At the crystal dining table closest to Xu Zihuang's side of the hall, a blonde girl who appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen sat gracefully, cradling a glass of colored glaze in her hands. She was stunningly beautiful. Her loose golden hair shimmered with dark gold hues under the dim soul lamp lighting, as if draped in a veil of golden tassels that added a touch of mystique to her beauty. She wore a pure white pleated gown that bared her fair shoulders and delicate collarbones.
Her slender, jade-like fingers were sheathed in a pair of fine ice-silkworm gloves.
A sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg adorned her chest, resting elegantly against her porcelain skin.
Her deep blue eyes sparkled with intelligence, and a group of noble ladies clustered around her, clearly trying to win her favor.
When Xu Zihuang's gaze drifted in her direction, his eyes narrowed slightly.
His memory had always been exceptional—nearly photographic. Perhaps this was an early sign of his awakening to the spiritual-type martial soul: the Golden Eyes.
From his recollections, this young lady was likely the second daughter of a powerful marquis of the Sun Moon Empire. They had encountered each other briefly when he was a child.
As for her name, the younger Xu Zihuang hadn't paid much attention, and so he retained no clear impression of it now.
Although she appeared to be casually chatting, the girl had clearly been watching Xu Zihuang all along. Now, feigning surprise, she gently lifted her glass and offered him a graceful noblewoman's salute in the style of the Sun Moon aristocracy.
Xu Zihuang responded with a slight nod before turning his gaze away.
A very calculating woman.
That was Xu Zihuang's assessment of her.
No matter how naturally she behaved or how flawless her expression appeared, the emotion buried deep in her eyes could not be completely concealed.
The eyes are the windows to the soul—one of the most telling features of human emotion. Only soul masters of immense strength could truly mask that level of subtlety.
As the son of a powerful prince, Xu Zihuang had been trained from a young age in the art of reading people—an essential skill for any royal vying for power.
And now, with his awakened spiritual-type martial soul, the Golden Eyes, he could discern even the faintest changes within the depths of someone's gaze.
"Your Highness, that young lady is Yi Ziyue, second daughter of the Marquis of Yicheng in Mingdu," came the respectful voice of Yu Yun, the head of the Lanhai Soul Engineer Regiment, who had caught on to Xu Zihuang's interest.
Yu Yun was an old man who barely stood 1.65 meters tall, with a lean frame and dark skin—typical of people from the coastal regions of the Sun Moon Empire.
Initially, Yu Yun had no intention of showing any deference to this exiled prince. After all, given Xu Zihuang's current position, few would dare associate with someone who seemed unlikely to ever regain power.
But after witnessing the deference shown to Xu Zihuang by Haixiao—a trusted subordinate of the Crown Prince Xu Tiannan—Yu Yun wisely chose not to stand out.
Xu Zihuang set down the ornately patterned golden goblet in his hand with indifference, then raised his eyes once more to look in Yi Ziyue's direction.
"Those ten will do," he said. "Commander Yu Yun, please convey my thanks to my royal brother for his kind arrangements."
The "royal brother" he referred to was, of course, Crown Prince Xu Tiannan—the one currently most likely to inherit the throne of the Sun Moon Empire.
"Certainly, Your Highness. I will relay your words to the Crown Prince without fail," Yu Yun said as he stood and respectfully bowed.
Xu Zihuang said nothing more. He rose and, flanked by several guards, exited the hall.
The moment Xu Zihuang left, the atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically. All the noble girls present instantly understood that the selection had been made.
Many hopeful eyes followed him, yet not a single word was spoken.
Only after he had completely departed did hushed whispers begin to circulate throughout the room.
"Ziyue, I noticed that the prince kept looking our way. Do you think we've really been chosen?!" asked a busty blue-haired girl beside Yi Ziyue, her eyes lighting up as she clenched her delicate fists with excitement.
"If we really can bear a child with the royal Zihuang Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul, our family might turn its fortunes around."
Most of the hundred noble girls gathered here had come from similar circumstances. Each had her own reason for accepting this arrangement.
Had they belonged to truly powerful noble families, they would never have allowed their legitimate daughters to take part in something like this.
Beyond the gossip such a move would invite, the matter of royal succession in the Sun Moon Empire was simply too sensitive. It could easily bring disaster upon an entire household.
Yi Ziyue, however, was an exception. She had volunteered—going so far as to strain her relationship with her own family to do so.
As the second daughter of her house, and not of the main bloodline, she held little hope of ever inheriting the family's title. Even though women could inherit noble titles in both the Sun Moon Empire and the former Three Kingdoms of the Douluo continent, she lacked the legitimacy.
Her future likely involved becoming a pawn in some marriage alliance to consolidate family power.
But she refused to accept such a fate. Rather than live her life as a puppet under her family's control, she had chosen to take a gamble—one that might just give her a sliver of true agency.
Using her family's connections, she had uncovered insider information about Xu Zihuang.
Innately full soul power. A purity of bloodline that had been exceedingly rare in the royal family for generations.
If she played her cards right, the possibilities were endless.
Gripped by the turmoil of her emotions, Yi Ziyue's hand trembled slightly around the glass cup, though a faint, confident smile curled on her lips.
The other noble girls gathered around her were all beaming with hope and excitement, while Yu Yun, seated at the head of the hall, finally exhaled in relief.
"Commander Haixiao," he said, "since His Highness has made his selection, I'll begin preparations for our return tomorrow morning. Thank you for your hospitality this evening."
The ten noble girls Xu Zihuang had chosen—led by Yi Ziyue—were all from some of the most influential noble families. Since they would remain on the island, the pressure for Yu Yun to escort everyone back was significantly reduced.
"Please do, Commander Yu Yun," Haixiao replied. He didn't rise but watched Yu Yun leave the castle before instructing his men to escort the ten selected girls to their rooms.
As for the others, they were sent back to the massive warship. The castle couldn't accommodate that many people, and having too many around only increased the risk of complications.
Haixiao, his broad frame moving with quiet strength, walked to the flower garden in front of the castle. Gazing up at the silver crescent moon hanging in the night sky, he gave a deep command.
"Guards!"
A soldier clad in blue armor dropped to one knee behind him. The blue armor marked him as a member of the elite Western Sea Soul Engineer Regiment—a clear contrast to Yu Yun's mixed-rank forces.
"Send word: no one is to rest tonight. Double the watch on the walls, especially near the eastern port."
"Yes, Commander!"
(End of Chapter)
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