Xia Ling is surprised by the turn of events and blaming herself for involving a bystander. She looked at his broad back and long black hair Di Cheng and asked, "who are you?"
Di Cheng turned around and looked straight into her eyes smiling said, "My name is Di Cheng, while I was walking I saw those fellows bullying you, so I helped you. "
"Di!!...are you from Di family?" Xia Ling was shocked. Even though she is a maid in the imperial palace she is insignificant, there are hundreds of maids just like her in the palace but the Di family is different. They are one of the top ten families same as Bu and Tu families. If she were to cause trouble provoking these families there will be heavy punishment so Why would someone from Di family help her and why is he wearing servant clothes.
Di Cheng nodded his head, "Yes I am Di family patriarch's son. Sister doesn't need to be worried I only saved you because I wanted to. So you have to be careful while walking back home. "
Xia Ling nodded and bowed her head and said, "Young master Cheng, my name is Xia Ling, I just don't know how to thank you. I don't have that much money with me right now, I can pay you after some time."
Di Cheng waved his hand and said, "Nah, it's okay sister Ling, you don't need to pay for that. There is no need for formalities, you can just call me by name."
Xia Ling is surprised that this young master of a noble family is so humble and honest. She knows how those young masters of noble families are proud and arrogant but here this fellow is totally different from what she thought.
"Where do you live? I will help you get there." Di Cheng offered his help.
Xia Ling awkwardly said, " Actually, I am a maid in the imperial palace. I am just helping with some errands."
"Oh!..," Di Cheng didn't ask much as he continued to walk. Xia Ling followed him as they moved in the direction of the imperial palace.
Xia Ling saw that he is wearing servant clothes she can't contain her curiosity asked,"Di.. Di Cheng, why are you wearing servant clothes? "
Di Cheng looked at her said truthfully, "I am the son of Di family patriarch but I don't have talent in cultivation, so I am wearing these clothes to avoid any unnecessary trouble."
Xia Ling is bewildered by his statement, a noble family's son not having talent in cultivation it is very rarely seen. She probed his cultivation and found that it is same as hers only Elementary Dao realm first stage, she now understands why he is wearing those clothes and no one knows about him.
It is already afternoon and Di Cheng said, " Sister Ling it's getting late let's go get something to eat."
" I know a shop which is famous for steamed sweet buns. I will pay for it and you cannot reject it." Xia Ling is very grateful for what Di Cheng has done for her. It is far from repaying for what he had done, but something is better than nothing.
When they reached the shop it has a queue full of people, and they waited for some time to get their turn. Suddenly a commotion broke out, and he saw two extremely beautiful ladies coming inside the shop. They walked past them straight to the counter and one of those two said, " Shopkeeper, we heard this shop is famous for steamed sweet buns can you take our order first."
The one who ordered buns is none other than Fei Ling and other one standing beside her is Mu Yin.
The shopkeeper was surprised to see such beautiful ladies coming into his shop and thought that they definitely are not ordinary, so he bowed to them ordered the waiter to pack a few steamed sweet buns for them.
Di Cheng who is standing in the line got angry and said to the shopkeeper, " We came here first and waiting for a long time but you are giving preference to the ones who cut in the line."
Xia Ling pulled his sleeves and whispered, " Di Cheng, look at the clothes they are wearing they are from the Fei and Mu noble families."
Di Cheng turned towards the Fei Ling and said, "I never thought that a daughter of a noble family will cut in the line and be very rude."
The crowd who are watching the show were surprised and felt pity for Di Cheng for annoying a noble family.
Fei Ling face turned red with anger and is about to burst but is stopped by Mu Yin saying, "Fei Ling don't be rude," and turned towards Di Cheng and said, "Little brother we are sorry, Fei Ling is sometimes mischievous."
Di Cheng felt she is talking honestly, so he nodded his head.
After some time he and Xia Ling ordered few steamed sweet buns and picked a table near the corner and started eating buns.
A few minutes later Mu Yin and Fei Ling sat opposite to them and Mu Yin started talking, " Little brother, I am Mu Yin and this is Fei Ling, she doesn't interact with people normally, so she doesn't know how to speak with people. We apologize for what happened earlier."
"I.. I am sorry," Fei Ling said timidly. She also felt how unreasonable she was, and she shouldn't have acted like that.
Di Cheng saw how sincere they are and nodded his head.
"Little brother, are you coming to martial arts competition if not I will arrange seats for you two. Please take it as an apology." Mu Yin offered sincerely.
Xia Ling is surprised, she knows it is not easy to get a seat for competition, even as a palace maid she cannot get a seat even very few people from the palace enter the competition. The seats for the competition are very limited and sold for a very high price.
Di Cheng has a good impression for her honesty and looked at Xia Ling and said to Mu Yin, " Thank you for your offer, If it is possible to arrange one seat for sister Ling as I already have mine."
"Oh!..I will arrange for a seat for her." Mu Yin said.
After that Di Cheng bid goodbye to Xia Ling and ladies he left.
Mu Yin saw leaving Di Cheng and said softly, "He doesn't look like an ordinary person to me. His temperament is different from those of normal people."
Xia Ling subconsciously nodded and said, "He is a really rare kind of young man."
…
In the Bareback mountains nearby Tian province in midst of howling of wild beasts outside a tent young lady having red blood colored hair and garnet pupils and crescent moon eyebrows wearing white colored silk dress embroidered with violet colored flowers. She is none other than the Princess Ji Yan'er of Tian province. She left the palace at a year ago to cultivate, along with master Zuji she traveled to nearby Wu province and cultivated there for a year, and is now at Elementary Dao realm 9th stage which is considered top cultivation talent in the continent.
From nearby tent white-haired old man came out and said, "Yan'er we will again come here for your cultivation. I had a premonition that a very great event is going to happen in Tian province so let's return for now if everything is fine we will come back again." He is the prophecy master Zuji of Tian province.
Ji Yan'er turned towards her master placing her hand on her pounding heart and said, " Yes, master I am also feeling something, I can't point it out but it is related to me. I have to go there and check for myself."