#44 - The most beautiful woman in the Zhou Dynasty

The Third Prince, with a graceful demeanor, approached Qin Keqing and said with a smile, "It's truly an honor to have Miss Qin attend the Gathering of Talents."

Qin Keqing nodded slightly: "Your Highness is too kind."

"Is this Miss Qin's friend?" The Third Prince shifted his gaze to Jun Wuxie, smiling. "To be a friend of Miss Qin, I wonder which family's young talent you are?"

Hearing the Third Prince's words, Jun Wuxie smiled faintly. To be friends with Qin Keqing would normally imply an extraordinary background, but he was an exception.

"Come, let me introduce you to the Third Prince." Qin Keqing looked at Jun Wuxie and smiled at the Third Prince, "This is Jun Wuxie, my friend, a rare talent who cultivates both body and sword."

"Third Prince."

Jun Wuxie stood up and nodded as a greeting.

"Body and sword dual cultivation, that's a rare existence in the entire cultivation world." The Third Prince's smile was refined. "May I ask where Young Master Jun's master is from?"

"Your Highness is too kind." Jun Wuxie smiled faintly, "I merely had the good fortune to obtain half a scroll of incomplete body cultivation methods by chance, and have no master."

"A rogue cultivator?" The smile on the Third Prince's face stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his refined demeanor, saying, "As the ancients said, heroes should not be judged by their origins. Young Master Jun need not belittle himself."

Jun Wuxie smiled without speaking. The subtle changes in the Third Prince's expression just now had been completely noticed by him.

People of the royal family are still realistic.

What they value are naturally those with family backgrounds.

After all, only those with family backgrounds are worthy of their association and wooing, and can become a powerful boost in the future struggle for imperial power.

The Third Prince's gaze returned to Qin Keqing, his smile as warm as a spring breeze: "Miss Qin, would you be willing to move to my private room for a short while?"

"No need, it's lively here, it's quite good." Qin Keqing refused with a calm expression, saying, "Your Highness, please take your time."

"Since that's the case, I won't force it. I hope Miss Qin has a good time." The Third Prince bid farewell with a smile, but at the moment of turning around, the muscles on his face couldn't help but twitch a few times.

He didn't expect Qin Keqing to not give him any face.

Refusal would have been fine, but she actually issued an "eviction order" to him?

In the banquet hall, although everyone was chatting in twos and threes, they were also paying attention to the situation here.

Who exactly was that beautiful and gentle woman?

The Third Prince personally stepped forward, and it seemed that he had been turned down.

Who was the young man in green sitting at the same table with that woman? Looking at their harmonious conversation, it seemed that their relationship was quite good.

"He might be different from what you imagine." Bu Yunfei came to the group of people who were discussing the identities of Qin Keqing and Jun Wuxie and enthusiastically clinked glasses with them one by one.

"Young Master Bu knows them?"

Everyone was curious and looked at him.

"I don't know that woman." Bu Yunfei raised his head and drank the wine in his glass, saying indifferently, "That young man in green is just a rogue cultivator."

"A rogue cultivator?"

Several young men and women showed strange expressions.

"Bu Yunfei, are you making fun of us?" Yu Wei didn't believe it. He and Bu Yunfei were both young masters of the six major families in the capital and had a good relationship on weekdays.

The others also expressed disbelief.

"Believe it or not." Bu Yunfei said with a hint of sarcasm, "I met this person at the door when I came. He said himself that he had no family or master. Didn't you notice just now? That woman obviously introduced this person to the Third Prince, but the Third Prince didn't even look at him when he left."

"Now that you mention it, it seems that's really the case…" Nie Xiaowu, the daughter of one of the six major families, recalled for a moment, then chuckled softly, "I thought he had some background, but he's just a rogue cultivator. It seems that woman's taste isn't very good either."

Wang Qin, one of the young masters of the six major families, teased, "Xiaowu, could it be that you're jealous that she's prettier than you?"

"Jealous?" Nie Xiaowu raised her beautiful face slightly, saying proudly, "Is she worthy?"

…

In a corner of the banquet hall, Qin Keqing looked at Jun Wuxie apologetically, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this to happen. That Third Prince is a bit superficial. It's his lack of vision to look down on you."

"Why are you apologizing?" He didn't care about it. "I have no intention of associating with anyone, especially members of the royal family."

"Wuxie, your words are a bit hypocritical." Qin Keqing's eyes flickered with brilliance, "What about Ji Yinlan? Isn't she also a member of the royal family? Does that count as an association between you?"

"She's different from the Third Prince."

"How are they different?"

"Enya, Sister Keqing, are you talking about the pretty sister who sent my brother the invitation?" Little Yueyao, who was eating grapes, interjected with her big, bright eyes.

"Yes."

Qin Keqing touched Little Yueyao's head.

Jun Wuxie smiled, saying, "The world in her eyes will not be in Great Zhou in the future. She won't participate in the struggle for imperial power."

"So you don't want to get involved in the whirlpool of the struggle for imperial power. You see things clearly." Qin Keqing was a little surprised. Although Jun Wuxie had amazing potential, he came from a small city family, so he usually wouldn't realize these things so quickly.

But he seemed to have been paying attention to these things for a long time, and he knew it very well.

Jun Wuxie glanced at Little Yueyao, who was eating with relish, and said to Qin Keqing, "I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."

Just then, the lively banquet hall suddenly quieted down.

"Mu Yang Qingya is here!"

Someone exclaimed.

Jun Wuxie followed the gazes of the crowd and saw a woman appear at the entrance of the banquet hall.

She wore a goose-yellow, openwork, floor-length dress and entered gracefully, her waterfall-like black hair dancing gently as she walked.

This woman's features were exquisite and unparalleled, comparable to Qin Keqing, but her temperament was completely different.

Qin Keqing was the clear and lively type, while this woman was the sexy type.

As soon as she appeared, she instantly became the focus of the entire banquet hall.

Jun Wuxie saw that every man here had fiery eyes, and some were even breathing rapidly.

"Qingya is here. I can't stay here anymore." Qin Keqing gave Jun Wuxie an apologetic look.

"Is she the Mu Yang family's daughter you mentioned?"

"Yes, the number one beauty of Great Zhou, Mu Yang Qingya. If I continue to sit here, you will probably become the target of public criticism today."

Qin Keqing teased and got up to walk towards Mu Yang Qingya.

"Keqing, I'm sorry, I'm late. Have you been waiting for a long time?" Mu Yang Qingya's smile was charming, like strong wine, making people feel drunk.

Qin Keqing said with a smile, "I've only been here for a while."

"Keqing, who is that?" Mu Yang Qingya obviously noticed Jun Wuxie, who had been sitting at the same table as Qin Keqing just now, and joked, "Let me guess… Could it be someone you like?"

"Qingya, don't talk nonsense. We're just ordinary friends. We've only known each other for a few days."

"Is that so?" Mu Yang Qingya had an expression of disbelief.

"Princess Qingya." Bu Yunfei stepped forward and whispered, "That one is a distinguished rogue cultivator guest invited by the Seventh Princess."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Seventh Princess" and "distinguished rogue cultivator guest."

As soon as these words came out, the intoxicating smile on Mu Yang Qingya's face suddenly stiffened.

"Qingya is here." At this time, a handsome man in brocade robes walked out of the private room and came to Mu Yang Qingya, handing her a glass of wine.

Mu Yang Qingya didn't take it, but smiled and said to Qin Keqing, "Keqing, you're not treating me like a sister. You haven't introduced that young talent to me? It's not good to leave people out in the cold like that. Why don't we go over and sit down?"

Her voice was not soft.

Immediately, everyone in the entire banquet hall looked at Jun Wuxie sitting in the corner.

"Qingya!"

Qin Keqing's expression changed slightly. After Bu Yunfei came over and said those words, and seeing Mu Yang Qingya's reaction, she knew things were going to get bad.

Beside her, the man in brocade robes was still holding the wine-delivery gesture, his hand stiff in the air, his face gradually turning gloomy as he looked coldly at Jun Wuxie in the corner.

Who was that young man in green?

Mu Yang Qingya was actually fighting with Qin Keqing over that person?

Moreover, she didn't give him, the heir of the Murong family, any face in public!

The minds of the two most beautiful women at the banquet were actually on that seemingly unsophisticated young man in green.

Not only him, Murong Qi, but all the men in the entire banquet hall were staring coldly at that corner.

Jun Wuxie frowned slightly as he felt the strong hostility in those gazes.

He just wanted to wait for Ji Yinlan here quietly, but now it seemed that it would be difficult to get his wish.