It was a stroke of luck that Shui Ling'er's little outburst managed to quell a good deal of Mo Han's rising passion. Any further teasing in that situation, and Mo Han wasn't sure he could have resisted the temptation of having such an unparalleled beauty nestled in his arms.

Although Mo Han was already a God-level master, that didn't mean he was devoid of the seven emotions and six desires. Simply holding Shui Ling'er's delicate body brought him a wave of warmth, causing him to stop his wandering thoughts. He merely sat quietly with her, talking softly, and half the day slipped by unnoticed.

When Mo Han finally noticed, it was already noon. Only then did he truly grasp the meaning of time flying by. Though reluctant to leave, Mo Han knew in his heart that countless matters awaited his resolution. With a lingering farewell to Shui Ling'er, he and Rou Xue set off towards the direction of the Tian Long Empire.

It took only a day; by the second morning, Mo Han and Rou Xue finally arrived at Tian Long City. At this point, Rou Xue's face was rather pale. Two days of non-stop travel, coupled with carrying Mo Han, had exhausted even her, the Golden Dragon Clan member.

Gazing at Rou Xue's slightly ashen complexion, a pang of guilt rose in Mo Han’s heart.

If it hadn't been for him, Rou Xue wouldn't have endured such hardship. Thus, upon reaching Tian Long City, even when Rou Xue began bickering with him as usual, Mo Han merely smiled and acquiesced, refusing to argue.

This sudden change in demeanor unsettled Rou Xue. She couldn't help but reach out and touch Mo Han's forehead: "Hey, you big brute, do you have a fever? Or did you do something to betray Sister Dai Li and the others, and now you feel guilty? That’s the only reason you’re being so meek today." "No, no, you definitely did something shameful with that Saintess behind Sister Dai Li's back and you’re afraid I’ll tell. That’s why you’re being so docile."

Rou Xue, still deploying her super imagination, launched into an unstoppable tirade.

Hearing this, even with his Law God cultivation, Mo Han nearly stumbled. He couldn't help but give Rou Xue a hard glare, administering a sharp rap to her head, and said coolly, "I say, you little brat. You really are asking for a beating. It’s rare for this Young Master to be in a good mood and not argue with you, yet you insist on pushing it."

"You dare hit my head? Chen Mo Han, you bastard! I..." Rou Xue leaped up with a shout the moment her forehead was struck. It was well known that a Dragon Clan member’s forehead was as sensitive as a tiger's backside—it was their reverse scale. Normally, no one dared to strike a Dragon Clan member's head, which explained Rou Xue's fury.

As soon as Rou Xue’s protest left her lips, there was another sharp 'bang,' followed by Rou Xue’s miserable yelp. Mo Han elegantly blew on his fingers, staring at Rou Xue with a triumphant smile. Rou Xue, meanwhile, rubbed her forehead, tears welling up, then fixed Mo Han with a fierce glare. If she hadn't been mindful that she couldn't defeat Mo Han—and that even attempting a fight would only bring her shame—she would have charged forward without hesitation.

"Brat. Why aren't you yelling anymore, hehe?" Mo Han provocatively thrust his face close to Rou Xue's, gloating. "Who told you to be so arrogant when you can't even beat me? HOHO, even if you told your father, I doubt the Old Clan Leader would come looking for a fight just because I tapped your forehead."

Rou Xue knew Mo Han was speaking the truth. Her father would never settle scores with Mo Han over such trivial matters. Putting aside the fact that Mo Han had reached the Law God realm, her own father held Mo Han in extremely high regard, which left Rou Xue deeply disgruntled, wondering why her father valued Mo Han so much. Thinking this, Rou Xue could only accept her misfortune, continuously rubbing her bruised forehead while mentally cursing Mo Han a thousand times over.

Mo Han was well aware of Rou Xue’s thoughts, but he didn't care. Cursing didn't kill anyone. The feeling of getting the better of a Dragon Clan princess was quite nice; perhaps he was the only one on the continent who enjoyed such treatment, hehe.

The journey continued amidst Rou Xue's disgruntled muttering and Mo Han’s triumphant laughter, drawing curious glances from passersby. Many officials from the Imperial City, who recognized Mo Han as the Empire's only non-Imperial-family Prince, offered warm greetings, which Mo Han returned heartily.

Seeing Mo Han's smug expression, Rou Xue genuinely wanted to plant a kick right on his smiling face to see if he could still look so pleased. Though she couldn't actually kick him, the mere thought of his face being kicked brightened her foul mood. With the help of her rich imagination, a smile even broke out on Rou Xue's face, making Mo Han secretly wonder if the brute force had made the girl silly. How could she smile after that? Mo Han would never have guessed what was going on in Rou Xue’s mind; otherwise, if he knew she was currently fantasizing about brutally kicking his face, he would surely have given her a few more disciplinary raps.

Not long after entering the city, they saw a troop of brightly armored Tian Long Imperial Guards rapidly rushing out from the Imperial City, closing in on Mo Han and the others. The leading general was An Hai, the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard.

Seeing Mo Han and Rou Xue, An Hai quickly dismounted and bowed respectfully to Mo Han, saying, "Your Highness the Prince, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Council Hall with several officials. Upon learning of your return, he specifically ordered me to escort you to the Palace."

"Ugh, His Majesty the Emperor won't even give me a moment to catch my breath. I just entered the city and already have to go to the Palace," Mo Han couldn't help but mutter. This caused An Hai, standing beside him, to break out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly pretended not to hear Mo Han's treasonous words, filtering them out completely, and stared intently at the ground, as if searching for an ant.

In the entire Tian Long Empire, perhaps only Mo Han dared to speak of the Emperor in such a manner. An Hai also knew that His Majesty would never blame Mo Han; the Prince's current favor was unparalleled, truly making him a powerful minister second only to the Emperor.

Fortunately, Mo Han only muttered a few complaints and obediently followed An Hai toward the Imperial Palace. Rou Xue, meanwhile, went ahead to the Prince's Residence to inform Dai Li and the others of Mo Han’s return.

It wasn't until dusk that Mo Han returned to the Prince's Residence, looking utterly exhausted. Following his arrival, the atmosphere in Tian Long City grew tense. Orderly messengers frequently sped out from the Imperial Palace, rushing toward the distant horizon, vanishing beyond the city gates in the blink of an eye. This activity made the uninformed populace curious and speculative, certain that some war was about to erupt given the frequent mobilization of the Empire's messengers. However, the Tian Long Empire had always established itself through military strength, resulting in a generally fierce populace. Since its founding, the Empire had endured countless campaigns yet remained steadfastly positioned as the continent’s foremost power. Therefore, even knowing a war loomed, the common people felt little alarm, placing immense confidence in their Imperial Army.

At this moment, Mo Han was comfortably reclining in the Prince's Residence. To his left sat Dai Li, and to his right, Murong Feixue. The two women sat flanking him, gently massaging his back, making Mo Han sigh contentedly, realizing why people often spoke of the resting place of heroes being in the embrace of beauties. If circumstances allowed, Mo Han would truly wish to lie there forever, quietly staying with Dai Li and the others, without any desire for world-renowned fame.

Rou Xue, however, sat nearby with a look of sheer displeasure, glaring fiercely at Mo Han. If looks could kill, Mo Han would have died countless times over. Bai Ling sat calmly to the side, sipping tea, seemingly oblivious to the scene unfolding.

Even with Mo Han's thick skin, being stared at so intensely by a beautiful woman like Rou Xue eventually made him uneasy. Unable to bear it any longer, Mo Han sat up and addressed Rou Xue with an exasperated smile, "I say, little brat, what did I do to offend you? You’ve been staring at me like that since the moment I got home. Aren't you afraid of getting pins and needles in your eyes?"

Though Rou Xue didn't know what "pins and needles" meant, she sensed it wasn't complimentary, and angrily retorted, "I am staring at you, you dead scoundrel, you lecher, you disgraceful person! I want to see if you can still sit so comfortably!"

Mo Han chuckled, torn between amusement and frustration. "Why do you talk as if I’ve done something terrible to you? You sound like a jilted woman. Don't tell me you've fallen for me, little girl? Haha, even though my charm is a little overwhelming..." "Go to hell, Chen Mo Han, you're the jilted one!" Rou Xue immediately erupted, grabbing a nearby teacup and hurling it at Mo Han.

"Oh dear, you little brat, we were having a pleasant conversation. Even if I guessed correctly, you shouldn't go throwing things around!" Mo Han said, though he effortlessly caught the cup Rou Xue threw, his face sporting a mischievous grin.

"Sister Dai Li, why don't you manage this brute? He only bullies me all day long," Rou Xue, her face flushed either from embarrassment or anger, walked over to Dai Li to vent her grievances.

Dai Li smiled helplessly and addressed Mo Han, "Alright, stop bothering Rou Xue all day. She did you a great favor this time, after all."

"Tch, the little brat learned the flanking maneuver, a genuine improvement," Mo Han couldn't help muttering toward Rou Xue, but he remained deeply respectful toward Dai Li. Hearing her words, Mo Han reluctantly let the matter drop. There would be plenty of opportunities later; since the girl seemed intent on staying here now, he wouldn't lack chances to tease her. As the saying goes, a gentleman's revenge is best served cold—hehe.

He noticed Bai Ling, who was sipping tea leisurely nearby, looking deeply concerned. Bai Ling had sacrificed her own essence to save him, turning her black hair stark white. Later, with the help of Blaze, he managed to give Bai Ling several bottles of the supreme treasure 'Essence of Life' to restore her vital energy, which improved her condition significantly. Otherwise, Bai Ling might have turned into an old hag by now. Even so, because so much of her life essence had been depleted, even with the supplementation from the Essence of Life, while her appearance and hair had recovered, her complexion remained exceedingly pale, making a full recovery a difficult task in a short time.

Seeing Bai Ling’s continued pallor, Mo Han couldn't help but ask with concern, "Bai Ling, your body hasn't recovered yet. Why don't you rest a bit longer?" Hearing the deep concern in Mo Han's tone, Bai Ling’s face flushed slightly as she replied, "I'm fine already. I was getting sick of lying around all day. Besides, listening to you all bicker is quite amusing."

Hearing Bai Ling's answer, Mo Han rolled his eyes heavenward. This woman spoke from a place of comfort! This brought forth giggles from Dai Li and Murong Feixue, leaving only Rou Xue, whose face was completely red as she exclaimed, "Sister Bai Ling, are you joining this brute in making fun of me too?"

Suddenly, the entire Prince's Residence was filled with the sound of their laughter.

Two days later, outside the Grand Cathedral of the Church of Light in Tian Long City. The investigative delegation, led by Hermes, stared with expressions of fury at the few Tian Long City Priests and the retinue of clergy behind them. Hermes angrily addressed one of the Priests: "The attitude of the Church of Light in Tian Long City is getting bigger and bigger! To welcome a Cardinal, you send only a few small fry? Your arrogance exceeds even that of the Holy Capital!"

Hearing Hermes's words, one of the Tian Long City Priests quickly replied with a pale face, "Please forgive us, Your Eminence the Archbishop. High Priest Mola and Priest Zhamos are both away from the city. We are currently the highest-ranking officials in the Grand Cathedral here in Tian Long City. It was absolutely not intentional to offend Your Eminence; please show mercy."

"Oh? Even Zhamos is gone? I was told only Mola was missing?" Hermes glared grimly at the speaking Priest. The Priest hastily replied, "Your subordinate dares not lie. High Priest Mola and Priest Zhamos are truly not in the city. High Priest Mola disappeared several days ago, and Priest Zhamos has not appeared since yesterday."

"Damn it! Then why didn't you report this to the Holy Capital immediately?" Hermes barked angrily at the Priest.

"Initially, Priest Zhamos merely said High Priest Mola had gone out on business and would return in a few days, so we did not report it right away," the Priest replied respectfully, sweating profusely.

"Then Zhamos is missing! Are you all mute?" Hermes's rage was unyielding.

"Priest Zhamos went missing yesterday afternoon. At the time, your subordinate didn't think much of it, assuming the Priest had just gone home. It was only this morning when I went to his residence that I realized the Priest was also gone, which is when I sensed something was amiss," the Priest being questioned by Hermes answered nervously. Then, noticing Hermes's darkening expression, he quickly added, "So, I intended to report to the Holy Capital this morning, but I only discovered then that the Crystal of Light used for communication with the Holy Capital had also vanished. Thus, I had to immediately dispatch men to other cities to spread the news; those messengers are likely still on the road, which is why Your Eminence did not receive the message."

"Hmph. Even so, the charge of negligence cannot be escaped. How could you lose the Crystal of Light without realizing it? Don't you know the importance of the Crystal of Light? How could you lose it?" Hermes maintained his uncompromising tone.

The Tian Long Priest immediately cried out with a sorrowful face, "This is unjust, Your Eminence! The Crystal of Light was always kept by Priest Zhamos. How would this subordinate dare to inquire about it?"

Hermes's expression shifted, and he coldly snorted, "And you dare to argue! Guards! Take every Priest and cleric in this cathedral and throw them into the dungeon to await judgment!"

The members of the Judgment Knights behind Hermes heard the order and immediately surged toward the Priests and clerics. These defenseless clerics were no match for the Judgment Knights and were quickly apprehended. The Knights responsible for guarding the church dared not resist forces from the Holy Capital, and within moments, everyone was bound tightly. Yet, they continued to cry out about their innocence, but since Hermes had come specifically to deal with High Priest Mola, he certainly wouldn't be lenient with Mola's subordinates.

Just as everyone believed their end had come, a faint voice drifted from the street corner: "Stop right there!"