Chapter 81: Return to the Beastmen Kingdom

Reconciled with Corona, Xu Feng resumed his happy life, drinking, singing, and living it up—life's too short. The three daughters of the Marquis still frequently visited the mansion. Although Corona still felt somewhat unhappy, she no longer threw tantrums.

The girls were reserved, but Xu Feng already understood their intentions. Their visits were proof that Marquis Luoxiqi was also open to a marriage alliance.

Xu Feng shook his head—he really had become a hot commodity.

"Brother Xu Feng."

Daisy peeled a grape and fed it into the young man's mouth. Over these days, although they hadn't yet won his affection, their constant companionship had brought them much closer. Now, they could be considered Xu Feng's confidantes.

Such matters couldn't be rushed. The three girls believed that with effort, they would surely find happiness.

As for Xu Feng, he had also developed some fondness for the three girls. Matters of the heart should be left to nature. The young man stood up from his chair. "You girls enjoy yourselves. I'm going to meditate."

"Alright."

The three girls nodded obediently. Although they wished to spend more time with their beloved, cultivating magic was important business. Smart girls wouldn't hold their beloved back, you know?

Humming a tune, Xu Feng headed toward the training room. Life was so pleasant, as if the Goddess of Luck had always favored him. Passing through pavilions and waterside terraces, Xu Feng arrived at the garden in the backyard. This was the most secluded part of the viscount's mansion, and its quietness made it an excellent place for practicing magic.

Suddenly, a slender figure came into view, standing beside a withered tree, exuding a sense of loneliness and desolation.

"Young Princess." Xu Feng walked over gently and looked at the beautiful girl from the Snake Clan. "Why are you here?" He was a little puzzled. Arola was his honored guest, but judging by her expression, were the servants not treating her well?

"Ah?"

The Young Princess clearly hadn't expected to meet Xu Feng here. She blushed and quickly wiped the tears from the corner of her eye, but Xu Feng had already seen it.

"Why are you crying?"

"No, I'm not."

"What exactly happened?" Xu Feng frowned. Although he often bickered with this girl, he actually liked the Young Princess quite a bit. How could he let her feel wronged in his mansion?

"I miss home, and I miss my parents."

No matter how strong she was, she was still a girl. Under Xu Feng's persistent questioning, Arola finally revealed the reason and couldn't help but cry.

Tears streaming down like pear blossoms—a beauty is a beauty, and even crying looks pitiable...

Xu Feng shook his head—what was he thinking? Seeing the girl crying so sadly, he offered his shoulder for her to lean on and rested his hand on her slender waist. "Alright, Young Princess, don't cry. I'll find a way to send you back."

"Really?"

Arola looked up, but her expression showed some disbelief. Originally, she had planned to disguise herself as an ordinary girl and return with a merchant caravan from the Orc Kingdom. But the last time she went out, she was surprised to find the City Guard searching everywhere for her. It turned out that the Slave Merchant had offered her to a powerful figure. Although she had escaped the cage with Xu Feng's help, the other party wasn't willing to let it go.

Prince Baris, the current emperor's younger brother. With the City Guard conducting such a thorough search, how could she leave safely? Moreover, if discovered, it would surely implicate Xu Feng. Although this rascal often deliberately annoyed her, Arola knew that he actually cared about her.

"Don't worry, I mean what I say."

Seeing the Young Princess's expression, Xu Feng had a rough idea of what she was worried about. He found it amusing—the situation wasn't as bad as she imagined. In the empire, a prince's status was indeed noble, but his actual power was pitifully small. To prevent his younger brother from threatening his throne, Baphia XV kept him under strict surveillance.

Mobilizing the City Guard to search for a girl wasn't a feat—it was just the Commander giving some face to the royal family. Now that so many days had passed, the inspections had long since relaxed. Sending her out of the city wouldn't be difficult.

Of course, Xu Feng wouldn't foolishly say all this to Arola. If you wanted to win a girl over, you had to use your head. Sure enough, hearing Xu Feng's promise, the Young Princess's face was filled with gratitude. "Thank you."

"Then rest well today, Young Princess. Tomorrow morning, I'll personally escort you."

After saying this, Xu Feng gently released the girl in his arms and headed toward the training room. A pleasant, soft call came from behind. "Wait."

"Is there something else, Young Princess?"

Arola hesitated for a moment. "Brother Xu Feng... from now on, don't call me Young Princess. You can call me Xiaoya."

"Alright."

Xu Feng didn't turn around, but a flicker of joy crossed his face. This Snake Clan Young Princess indeed had feelings for him. Having a gentle and virtuous girl by his side, along with such a Little Pepper, was quite interesting. This was a good start.

Early morning, warm sunlight spilled onto the earth. Darkness receded, and everything came back to life.

As time passed, the City Guard's inspections had long since relaxed. Of course, to be safe, Xu Feng still had Arola wear a veil. Under his guidance, the two easily passed through the city gates.

Watching the tall, majestic city walls gradually disappear from sight, the Young Princess breathed a sigh of relief. Was the Goddess of Luck looking out for her?

"Brother Xu Feng... where do we go now?"

Usually, the two had bickered so much that suddenly changing how she addressed him felt quite unfamiliar to the Young Princess.

Xu Feng glanced at the map. "Let's go to Victoria Town first."

The Orc Kingdom was located north of the empire, separated by vast stretches of the Hengduan Mountains. They still had to cross the northern wilderness, and the roads were rugged. Victoria Town was the necessary passage to enter the wilderness. Riding fast horses, they arrived at their destination an hour later.

According to the original plan, they would find a large Orc merchant caravan here. Arola's status was noble—as long as she revealed she was the Snake Clan's Young Princess, the orcs would naturally escort her home.

However, reality differed from imagination. The two waited here for a long time, but not only were there no caravans, they hardly saw any adventurers or mercenaries.

This was baffling. How could this be? Was everyone on holiday today?

Curious and puzzled, Xu Feng asked around and learned that the empire's Northern Legion and the Behemoth King's forces had experienced some friction. Although it hadn't escalated into a major disaster, both sides had begun closing their borders.

Xu Feng was stunned. How had he not heard about such a significant event? But after a moment's thought, he realized that in recent days, he had been immersed in a life of comfort and hadn't concerned himself with imperial affairs. Besides, this world had no news or television...

Hearing this news, the Young Princess grew very anxious, almost on the verge of tears. With the borders closed, wouldn't her return home be indefinitely delayed?

No wonder there were no merchant caravans. What should they do now?

Go back?

Xu Feng didn't mind, but looking at Arola, she truly missed home. Mainly, she was worried about her parents. After all, she had been missing for so long, and her family must be in chaos.

Forget it. Xu Feng shook his head. His only weakness was that he couldn't bear to see girls cry. Seeing the strong-willed Young Princess with tears glistening in her eyes, Xu Feng's heart softened.

"Xiaoya, let's go!"

"What for?"

"To buy supplies. I'll personally escort you back to the Orc Kingdom."