Su Ting had always been known for his vibrant personality and keen intellect. In his leisure time, he preferred the company of young individuals and consistently sought new adventures.

Su Kang approached the doors of his brother's palace. He stepped inside to find the palace unusually quiet, the air thick with an unmistakable silence.

His gaze swept over the opulent decorations, the plush carpets, and the ornate furniture, each item speaking of his brother's flamboyant taste. But there was no sign of the Su Ting.

He knew that Su Ting had an affinity for the dramatic, and if he weren't here, he'd likely be out causing some kind of ruckus.

The tavern was the first place that came to mind. It was a common haunt of his younger brother, where he often went to unwind and indulge in his love for drinking and socialising.

Su Kang navigated through the bustling streets of Liyun City, the scent of various exotic spices wafting from the nearby market stalls mingling with the faint aroma of ale from the taverns. He passed his way through the throng, his eyes scanning the familiar faces for any sign of his brother.

As he approached the tavern, the sound of laughter and clinking glasses grew louder, spilling out into the air.

The "Jade Dragon's Roar," as the tavern was known, was a favourite among the city's elite, with its reputation for serving the finest liquors and hosting the most entertaining bouts of wit and banter. Su Kang had been here countless times before, often to drag Su Ting home.

The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere of the tavern washed over him like a warm, familiar blanket. The scent of roasting meats and the sweet, pungent aroma of various spiritual liquors filled his nostrils.

There he saw his brother, holding court at a table surrounded by a lively group of young noblemen and women. Su Ting's infectious laughter rang out, his sharp and handsome face flushed with the warmth of the drink and the excitement of the evening's festivities.

The conversations around him were a jumble of laughter and gossip. He tuned them out, focusing instead on the group surrounding Su Ting. His younger brother was in the midst of telling a story, his gestures animated and his audience enraptured.

Su Ting spun his tale with flair, his eyes gleaming with mischief. As the story reached its climax, a sudden hush fell over the tavern.

Then, with a dramatic flourish, Su Ting concluded his tale, and the room erupted in applause and cheers. He took a sip from his cup, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction.

Su Kang remained hidden in the shadows, a knowing smile on his lips as he observed his brother.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

As the applause for Su Ting's story died down, a peculiar sensation tickled the edge of Su Kang's consciousness. His gaze drifted over the crowd, searching for the source.

That's when he noticed a girl standing at the edge of the gathering, shrouded in a mysterious aura that seemed to repel the very shadows themselves.

Her eyes were a lighter shade of red. Her hair flowed like a river of night, cascading over her shoulders and framing her pale, porcelain-like face. She was wearing red and black coloured robe.

She looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, yet Su Kang could not see through her cultivation realm. Her youthful visage was a stark contrast to her demeanour and aura that clung to her.

"Who is she?" He thought. He didn't recognise her. Her gaze was looking at him as he turned to look at this girl.

Both stare at each other for a few seconds before turning away. Su Kang could not sense her intention.

"Fate, look at her. Tell me about her destiny."

Fate looked at the young girl for a few seconds. Then he answered Su Kang,

"10,000 destiny points. Her luck and blessing are higher in quality compared to yours as well."

"So she is a core formation cultivator. But what is she doing here? Su Kang was confused about this situation.

"What do you mean by her quality of luck and blessing being better than mine?"

"This is my new ability after recovering. Now I can see the quality of destiny as well." Fate responded to him.

"Is she a threat? Why would someone like her gather here for no reason?" Su Kang was observing this whole situation. He ignored Fate's new ability for now.

"Does she want to harm my brother for some reason?

Or is she an acquaintance of his?" Su Kang immediately thought that somehow his brother ended up offending this person.

"Looking at her expression, it's not hard to guess that she is not enjoying any of this." Su Kang thought.

"Why will someone like her hang out in this place if it's not an investigation?"

Maybe she is just checking his family and background before taking action. That means she is not from Jiang state. Su Kang's thoughts were running wild.

Su Ting, seemingly oblivious to his thoughts, was busy taking bows and accepting compliments with an exaggerated flair that was all too characteristic of him.

"Su Ting," Su Kang called out, his voice cutting through the din of the tavern. His younger brother's head snapped up, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him.

"Brother," Su Ting shouted loudly as he looked towards him.

Immediately surrounding people also noticed Su Kang, and they panicked. Su Kang doesn't like such activities, and he always scolds his brother for such things.

"Brother, you're back!" He slammed his cup down on the table with a thump. Seeing this gesture, people started to slip away as soon as they could.

Su Kang ignored them and looked at his brother. The girl was not leaving this place, and looking at her expression, she didn't intend to leave this place.

"Let's talk as we go back." Su Kang said.

Su Ting nodded and gestured for everyone to continue without him. But before he left, he introduced the girl to him.

"This is Miss Yue, the daughter of the Yue family from the distant Xuantian Empire. She's quite the talented cultivator, and she's been regaling us with tales of her adventures!"

"She saved me from a malicious spirit during one treasure hunt. She was travelling alone, so I invited her to Liyun City."

Su Ting's introduction was met with a demure smile from the girl with the red eyes. She nodded her head at him.

"It's an honour to meet you, Young Master Su," she said with a slight bow of her head. Her voice was like a gentle breeze, carrying with it an air of dignity and composure.

"Thank you, Miss Yue, for your assistance to my brother." He said, his tone sincere, but he kept his guard against her.

She was just putting up with you. It's you who is boasting about your adventures; Su Kang wanted to beat his brother for such a blatant lie, but he held back.

He had never seen a cultivator from the Xuantian Empire in the Jiang state before. Xuantian Empire is more than one million kilometres away from the borders of Jiang State.

The Xuantian Empire is rich in history and more prosperous than their state. After all, they have better cultivation resources.

The northern border of the Jiang state is with the Heng state, and the Xuantian Empire is the northern neighbour of the Heng state.

Jiang state doesn't have any fourth-level spiritual vein, but the northern region or state outside of Jiang state has denser spiritual qi and more spiritual veins. They even had fourth-level spiritual veins.

"Why would someone like her travel to such barren lands?" Su Kang was confused about this.

Su Kang studied her intently, noticing the way she moved with a grace that belied her young age. Her eyes, though they remained fixed on him, revealed nothing of her intentions or emotions.

It was as if she were looking through him, seeing something beyond his physical presence.