Chapter 97

Today is Murou's eighteenth birthday, the best age of her youth, yet she felt particularly lonely and desolate. This year, her family did not call her back to prepare a banquet for her, and many of her old friends did not offer their congratulations as they had in previous years.

"Xueyan, Ke'er."

In the elegant courtyard where Murou lived, which she shared with two others, she called out to the two girls when she saw them.

"Murou, is there something you need?" The two girls turned around and asked.

"Today is my birthday, let's have a meal together," Murou said to Xueyan and Ke'er.

"No need, I have some things to do today. You enjoy yourself," Xueyan said with a smile.

"I also have something to do, so I can't accompany you," Ke'er said similarly, and then without saying goodbye, she left. Seeing this, Murou sighed inwardly. Although the two girls were smiling, it was just a surface-level smile; they clearly did not want to have much contact with her, a fact she had long sensed.

Despite this, she still felt a bit disappointed. In the past, Chu Ling also lived here, and the four of them had a good relationship, especially Murou and Chu Ling. Xueyan and Ke'er even liked to go along with them. Chu Ling, who was indifferent, still didn't mind much and was close to Xueyan and Ke'er.

Murou also got up and left, heading to the Tianmeng Forest, a familiar place in Huameng City. However, after waiting for a while without seeing Qin Wentian, she left. If it were any other day, she would have waited longer, but today, with her mind elsewhere, she seemed to have no heart for it, wandering aimlessly around the vast Royal Academy.

At this time, Xueyan and Ke'er returned to their residence. When they went out again, they received a scroll, sent by the Tianyun Workshop.

The Tianyun Workshop was one of the three major workshops in the Chu Kingdom and also the largest transportation force in the kingdom. They kept many beast creatures, and as long as you could pay the price, they could deliver things across the country in a short time. They could move freely in all major martial academies, enjoying special privileges.

After all, many of the young people in the major martial academies were far from home and needed to send letters home frequently, so they all needed to find the Tianyun Workshop.

This scroll was sent from the Imperial Star Academy to Murou, but since Murou was not at home, the Tianyun Workshop handed it to Xueyan to deliver.

Xueyan and Ke'er were a bit curious but did not pay too much attention. They took the scroll and went out to attend a lecture by an elder. Although they were not as close to Murou as before, they still agreed to help deliver it, ensuring that the Tianyun Workshop's item for Murou would not be lost. The Tianyun Workshop could become one of the three major workshops in the Chu Kingdom not just because of its transportation capabilities.

To deliver things to various places across the country, they needed a terrifying intelligence network, familiar with every place and person.

"What is this, Xueyan?" Chu Ling, who was also attending the lecture today, saw the scroll in Xueyan's hand and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Oh, this is from the Tianyun Workshop, for Murou. It seems to be from the Imperial Star Academy, but the sender did not leave a name," Xueyan replied.

"Imperial Star Academy? Open it and take a look," Chu Ling said to Xueyan, making Xueyan hesitate a bit. It didn't seem quite right, but seeing Chu Ling frown, she opened the scroll. Instantly, a magnificent picture appeared before their eyes, and they took a step back, even letting the scroll fall to the ground.

The moment the scroll opened, they felt a powerful aura, as if the scroll wanted to imprint itself on their hearts.

"What's going on?" People nearby leaned in, looking at the mysterious scroll on the ground. They could all feel the aura emanating from the scroll, as if it were not just a lifeless object but a true master holding a halberd, ready to break through everything.

"What a marvelous scroll, it must be very valuable."

"Indeed, if it's a good painting, it will surely be treasured." The people around them praised, but Chu Ling snorted, "It's just a painting."

Chu Ling, however, was thinking about who could have sent such a scroll to Murou.

"What are you doing?" At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over, the teacher for today's lecture. Seeing the crowd gathered, he approached.

The crowd immediately parted to make way for him, and the teacher's gaze fell on the scroll on the ground.

"Whose is this?" The elder of the Royal Academy asked.

"Xueyan's," someone pointed at Xueyan.

"May I borrow it?" The elder asked Xueyan, who immediately showed a hesitant expression. The scroll was from the Tianyun Workshop for Murou, and the moment she agreed to deliver it, she took responsibility for it. The Tianyun Workshop had sought their consent, and they had agreed to deliver it.

"Xueyan, if you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, you can come to me," the elder said again, making Xueyan's expression firm. It was fine to lend it to him; as an elder of the academy, he wouldn't lose the scroll.

"Sure," Xueyan nodded. The elder smiled, picked up the scroll, and said, "Today's lecture is canceled. Everyone can go now."

With that, he hurriedly left, causing the students to marvel at what could make the elder so serious. They surrounded Xueyan, asking what the scroll was, something that could make the elder so important.

Murou did not know about this. Even Qin Wentian himself was unaware of the value contained in the scroll.

When Murou returned to her residence, she noticed that Xueyan seemed a bit more polite to her, and her expression was somewhat evasive, which made her feel quite strange. However, she didn't pay too much attention and spent her day in a faint sense of disappointment.

This eighteenth birthday was the loneliest one she had ever had since she could remember. Perhaps due to the pressure from her family, her father, who had always doted on her, did not invite her back.

The big shots were too sensitive to the machinations of power, and they didn't care about her feelings.

The Junlin Banquet was approaching, and the Nine Profound Palace might be behind the scenes. Luo Qianqiu might vie for the top spot at the Junlin Banquet, and the crown prince of Xueyun Kingdom would also come. With Chu Tianjiao's power becoming more stable, Qin Wentian's friends were naturally unpopular.

That day, the young man standing in the snow and wind refused to be friends with the third prince, Chu Tianjiao!

On that day, the students of the Royal Academy did not know that many teachers were deeply moved by a scroll sent from the Imperial Star Academy.

Of course, they did not know the scroll came from the Imperial Star Academy. According to the elder who received the scroll, it belonged to Xueyan, a student of the Royal Academy. Since its origin was known, they naturally did not investigate further.

That day, the Royal Academy decided to display the scroll in the academy and invite people from all walks of life to come and appreciate it, especially those in the alchemy community.

This news quickly spread in the capital of the Chu Kingdom, and by the next day, it was known throughout the Royal Academy that a scroll belonging to Xueyan, a student of the Royal Academy, was a treasure, and the academy had invited people to come and appreciate it, causing a great stir.

However, Xueyan was extremely uneasy because the scroll did not belong to her. If the truth came out, she would be humiliated.

Xueyan thought that she should mend her relationship with Murou and, once they were close again, return the scroll and tell her the truth.

Murou was very puzzled, wondering why Xueyan was so enthusiastic today and even invited her to see the mysterious scroll on display at the academy. However, she was also very curious about it, so she went to the exhibition hall with Xueyan.

The exhibition hall of the Royal Academy was spacious and grand. In the center of the first floor, a scroll was displayed, and many people were gathered around, but they had to maintain a certain distance.

Near the scroll, there were several highly respected elders. They looked old, but their eyes had a special luster, as if they were very spirited.

"This scroll is definitely a divine pattern. Such a human-shaped divine pattern scroll is a groundbreaking creation. I wonder which master created it," one elder commented, giving the scroll a high evaluation.

"If we were to grade the scroll as a divine pattern, it would be a low-level third-grade divine pattern. However, the aura it contains is extraordinary, and I can be sure that such a divine pattern has never appeared in the Chu Kingdom," another person said, shocking everyone. The scroll was actually a divine pattern.

"A groundbreaking creation, priceless," people continued to comment, and some even asked the elder of the Royal Academy, "Is the scroll for sale?"

"That depends on the owner," the elder, who was Xueyan's teacher, said, looking at Xueyan in the crowd and smiling, "Xueyan, are you willing to sell the scroll?"

Xueyan was taken aback and glanced at Murou.

"If you sell it, as a groundbreaking divine pattern scroll, its value could be unimaginable," the elder continued, "Also, how did you obtain it, and which master created it?"

Murou also looked at Xueyan, surprised. Xueyan, who owned such a precious scroll, had caused a sensation.

"The master from the Star River Guild has arrived," a voice came, and several figures approached, clearly also for the scroll.

PS: It's a new week, you know what to do. Throw those recommendation votes, I'm grateful!