The Rising Phoenix

The registration staff accepted the quest slip and began processing it. When he asked how many students would be participatingstudents would be participating in the mission, Bai Xifeng answered calmly that she would be going alone. Only then did the staff member finally lift his head to look at her properly, his eyes narrowing in surprise.

"Just you?" The registration staff asked again, clearly incredulous.

"Yes." Bai Xifeng nodded, her expression neutral. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Well... it is not recommended to take this quest alone. It is quite dangerous." The registration staff warned cautiously.

"Well, you can count my contracted beast as my partner as well." Bai Xifeng replied with a shrug.

"You possess a contracted beast?" The staff asked, appearing slightly startled by the revelation.

"Yes." Bai Xifeng nodded again, offering no further elaboration.

"Alright. I will process your registration, then." The registration staff said after a brief, contemplative pause, ultimately agreeing to the request.

After receiving the quest tag, Bai Xifeng was about to leave the counter when Zou Weizhe called her name once more. She stopped in her tracks and turned around. Behind him, the same group of students still stood, following him closely like a loyal shadow. Jin Zhilan, in particular, was still glaring at Bai Xifeng with undisguised resentment and burning jealousy.

"Lady Bai... I apologise for my follower’s rudeness." Zou Weizhe said, bowing his head slightly on Jin Zhilan’s behalf.

Upon hearing those words, Jin Zhilan’s face flushed a deep crimson with a mix of anger and humiliation. Why did Zou Weizhe feel the need to apologise to this woman for her actions?

"Your Highness, why are you apologising to this woman? She is simply not worth your concern!" Jin Zhilan complained bitterly, her voice trembling.

Zou Weizhe did not respond to Jin Zhilan immediately. Instead, his gaze remained fixed intently on Bai Xifeng, as if the rest of the people around him no longer existed in his world. There was a faint, charming smile on his lips, but his eyes carried something much deeper, something calculating, and perhaps, something possessive.

If Bai Xifeng knew exactly what Zou Weizhe was thinking at that moment, she would have rolled her eyes so hard they might have stayed that way. She certainly did not sign up to be the female lead for a possessive, overbearing male lead.

"Whether she is worth it or not is not a decision for you to make." Zou Weizhe finally said, his tone remaining calm yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority.

Jin Zhilan froze instantly. The others in the group also fell into an uneasy silence. They had followed Zou Weizhe for a long time since they were first enrolled at this school, yet this was the first time they had ever heard him speak in such a cold, sharp tone toward one of his own followers. It was a clear testament to just how much Zou Weizhe valued Bai Xifeng.

"Your Highness..." Jin Zhilan’s voice trembled slightly with hurt.

"Apologise." Zou Weizhe said simply.

The single word fell heavily into the air, leaving no room for negotiation.

"What?" Jin Zhilan widened her eyes in sheer disbelief.

"I said, apologise." Zou Weizhe repeated, his voice now laced with a distinct trace of icy coldness.

"There is no need." Bai Xifeng interjected.

"My people acted rudely toward you. It is only fair that she offers an apology." Zou Weizhe said to Bai Xifeng. Then, his gaze shifted back to Jin Zhilan, hardening. "Apologise now. Don’t make me repeat myself one more time."

Jin Zhilan clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, yet she did not dare to refuse him. She lowered her head stiffly, her entire body trembling with the weight of her humiliation.

"I... apologise." Jin Zhilan forced the words out through gritted teeth, each syllable sounding like a struggle.

Bai Xifeng watched the entire exchange with a completely indifferent expression, as if she were merely observing a meaningless, amateur performance.

"I already told you there is no need for this. Your apology has absolutely no value to me." Bai Xifeng said flatly.

"You!!!" Jin Zhilan’s head snapped up, her eyes burning with a renewed fury.

"Enough." Zou Weizhe cut her off before she could continue her outburst.

He then turned his attention back to Bai Xifeng, his expression softening slightly, as though the terrifying coldness from just moments before had never existed.

"Lady Bai, please do not take this to heart. My followers can be... overly enthusiastic at times." Zou Weizhe said with a faint, smooth chuckle.

Bai Xifeng did not bother to respond. Instead, she simply turned around and began to walk away, her pace steady.

"Lady Bai..." Zou Weizhe called out again.

This time, Bai Xifeng did not even bother to stop.

A subtle glint flashed across Zou Weizhe’s eyes as he watched her retreating figure disappear into the crowd. The more she ignored him, the more intrigued he became.

Someone like her, unmoved by status and entirely indifferent to power, was a rare find. And rare things were meant to be obtained and kept.

After leaving the Quest Building, Bai Xifeng went to the Inscriber Division to inform Ji Yuan about her departure. Ji Yuan simply told her to be more careful than usual while she was outside the safety of the walls.

Thus, Bai Xifeng did not linger any longer and went straight to the main gate. After showing the quest tag to the guard on duty, she was allowed to leave the school grounds.

Once she was a safe distance away, Bai Xifeng immediately summoned Cerberus. She jumped onto Cerberus’s broad back and instructed him to move out.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*