Rebirth of the Ninth Princess

The amulet was a precious gift from her father, and she hadn't expected this man to notice it so easily.

He's really extraordinary!

Cailun chuckled at Hyeonmu Seohwa's reaction. "We're all highly skilled people here. For you to completely escape our detection, that could only mean you used something like an invisibility amulet, right?"

Hyeonmu Seohwa nodded her head hesitantly. "That's correct. I could sense all of you are very strong."

Ouyang Qingcheng waved his hand, signaling the shadow guards to lower their guard and return to their seats.

Jin Yi beckoned Hyeonmu Seohwa to approach.

Hyeonmu Seohwa hesitated for a moment.

"You came out because you wanted something to eat, didn't you? Now that we're inviting you to join us, what's there to be afraid of?" Jin Er said with an amused smile.

Hyeonmu Seohwa finally walked over, stealing quick glances at Yuanjiu and Ouyang Qingcheng. "That scary uncle treats the little girl in his arms so well. So, I figured a father who loves his child this much couldn't be a bad person, right? At least he wouldn't casually harm a child. That's why I decided to come out."

Jin Yi nodded approvingly and handed her a freshly torn lamb leg. "Good analysis."

"Thank you!"

Hyeonmu Seohwa accepted it without hesitation and started eating in large bites.

Jin Er, who had just finished eating, offered Hyeonmu Seohwa his chair.

After swallowing her food, Yuanjiu turned to Ouyang Qingcheng. "Daddy, she's also going to the academy to study."

The academy term was starting soon, and Yuanjiu who is now six years old, had been told by Ouyang Qingcheng about enrolling her in the academy.

"Hmm." Ouyang Qingcheng nodded and fed Yuanjiu another piece of roasted lamb.

Hyeonmu Seohwa clearly famished, ate quickly but with surprising composure.

"Uncles, how far are we from the capital?" he asked politely.

Shadow Guard Jin San who is sitting beside her, replied sternly, "On horseback, half an hour. On foot, about an hour and a half."

"Oh, thank you!" Hyeonmu Seohwa said.

Jin Yi, overhearing this, asked curiously, "You see we have horses and carriages. Why didn't you ask us for a ride?"

Hyeonmu Seohwa shook her head. "You've already helped me a lot by offering me food. If I walk faster, I can reach the capital before dark. Once I'm there, I'll manage."

Jin Yi pointed out, "Without money, you'll have no place to stay or food to eat."

Hyeonmu Seohwa replied calmly, "I have some money stashed away elsewhere, so it wasn't stolen. But that's for tuition, so I can't spend it recklessly. When I reach the capital, I'll use some of it to find a place to stay and then get a job to earn it back. There are still over ten days before the term starts. I should be able to manage."

Jin Yi praised, "You've thought this through very well."

Once everyone had finished eating, Ouyang Qingcheng glanced at the group, their clothes dirtied and disheveled from the day's activities. "How does it feel?"

Everyone smiled and replied, "Master, it feels wonderful! It's been so long since we experienced this. Thank you, Master, and thank you, Young Miss!"

"That's good. It's all thanks to my precious one," Ouyang Qingcheng said.

Just then, Yuanjiu spotted something among the leftover firewood.

Her eyes lit up as she ran over to pick it up.

"Daddy, what is this?"

Ouyang Qingcheng glanced at the item in her hand. "Daddy also never seen it before. It looks like ordinary grass."

Yuanjiu asked the others, but they all said they didn't recognize it either.

At the time, they had only noticed it was dried and yellowed and thought it suitable for firewood.

"Daddy, this is something valuable!"

Yuanjiu waved her hand to call over the shadow guards. "Uncles, come quickly! Where did you find this? Please make sure to cut down all of it and bring it back. This is your last task for today. You're allowed to use magic for this one!"

Ouyang Qingcheng turned to Hyeonmu Seohwa. "If you're willing to help, you can go with them. I'll take you to the capital on the way back."

As a ruler, Ouyang Qingcheng excelled at making the best use of people.

He was also subtly offering Hyeonmu Seohwa a helping hand.

Given his status, he couldn't openly suggest aiding the girl.

Similarly, Hyeonmu Seohwa, with her strong sense of pride, would likely refuse outright charity.

This arrangement provided a way for Hyeonmu Seohwa to contribute in exchange for help, subtly teaching Yuanjiu that achieving something often requires effort.

"Really? Thank you very much, Sir!" Hyeonmu Seohwa exclaimed gratefully.

Ouyang Qingcheng waved his hand, and Jin Yi, holding Hyeonmu Seohwa, led the other three shadow guards to complete their task.

All the collected items were placed into Cailun's spatial ring.

Hyeonmu Seohwa rode on the same horse as Jin Yi as they returned to the city together.

After hopping and playing all day, Yuanjiu was now drowsy in Ouyang Qingcheng's arms.

It was only then that Ouyang Qingcheng had a chance to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Ouyang Qingtian.

"What's going on today?" Ouyang Qingcheng had already noticed that Ouyang Qingtian's mood seemed off.

"Oh, it's nothing much, Elder Brother. I'll be leaving in a couple of days," Ouyang Qingtian replied.

Yuanjiu opened her eyes, fighting to stay awake so she could listen in on the conversation.

Ouyang Qingcheng raised an eyebrow. "So sudden? Is it Jiali pressing you?"

Yuanjiu had only recently learned that Ouyang Qingtian was actually the general who is guarding the border in the south.

When Ouyang Qingcheng had recalled him to serve as Yuanjiu's teacher, he had sent a trusted subordinate, Lingzi, to replace him.

"It's not that," Ouyang Qingtian said with a pitiful look. "Xiaojiu has already learned everything I can teach to her. So, what's the point of me staying here?"

Ouyang Qingcheng shot him a nonchalant glance. "I want the truth."

Ouyang Qingtian chuckled sheepishly. "I recently heard someone say they saw Ah Xiang in a southern city. I want to go look for her. After that, I'll head straight back to the border."