Once he had thanked the old Heavenly Master, Ning Chen turned to Eunuch Quan. "Old Quan, you were looking for me?"

Only then did Eunuch Quan snap out of his astonishment.

No wonder he was astonished. He knew exactly how good Ning Chen used to be... He had never imagined that Ning Chen would one day last a few moves against the old Heavenly Master.

Ning Chen was improving much too fast!

Eunuch Quan gathered his thoughts. "Word just came. The Gaoli mission is nearly here... Lord Feng of the Ministry of Rites has already taken people out of the city to meet it!"

Ning Chen blinked. "Right. I'll go now!"

"Old Heavenly Master, Elder Liu, I'll take my leave!"

Ning Chen said his goodbyes and left.

Outside the imperial city, the Minister of Rites, Feng Gaojie, and the Fourth Prince were waiting to receive the Gaoli mission.

The man leading the Gaoli mission this time was Jin Dongxing.

Jin Dongxing was the Gaoli crown prince, so the mission had to be taken seriously.

Every so often the Fourth Prince turned to look back toward the city, muttering, "What's taking that Ning Chen so long?"

"My lord prince has a great many duties. Something must have held him up!"

Feng Gaojie smiled faintly as he said it.

The Fourth Prince rubbed his hands. He was nervous, wondering what his future bride looked like.

Ning Chen kept saying she was very pretty, but the Fourth Prince was still worried. After all, Ning Chen was only guessing. He had never seen her with his own eyes.

A fast rider came galloping up.

He reined in close by, dismounted, and stepped forward to report. "Fourth Prince, Lord Feng, the Gaoli mission is just under a mile from us."

About half an hour later, a line of carriages and horses came toward the city gate.

The Gaoli mission had arrived.

The Fourth Prince and Feng Gaojie led their people forward to meet it.

The mission came to a halt.

A folding fan poked out of a carriage and brushed the curtain aside, and the…