A Prince’s Acquaintance and a Lecher’s Misfortune

“I am an adventurer hailing from Lucybian, and these two are my trusted companions. We heard word of adventurers being recruited here, and thus came to try our fortunes,” Luo Shang explained with a polite bow.

Thus, after paying ten amethyst coins, Luo Shang and his two companions successfully joined the Royal Knights of the Heron Empire. To their surprise, the commander turned out to be His Highness, Morfitos, the Third Prince of the Heron Empire!

Morfitos, despite being the Third Prince of the Heron Empire, harbored no desire for power. From a young age, he had been utterly obsessed with martial arts. It was unexpected that such a martial fanatic would take an interest in the four-headed Chiramay.

Su Han found herself rather fond of individuals like him. After all, someone wholeheartedly devoted to the martial path typically steered clear of power struggles and harbored less cunning.

However, she couldn’t be entirely certain. Who knew if he harbored other motives? Perhaps he merely pretended disinterest in power to lull his brothers into a false sense of security, all while harboring immense ambition, plotting to devour his siblings whole and seize the throne—or even commit regicide to ascend.

“Your Highness, Third Prince, we have gathered seven hundred people. We are ready to depart!” a trusted aide beside Morfitos reported.

“Good. By my command, we depart! Our destination: Moon-Gazing Pool!” Morfitos proclaimed.

His long black hair was casually tied back, and a longsword, his constant companion, rested on his back. Were it not for the soft white, gold-threaded armor he wore and the conspicuously entwined griffon magic emblems on his chest, he might have been mistaken for a common, seasoned adventurer.

A formidable contingent of over seven hundred people marched grandly into the Darkmoon Forest, observed by all. Though the Mercenary Guild had initially intended for the Royal Knights to scout ahead, they were unwilling to be outdone and followed closely behind.

Once these two major forces set off, various smaller, scattered factions also joined the fray, all heading towards the Moon-Gazing Pool that same day.

After roughly half a day’s march through the Darkmoon Forest, the company halted for a temporary rest. They needed to cross-reference maps to avoid taking a wrong turn, an unavoidable delay in their journey.

Gazing at the dense, surging crowd, Su Han couldn’t help but marvel, “To think there are so many cultivators in this world!”

“Yet, few among them truly manage to distinguish themselves,” Bai Que replied, joining the conversation.

“Indeed. But those who rise above the fierce competition within humanity’s vast numbers, emerging from countless trials of life and death, are invariably peerless prodigies!”

As Su Han and her two companions chatted, a snickering voice suddenly drifted from behind them.

“Well, well, what’s all this commotion about? Turns out there’s a great beauty here~” The speaker was a young man of seventeen or eighteen, seemingly handsome with clear features. However, his slightly drooping eyelids, tinged with purple, betrayed a life of excessive indulgence.

His attire was lavish to an extreme degree; any discerning eye could tell he was likely a wealthy young master, a frequent patron of pleasure houses. The decadent, lecherous aura emanating from him made Su Han instinctively frown.

Su Han’s subtle frown, a small gesture, did nothing to diminish her beauty in the lecher’s eyes. For a moment, he simply stared, utterly captivated.

“My dear lady, would you be so kind as to tell this young master your name…?” the young master simpered, blinking suggestively, completely disregarding Bai Que and Luo Shang.

Su Han merely touched her nose, remaining silent. Bai Que, however, curled his lips in amusement, clearly anticipating Su Han’s next move.

“A beautiful girl like you, becoming an adventurer is such a waste! All that fighting and killing, it’s hardly proper. With your exquisite looks, why not follow me, your elder brother? I am a Xis noble of the Heron Empire, you see…”

‘Good heavens, is being beautiful a crime?’

Before he could even finish his sentence, a gleaming, cold sword was already pressed squarely against his throat. A chilling aura emanated from the blade, instantly sobering him halfway from his drunken stupor.

“You… what do you want?” The young master’s face instantly blanched, white as paper. He had assumed this girl was merely a newly recruited adventurer—pretty, yes, but certainly without connections. He thought that even if she grew angry from his teasing, she would at most dare not speak out, or perhaps, if she were timid enough, be intimidated into submission by his status.

Instead, she was a thorny rose, drawing her sword at the slightest provocation. The sharp killing intent radiating from the blade made even a fool realize this woman truly intended to kill him.

“Hey, put that sword down right now! Do you know who I am? I’m Morfitos’s cousin! If you harm me, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough to pay the price!” What a joke! For the dignified heir of the Xis family to have a sword held to his throat?

“I don’t care who you are. Get lost!” Su Han retorted with utter disgust.

The young master turned and fled, not forgetting to cast a look back at Su Han—a monstrous, furious grimace that seemed to want to devour her alive.

“Clap, clap, clap~” Bai Que applauded, a smile playing on his lips. “To think the second young master of the esteemed Xis family was threatened by you! Wouldn’t that be a laugh if it got out?”

“Indeed. This time, I fear he’s definitely remembered you. He might even bring his cousin, Morfitos, to teach you a lesson!” Luo Shang mused, a serious expression on his face.

“Let him come, then. At worst, I’ll bear the consequences alone!” Su Han thought. ‘Teasing me should come with a price. Don’t come looking for trouble if you’re not prepared!’

“How can you say that? We don’t dislike you. On the contrary, I not only think you did nothing wrong, but I believe you handled it perfectly! Threatening Hirus was truly satisfying!”

“I think you just want to see the Xis family made a fool of!”

“Ah, you truly understand me, Hanhan!”

“You…” Even Su Han found Bai Que’s brazenness as thick as a city wall, impenetrable even by Meng Jiangnu’s tears.

“Alright, alright, enough with the banter,” Luo Shang interjected. “This area has been fully scouted. We should reach the vicinity of the Moon-Gazing Pool before nightfall. We’ll set up camp there and rest. Let’s just hope that Hirus doesn’t bring Morfitos to cause us trouble!”

Meanwhile, inside his tent, Hirus’s face was livid.

‘Ordering someone to beat up those two men, and trying to scare the woman, would probably be useless. After all, those two men were terrifying; I couldn’t discern their strength at all.’

‘However, if I were to use my cousin Morfitos’s authority to forcibly take her, that wouldn’t be out of the question…’ Hirus nodded, his expression finally softening somewhat. “Someone, come with me to see His Highness, the Third Prince!”

“Yes, sir!”