’t expect her to be so restless… Oh, my foolish little sister.”
Bai Yue Ling asked, “Do you know how she escaped?”
“There’s an accomplice in the palace, but with such a large place, investigating everyone is a hassle. Whatever, as long as she doesn’t cause trouble again, I’ll let her be.”
Huilian’s voice suddenly dropped, carrying an inexplicable sense of pressure.
“But if she dares to stir up trouble with others again… I’ll show her just how formidable her big sister can be.”
“Ehehe…” Bai Yue Ling gave an awkward laugh.
Though Huilian’s class was Peace Sage and she was generally gentle and kind, that didn’t mean she couldn’t get angry.
Sometimes, achieving “peace” did require a touch of force.
“Oh, right. The Church of Nature sent word that they’ve pinpointed the approximate location of the Black-Clad Figures’ base.”
Huilian pulled out a folded piece of paper and gently placed it in Bai Yue Ling’s palm.
“I marked it on the map. Take a look.”
Bai Yue Ling took the paper and sniffed it lightly. No milky scent.
Huilian’s such a good girl, always keeping things properly in her pockets, unlike some big sisters who stash stuff in weird places.
Unfolding the paper, Bai Yue Ling saw a map of the Rose Kingdom, with a conspicuous red circle drawn in the western region.
“This place is called Songyuan City, located at the border of our Rose Kingdom, adjacent to the Iris Theocracy to the west. The residents are mostly Beastmen, with some Humans, and the culture is quite rough and bold.”
“The lord of Songyuan City is a countess named Gusi, a low-profile and kind person with no major flaws except her love for indulgence. Her policies are extremely conservative, practically screaming ‘eat and wait for death.’ People generally see her as an unambitious lord.”
Listening to Huilian’s explanation, Bai Yue Ling pointed to a mountain range where the kingdom bordered the theocracy.
“What’s this mountain range called?”
“That’s the Coiling Dragon Mountains, named for the frequent dragon sightings a thousand years ago. But after the God War, dragons became extremely rare, and those in the Coiling Dragon Mountains vanished entirely.”
Huilian, clearly in her element, continued enthusiastically, “Though it borders the Iris Theocracy, the Coiling Dragon Mountains are treacherous and easy to defend but hard to attack. They’re filled with all sorts of dangerous monsters. If the theocracy tried to invade us from there, it’d be harder than climbing to the heavens.”
“Got it. Basically, it’s like the ‘Shu Path’—super tough to navigate,” Bai Yue Ling said, tapping the Coiling Dragon Mountains with her finger and smiling.
“Your Highness, what if I told you there’s a Dragon Graveyard hidden in these mountains? Would you believe me?”
“Dragon Graveyard?” Huilian’s brows furrowed. “We’ve never heard such a thing.”
“Of course not. It won’t surface for another half month. It’s still buried under the mountains.”
“How do you know so much?”
“Because Sistana is my mommy.”
Bai Yue Ling recalled that the Coiling Dragon Mountains were the location of the future Brutal-tier dungeon, the Dragon Graveyard.
It was also the place she had told Crimson, the Juvenile Red Dragon, about in the group chat to obtain Dragon Blood.
Calculating the timeline, that Red Dragon should be close to Level 20 by now and might already be heading toward the Coiling Dragon Mountains.
“In short, the Church of Nature investigated and found that the Black-Clad Figures are likely operating from this area.” Huilian folded the map, smiling. “Lady Sistana plans to head there herself in a few days. She won’t rest until those Black-Clad Figures are completely eradicated.”
Though Sistana usually appeared gentle and gracious, she harbored a simmering anger deep inside, just waiting for an outlet.
If she actually encountered the Black-Clad Figures, she’d undoubtedly use the most brutal methods to torment them to death.
Bai Yue Ling and Huilian stepped outside. The courtyard was nearly complete, and the mages were now gathered in the center, starting work on the teleportation array.
“This teleportation array can transport up to five people at a time and should be ready by this afternoon.” Huilian patted Bai Yue Ling’s shoulder and turned to leave. “Little White, it’s getting late. I need to head back to the palace. I’ve got a ton of things to deal with.”
Bai Yue Ling waved. “Bye-bye~”
Huilian was arguably the busiest person in the kingdom.
With the bedridden Queen delegating nearly all affairs to her, she had countless documents awaiting her approval daily. In a way, she was practically a queen herself.
Bai Yue Ling stepped out of the courtyard with her snowy thighs, her big eyes scanning the surroundings.
She noticed the courtyard was just a short path away from the Royal Palace, practically adjacent.
In her past life’s terms, this was like owning property within Beijing’s Second Ring Road.
“What kind of person could afford a courtyard around here? Either a mega-rich heiress or someone with royal connections.”
Curious, Bai Yue Ling wandered to the neighboring courtyard to check out her new neighbors.
The gate to the next courtyard was open, revealing a blonde girl standing inside.
Bai Yue Ling stared for a moment, realizing the girl looked somewhat familiar.
“Prin… Princess?!”
The girl turned at the sound, her elegant black-and-gold evening gown made of Slime material, holding a rosewood folding fan worth 500,000 gold coins.
Who else could it be but the ultimate heiress, Princess?
“Little White~ What are you doing here?” Princess waved her fan.
Bai Yue Ling walked in, eyeing her suspiciously. “That’s my line. What are you doing here?”
“Me?” Princess patted Bai Yue Ling’s head, smiling. “This is my home.”
“Your… home?!” Bai Yue Ling’s cherry lips parted in shock. “But this courtyard…”
“It’s just a small goal’s worth of gold coins~” Princess raised a finger. “Way cheaper than in real life.”
“I… You… Ugh, fine…”
Bai Yue Ling was speechless, once again reminded that she and Princess were from entirely different worlds.
To a rich heiress of her caliber, money was just a number.
“So, we’re neighbors now, you useless big sister who’s only good for having money.”
“Neighbors? Little White, you bought the courtyard next door?”
“Didn’t buy it. Her Majesty the Queen gave it to me.”
As they spoke, Bai Yue Ling’s gaze instinctively drifted down Princess’s graceful curves.
She was still wearing her black-and-gold Slime-material evening gown, her slim waist giving way to fuller curves below, her glossy black pantyhose tightly hugging her snowy thighs, faintly revealing a hint of pink flesh beneath.
Black pantyhose… I’ve never seen those before. Did she buy new gear?
Noticing Bai Yue Ling’s stare, Princess extended a slender, elegant leg, deliberately lifting the slit of her skirt to show off the delicate, sheer texture of the black stockings.
“These are new stockings I bought at the auction house yesterday, called Black Silk Stockings.” Princess squinted with a smile. “I think they cost me about a million gold coins?”
“Black… Black Silk Stockings?!” Bai Yue Ling was stunned. “That’s one of my job advancement materials!”
After searching high and low, she never expected to find one of her job advancement materials literally worn on Princess’s legs.
“Job advancement material?” Princess fanned herself thoughtfully. “So, Little White, you really want these stockings, huh?”
Bai Yue Ling nodded eagerly without hesitation. “Mm, mm!”
Princess pondered for a moment, then gestured with a smile for Bai Yue Ling to come inside to talk.
Once inside, Princess deftly locked the door.
She sat down facing Bai Yue Ling, her round, perky hips clad in black silk settling lightly on the chair.
With feminine grace, she crossed her legs, closing her fan and sliding its tip along the Black Silk Stockings from bottom to top, slowly tracing the elegant curve of her leg.
“If you want them… come and take them yourself~”