Chapter 25 Entering Lenovo Country 4

  "What are you following me for?" Nalan Xixi stopped and looked at the strange man who had been following her for a minute.

  "This is the road down the mountain. How can you say it's following you." The man chuckled softly and continued, "However, I'm really happy to travel with you. There are many questions."

  "I'm not here to answer your questions." Nalan Xixi continued walking down the mountain. Since this person knew about the competition, he might also be a participant. But why wasn't he busy completing his task, instead of following her... Wait, Nalan Xixi finally remembered why she thought this person looked familiar. Huangfu Ling. He had a 50% resemblance to Huangfu Ling. Plus his extraordinary demeanor, perhaps... he was the Crown Prince, Huangfu Chen.

  "Yes. However, isn't it a bit boring for you to walk alone?" Huang Fu Chen said with a smile.

  Nalan Xixi did not respond. I don't know what kind of tricks this prince is up to.

  "Old lady, haven't you gone back yet?" Nalan Xixiao looked at the old lady who was still leaning against the tree trunk. Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped up in his mind.

  The old lady looked up at Nalan Xixi and didn't say a word.

  "I'm sorry, old lady. Just now I really had an urgent matter and couldn't send you back home. Why don't I let this young man behind me send you?" Nalan Xianyu said with a slight smile. Then he turned around to look at Huangfu Chen. "This gentleman shouldn't mind, right? You're not busy anyway, and it's boring."

  "Of course." Huangfu Chen's smile was somewhat stiff, but he still managed to cover it up well. The old woman also looked a bit flustered. Nalan Xianuo quietly revealed a triumphant smile.

  "Sorry to trouble you, I'll head back to the school grounds first." Shan Xia said to Huang Fu Chen, then dragged the snow leopard and headed straight for the school grounds.

  Huangfu Chen gazed thoughtfully at the back of Nalan Xixi, revealing a smile with profound meaning. Having seen countless people, Huangfu Chen merely took notice of her throat and knew that Nalan Xixi was a woman. However, there were few women in the world with such immense power.

  When Nalan Xixi dragged the snow leopard back to the school field, everyone present was shocked and couldn't close their mouths. Such a delicate-looking person who seemed completely powerless, how could he possibly return so quickly, and still dragging a snow leopard?

  It seems she's the first one. Nalan Xiong looked around the school grounds, then walked up to the leader and said: "I'm Nalan Xiong, remember my name. Now, can I go back?" Nalan Xiong didn't plan on waiting for everyone to gather here.

  "Little brother, you're indeed very capable. However, you should understand the importance of unity." The leader was somewhat displeased with Nalan Xiong's arrogance.

  "Unity." Nalan Xinxiao smiled lightly. "It's still uncertain whether the next person to come will be able to form a group with me, where does this talk of unity come from?"

  The leader was speechless after being lectured by Nalan Xinnuo, seeing the pride and determination in her eyes, he could only wave his hand to let her go back.

  "When will the third round of assessment be conducted tomorrow?"

  "No instructions have been given yet. We'll only receive them after the second round is over," said the leader with a hint of smugness. This means that if she wants to participate in the third round, she'll have to wait here until everyone returns.

  "Haha, tomorrow is the third round of assessment, same time as today, at 1 o'clock." Suddenly a loud voice burst in. Nalan Xianyu turned her head, it was Huangfu Chen.

  "The Crown Prince will soon arrive." The people in the school grounds knelt down on one knee and shouted in unison. Only Nalan Xianuo stood out, standing there alone.

  The Crown Prince. She was right after all.

  "Everyone get up." Huangfu Chen waved his sleeve and then looked at Nalan Xianyu, "Why isn't anyone showing a surprised expression?"

  "A humble commoner pays respects to the great crown prince." Nalan Xiong's head was slightly lowered, but even in his bow, he still had an air of neither arrogance nor humility.

  "Looking forward to your performance tomorrow." Huangfu Chen's smile carried a hint of inquiry. Nalan Xianuo somewhat uncomfortably turned his head away.

  "That commoner left first." Nalan Xixi slightly lowered her head. She was still hungry now.

  Back from the school field, Nalan Xianyu had a big meal and then rested early. Still unaware of what tomorrow's final selection would bring. Physical strength is the most important thing.

  The situation at the school grounds on the second day was as Nalan Xinnuo had imagined, with only about twenty people present, which was just one-tenth of yesterday's number.

  "Today's match, announced by the Crown Prince himself." As soon as the words fell, Huangfu Chen led a group of people into the school field. Although his face looked normal, Nalan Xianuo could tell that Huangfu Chen was suppressing his discontent, and it was extremely intense.

  "Alright, Lord Qi, make your announcement." The voice was cold, like it came from an ice cellar. Although the people around didn't immediately notice Huangfu Chen's anger, they still felt his overwhelming aura and became somewhat tense.

  "The third round of assessment. The emperor has set the topic." That eunuch, Qi Gonggong, said in a sharp and shrill tone. "You three will form a group. Go to Zhushan Mountain to find one Blood Crystal Flower and one Fire Lotus Flower each. This task is extremely arduous. The first three people to return will be granted official titles and promotions. I hope everyone can do their best."

  Everyone in their hearts is wondering why there would be such a task. However, after all, they are all selected people and have not been panicked.

  Nalan Xixi furrowed her brow. These two flowers were extremely rare, and as far as she knew, they were precious medicinal materials that could cure excessive blood loss or extreme physical weakness. This made Nalan Xixi think of Huangfu Ling involuntarily. This was the emperor's task, so her guess was probably correct. Did she have to go all out to save Huangfu Ling? The person she had pushed off the cliff with her own hands.

  But if this task is successful, not only will I get a high position, but also the corresponding trust. Moreover, Nalan Xianyu has never allowed himself to give up halfway. So, let's save his life first and then slowly accompany him to play.

  "May I ask impertinently, what do these two flowers look like?" one of them asked.

  "There is a map here. Each team will have one. There are also detailed identification methods on it." said Qi Gong, waving his hand. The guards began to distribute the maps.

  "Everyone has received their dry rations. Let's set off."

  He and Nalan Xixi were in the same group, just the two people on her left. One was called Chen Yu, with a tall stature, but didn't look very strong. However, since he had made it this far, he must have his own abilities. The other one was called Bai Zhi, of medium build, giving off a somewhat sloppy feeling.

  "You guys said these two flowers are hard to find, right? Otherwise, why would the first prize be so generous." The three of them had just entered Zhushan Mountain when Bai Zhi said this while lazily slashing his knife around, seemingly a bit of a chatterbox.

  "It should be. But isn't it also about speed? Maybe it's not as difficult as I imagined." Chen Yu replied calmly.

  "This brother, how should I address you? My name is Bai Zhi." Bai Zhi asked excitedly as he saw someone responding to him.

  "In the lower Chen Yu." Chen Yu is not an indifferent person. However, it seems that he also doesn't particularly like talking.

  "This little brother." Bai Zhi felt inexplicably intimidated by Nalan Xixi, probably due to the cold aura around her.

  "Little brother, why do you call him 'brother' but add a 'little' when addressing me?" Nalan Xiong was not someone who liked to make things difficult for others, but this unconscious belittling made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Moreover, Bai Zhi's temperament was similar to He Xian's, so Nalan Xiong did not want to be too cold towards him. Besides, they were currently on the same boat and might need to help each other out at some point.

  "Ah." Baizhi probably didn't expect that this seemingly weak and thin little brother's first sentence would be a question, and an unanswerable one at that. Because he wanted to call out to his little brother, it slipped out subconsciously...

  Nalan Xixiao didn't respond either. Instead, she stopped and looked at Bai Zhi seriously, waiting for his answer. This made Bai Zhi even more tense.

  "I, I, hehe, little... ah, no, brother, it's just that you look quite young... subconsciously, so I called you that..." The slow-witted Bai Zhi also understood a part of it. This brother probably felt that his own "little" word had hurt the man's self-esteem. But how could this small person have such a terrifying gaze, making him stutter when speaking."

  "Nalan Xiong." Nalan Xiong said suddenly in a light tone. Then he turned around and continued walking forward.

  "Ah." For a moment, Shirai was taken aback and stunned.

  "Bai Zhi, you're called Bai Chi, right? He's talking about his name." Chen Yu on the side couldn't take it anymore and said bluntly.

  "Oh, oh." Bai Zhi nodded repeatedly. Then he muttered to himself, "Nalan Xixi... What a nice name. Just listening to it, it's not like our ordinary commoner family. Nalan... Hmm, isn't Nalan the royal surname of the Fengyun country? You..."

  "But merely a remote member of the imperial clan, just a small noble." Nalan Xian continued from where Bai Zhi left off. She didn't want to explain her identity issues with these two people at this time.

  "Indeed, it's not an ordinary commoner's household." White Zhi had a look of "I knew it".

  Nalan Xixi and Chen Yu simultaneously chose to ignore him. Miraculously, under the circumstance that no one was paying attention to him, Bai Zhi continued to talk to himself for an entire hour.

  "What color are the Blood Roses and Fire Lilies, anyway? Can't tell them apart at a glance. Having to identify each one individually is exhausting." Baichi finally got around to the main topic.

  "Rhododendron and Fire Lotus. As the name suggests, both are red plants. Rhododendron is bright red to the point of being gaudy. More gorgeous than roses and peonies, and slightly larger. Can be recognized at a glance. However, such a gorgeous flower grows in the crevices of cliffs. Fire Lotus, except for its fiery color, is no different from ordinary lotus flowers. Also lives in water. So we need to find places with water sources." Nalan Xinnuo explained carefully as they headed towards the mountain top. She had been paying attention to places with water all along.