Reborn as a Hatrack in the Mystical Land-Chapter 773 - 23: A Meeting of Hearts and Minds

Autumn scenery bleak, within the National Guardian General Residence, golden fallen leaves carpeted the ground.

Long Rui sat alone in the flower garden, the tea on the stone table beside her had grown cold, her fingers gently caressing a ring on her finger.

The Xuyang Trial’s entry ring. For this ring, Long Rui had almost exhausted all her efforts.

She, Long Rui, intended to shut the mouths of those who stabbed at the backbone of the General Mansion.

If it was half a year ago, no one would believe that the once glorious General Mansion would fall to today’s state, so destitute that they couldn’t even obtain a recommendation ring for the world’s foremost Xuyang Trial, and Long Rui had to compete in an additional elimination round to secure this precious entry ring.

Since the death of Long Jiuzun, Long Ao had only appeared once, thereafter disappearing without a trace, and outside rumors flourished that Long Ao failed in his promotion and had died in Four Symbols City.

Princess Long Xue was indifferent toward the General Mansion, and those who once relied on the General Mansion saw the declining power and revealed their contemptible selves, switching allegiances to others.

From the peak period of universal support to the present deserted doorstep, everything was like residual shadows of old dreams, still vivid in her eyes. For Long Rui, the blow was undoubtedly massive.

"Miss, Duke Yue is asking for an audience outside the mansion," the maid reminded at her side.

After the maid spoke, she carefully watched her young mistress.

Hearing that name she both loved and hated, Long Rui involuntarily tightened her fingers.

He had come after all, not to Long Rui’s surprise. When she signed up for this selection of the Imperial City’s Xuyang Trial, she had anticipated that Yue Minzhi would intervene.

Thus, she deliberately kept it from Yue Minzhi, and also sought the secret help of Little Jinuo, until the list of participants was delivered to Princess Long Xue. Even if Yue Minzhi had objections, it was already too late.

"Let him in. Nowadays, who in the Imperial City would dare to neglect the people of Yue Residence?" Long Rui said with a hint of sourness in her voice.

The situation of the Duke Mansion and General Mansion was drastically different.

Being a dual-lordship, in just a half-year’s time, the Blood Cherry Duke Mansion blossomed like the blood cherry flowers in spring, dazzling the eyes of the entire Imperial City.

Yue Minzhi, a rare Double Dragon Knight of the Empire for hundreds of years, was one of Princess Long Xue’s most valued left-hand men, alongside Peng Bo and Jin Nuo, known as the Imperial Double Stars.

His sister Yue Jinghua, bestowed with a lifelong noble title, was also the captain of the Empire’s number one mercenary team.

The two siblings indeed enjoyed a time of great favor, in contrast to the General Mansion, like a dust-covered Mingzhu, dim and lightless.

This inevitably brought a bitterness to Long Rui’s heart, sharpening her words.

Behind her, there was a rustling sound of footsteps on fallen leaves.

Long Rui’s heartbeat quickened slightly. Her affection for Yue Minzhi was deep in her marrow; even without turning her head and eye contact, she could still feel a nearly electric thrill within her, in her veins, and among her organs.

This feeling intensified after the two had experienced an "artificial respiration" event.

"Why have you come? Is it to mock the plight of the General Mansion?" Long Rui spoke with a hint of annoyance.

"What the General Mansion has gone through, the Blood Cherry Duke Mansion has also experienced. There’s no question of mockery," Yue Minzhi stood tall and composed, the trials of the recent months had transformed him from a reckless Young Lord into a resolute, upright man of the Empire.

He sighed softly.

"You should not have participated in this Xuyang Trial," Yue Minzhi gazed at the young girl in the setting sun.

Lately, in preparation for the Xuyang Trial, he had not seen Long Rui.

She seemed to have lost a lot of weight, with her waist now slim enough to be encircled by a single grip.

Long Rui suddenly turned around, her brows filled with anger. She clenched her teeth, glaring at Yue Minzhi, "Why shouldn’t I participate? Do you think I, Long Rui, am not qualified for the Xuyang Trial? Yue Minzhi, don’t be too full of yourself. You are a Dragon Knight, and so am I; I am in no way inferior to you. You are not necessarily better than me either."

Even against the backdrop of the setting sun, Yue Minzhi could clearly make out the face of the girl he hadn’t seen for months.

She indeed looked noticeably thinner; her originally plump cheeks now had the shape of a melon seed face, and her beautiful eyes carried rage and unwillingness.

This by no means diminished her beauty; instead, it added a unique aesthetic appeal to Long Rui.

"Ruru, that’s not what I meant. I’m saying... it’s too dangerous," Yue Minzhi was not as eloquent as Yue Jinghua, and under Long Rui’s intense gaze, he felt as if his tongue was as stiff as stone. He paused several times before finally expressing his true thoughts.

Too dangerous? Was he worried about himself?

Long Rui’s eyes welled up with tears. Since her grandfather had left, it had been so long since someone had cared about her.

Her parents had died early, and the relatives at the General Mansion had been cold and sharp-tongued about her marriage matters.

It had been a long time since anyone had cared about her basic needs or worried about her safety.

"This year’s Xuyang Trial has the highest number of participants in history and is expected to be the most competitive ever. As per the tradition, the Xuyang Trial always chooses a perilous location as the competition site. In the past, the location was announced six months before the competition began, but this time, it’s an exception. So far, the organizers haven’t disclosed the competition site." The Canglong Continent is the most active continent for the Human Race, with Dark Practitioners’ pursuits spreading across the entire continent.

Even so, there are still many places on the continent that the Human Race has never explored.

These places are often considered forbidden areas.

Previous iterations of the Xuyang Trial were held in these forbidden areas.

"I don’t need your concern, with the Lake King Dragon here, I can protect myself. Besides, what right do you have to care about me," Long Rui’s heart felt sweet, yet her mouth was still spouting the temper of a young miss.

As soon as she spoke these words, she regretted them.

Yue Minzhi was not a man of stature, just as he said. He had experienced enough worldly matters and warmth from people during his time at the General Mansion.

But once the words were spoken, they could not be taken back. Long Rui cursed herself for being mindless, but at the same time, she resented Yue Minzhi for being so wooden. If it weren’t for him participating in the Xuyang Trial, why would she have followed him all this way?

"I proposed to your grandfather," Yue Minzhi cautiously decided to finally reveal what had happened to Long Rui.

"You!" Long Rui’s eyes widened, and she stuttered, "Who, who gave you, gave you the permission? You, you don’t want me, right?"

Having said this, her face turned red, her feet randomly stamping on the ground, messing up the leaves all around.

"Your grandfather did not agree. He said, ’Unless I rank among the top three in the Xuyang Trial, he will not betroth you to me,’" Yue Minzhi scratched his head, clearly embarrassed.

"Are you silly? How could you agree to such harsh conditions? Has grandpa become senile?" Long Rui panicked.

Yue Minzhi looked on, his expression gradually softened. He stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and finally raised his hand to tenderly embrace Long Rui. His voice was low and reverberated in her ear, "You are worth the risk for me."

Long Rui’s body trembled slightly, the long-held yearning became reality at this moment, her mind roaring, completely overwhelmed by joy.

Tears fell on the ring. At that moment, the competition rings on their fingers lit up.