"HAH! Let's see if the elders would talk only about that Jingxuan! This time, our names will be on the same line as his every time they talk about this case!"
Bai Yichen tapped his chest proudly as he said those words.
The three of them shared the same carriage, and Lily couldn't help but wish the elders had taken them in their carriage instead.
This loudmouth kept talking nonstop, and her eardrums were about to burst.
"Jingxuan is a hero, and Yichen is a burden," she said, not taking her eyes off the scenery.
"So what?" Bai Yichen didn't care. "As long as my name is mentioned alongside Jingxuan's whenever they talk about this case, then mission accomplished!"
"…" Lily had no words to say.
Pei Tianrui's eyes, however, twinkled.
"Do you think my mother would be proud of me as well?" he asked. He only knew Jingxuan was a genius of the Lu Clan, and his mother had nothing but praise for him. He couldn't help but think that being mentioned alongside Jingxuan was something to be proud of.
"…" said Lily.
How were these two raised?
Maybe Tianrui was a child of the Bai Clan.
"Of course!" Bai Yichen answered without the slightest hesitation.
Sighing, Lily said, "If your mother heard that you're a burden, she would definitely reprimand you."
She had to stop Tianrui's way of thinking before Concubine Su uttered words that could make this kid's world crumble.
Tianrui didn't believe her.
"How would you know that?" he pouted. "You don't have a mother, so how do you know what a mother thinks?"
Bai Yichen frowned.
Although he acted like a fool all the time, he wasn't a complete fool. He knew the Pei Clan Head's family situation was complicated, unlike his own. Saying something like that was disrespectful.
He was about to open his mouth when Lily beat him to it.
"I don't know how a mother thinks, but I know how Concubine Su thinks."
Whenever she met that concubine, the latter would always look at her with a deep gaze.
As usual, Lily didn't care.
That didn't mean she didn't know what was on the other woman's mind.
Only that mindless father of hers, who was always enamored by beauty, didn't know how deeply his concubines thought.
She always thought that if her father ever met with an accident, it would be because one of his concubines had done something.
Lily couldn't help but shake her head at the thought.
Bai Yichen thought she had been affected by Tianrui's words and couldn't help but reprimand him.
"You should be thankful that you still have your mother in the estate. Tianli grew up without one. You don't know how hard it was for her to grow up this well and become this strong."
"But…" Tianrui didn't know what to say. If it had been anyone else, he would have insulted Tianli right away. But this was the Bai Clan's Young Heir.
Lily shifted her gaze to Bai Yichen.
Her expression was complicated.
Bai Yichen, on the other hand, gave her a look that said, No need to thank me.
No, she thought. She didn't want to thank him.
She hadn't grown up in a difficult household. Her father had raised her personally, so no one dared bully her.
As for having a mother, not once had she ever thought about it.
Watching the other concubines was already enough drama for her.
If her own mother had also been in the estate...
It would have been a disaster.
That would have been a nuisance.
Soon, they reached the capital of the Kingdom of Liang.
This was the first time, in Lily's three lives, that she had visited one of the kingdoms under the Tianyuan Empire.
This kingdom was unexpectedly hot.
She was already sweating without even moving.
It made her even more lethargic.
She wanted nothing more than to find a place where she could lie down and sleep.
She was about to doze off when the carriages came to a halt, followed by enthusiastic voices welcoming them.
Bai Yichen excitedly opened the carriage door and jumped out, followed by Tianrui.
Lily was about to follow them when she heard a familiar voice.
She immediately retracted her foot, sat back down comfortably, and feigned ignorance.
She didn't want to listen to another lecture from a Lu.
"Who told you to come?"
Lu Jingxuan's expression darkened when he saw Bai Yichen and an unfamiliar child.
"Hah! Do you think you're the only one allowed to investigate?" Bai Yichen tsked. "I'm also the heir of one of the three great clans. Of course I should be here."
Tianrui remained silent.
The aura surrounding the Lu Clan's Young Heir felt suffocating.
"Go back," Lu Jingxuan said coldly. "We don't need a burden here."
"What did you say?"
Angered, Bai Yichen rolled up his sleeves.
He was going to teach this guy a lesson.
This fellow had been arrogant for far too long!
"If you had focused on studying your family's specialization, your presence here would have been acceptable," Lu Jingxuan said. "We need a Formation Master. What can you do?"
The anomaly in the village could have been caused by an Artisan specializing in Formations.
Among the three great clans, only the Bai Clan produced Artisans whose specializations varied.
Elder Zhentian was a Formation Master.
That was why he had come.
But Bai Yichen had yet to fully form his Soul Core and had not chosen a Path.
For now...
He was just an ordinary child with slightly extraordinary strength.
And...
Lu Jingxuan's gaze shifted toward Tianrui.
Bai Yichen had even brought another burden with him.
His frown deepened.
"Young Heir Lu, let them stay and experience the real world," Elder Yanshu interjected. "They are heirs of the clans, after all. Sooner or later, they'll face situations like this."
Heirs?
Lu Jingxuan looked at Tianrui.
Had the Pei Clan changed its heir?
Lord Pei didn't seem like someone who would replace his successor overnight.
His gaze then shifted toward the carriage Bai Yichen had come from.
Only then did he notice a familiar aura.
Before he could speak, Lily stepped out of the carriage and said, "Yichen kidnapped me."
"..." Bai Yichen.
Could she stop bringing up the kidnapping already?
Lu Jingxuan didn't believe her.
"I will respect Elder Yanshu's decision," he said. "But the three of you must listen to the elders and me. If any of you run off, I'll personally send you back to your clan estates."
Ignoring their reactions, he turned toward the people behind him.
"These are the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Liang—King Jung, Queen Hera, and Crown Prince Herald."
Everyone's attention shifted to the three.
King Jung smiled and welcomed them once more.
"It is an honor for our kingdom to receive the three future heirs of the Tianyuan Empire."
Elder Zhentian stepped forward with a smile.
"This is the Pei Clan's Young Heir, Pei Tianli, and the Sixth Young Master, Pei Tianrui. And this is our Bai Clan's Young Heir, Bai Yichen."
He then introduced himself.
"We should discuss the matter now," Elder Yanshu suggested after introducing himself. "Please fill us in on the details."
King Jung nodded and led them toward the meeting hall.
Lu Jingxuan and the elders walked at the front with the royal family as they discussed the investigation.
Lily and her minions trailed behind.
Bai Yichen was still pouting.
"Does Jingxuan think he's the boss? Just because he has already fully formed his Soul Core and chosen his Path, he thinks he's better than us."
"He is, though," Lily replied.
"Do you not have any backbone?" Bai Yichen glared at her.
"Would saying we're equals change the fact that we're not?" Lily asked, blinking innocently.
"I also heard he mastered all four branches of the Mage Path," Tianrui added. His mother had once mentioned it while talking to his elder brother.
"You two Pei siblings have no dignity at all," Bai Yichen said with a look of disgust.
"Tell me about it after you've mastered all four specializations of the Artisan Path," Lily shrugged.
"Just you wait! Once I fully form my Soul Core, I'll become a master of every Artisan specialization!"
"Sure, sure. You will."
"Stop patronizing me!"
"Then you won't be able to do it."
"Don't jinx me!"
"..."
Lily had no words left to say.