After the morning court, Princess still had to go to the imperial study to help Little Emperor review memorials; she couldn't stay in her room all day.

Ethan Reed waited for a long time, then finally mustered up the courage to speak:

“Your Highness Princess, it's time to go to the imperial study.”

Inside the bedchamber, Princess Taylor Olivia Clark, dressed in court attire, stood by the bookshelf, flipping through cultivation manuals she hadn't looked at in years. Flickers of firelight danced in her eyes, her complexion shifting between pale and flushed.

Olivia Clark was a cultivator; being spanked with a ruler naturally wouldn't injure her.

But cultivators were still human, and being hit still hurt.

Last night, she had been held in someone's arms and spanked more than twenty times by that shameless scoundrel. Even after returning to the palace, the burning pain lingered—she didn't need to look to know it was red.

As a noblewoman, Olivia Clark had never been punished like this in her life. Moreover, as the dignified Grand Princess who ruled from behind the curtain, being spanked by a man was an unspeakable humiliation. She lay on her couch, fuming, and only managed to fall asleep at dawn.

When she got up in the morning, the pain had completely faded, her skin as smooth and fair as a peeled egg.

But that unforgettable memory couldn't be erased. Even now, Olivia Clark didn't want to sit down, afraid of feeling uncomfortable again, recalling that scene of shame and embarrassment.

Hearing Ethan Reed's call, Olivia Clark put down the martial arts manual, turned, and left the palace for the imperial study.

Along the way, the gorgeously dressed Olivia Clark wore a frosty expression, her murderous aura practically written on her face. Ethan Reed and the palace maids were so frightened they kept nearly ten paces behind, only daring to follow quietly.

After a while, Olivia Clark suddenly stopped.

Ethan Reed hurriedly halted and cautiously asked,

“Princess, what is it?”

Olivia Clark took a deep breath, suppressing her shame and anger, before speaking:

“Tomorrow, the consort selection will be held at Qiyun Terrace. Go and make some arrangements for me—there's someone who needs to be ‘taken care of’…”

Olivia Clark waved for the other maids to withdraw, then leaned close to Ethan Reed's ear, gritting her teeth as she gave her instructions.

Ethan Reed listened intently, her expression a bit puzzled. She opened her mouth as if to ask why, but seeing Princess's expression, wisely kept silent…

Chapter 10: Qihuang Valley

After leaving Linhe District, Ryan Bennett bought a fine black horse at the carriage and horse market. After asking the locals for directions, he set off alone at a gallop toward Qihuang Valley.

Qihuang Valley was only thirty li from the capital, located in the suburbs, backed by the Evergreen Mountains.

Ryan Bennett sped along the straight road, and in less than half an hour, he saw a small town at the end of the road.

At the far end of the town stood an octagonal archway inscribed with the three characters ‘Qihuang Valley’. Beyond the archway stretched a ten-li willow forest, with glimpses of rooftops and distant mountain ridges visible at the edge of sight.

It was early morning, and the town was sparsely populated, with only a few herbal farmers who had come to sell their finds.

Ryan Bennett rode through the town and arrived at the octagonal archway.

Beneath the archway stood four young men, apparently guards. When they saw Ryan Bennett approaching, one of them stepped forward, raised his hand in greeting, and said:

“Please halt, sir. Outsiders are forbidden in Qihuang Valley. Do you have a pass or documentation?”

Ryan Bennett took a jade token from his robe and handed it over. “I am Ryan Bennett from Qinghe County. I have long admired Qihuang Valley and have come today to pay my respects. Might you introduce me?”

The leading young man took the token, saw the character ‘吴’ on the back, looked up at Ryan Bennett, and smiled:

“So it's you. The valley was notified earlier that someone would be coming with this token. I'll take you straight to the alchemy and artifact hall to see Uncle Harris. Come, I'll lead the way.”

Seeing this, Ryan Bennett said no more, mounted his horse with the young man, and entered the octagonal archway.

Qihuang Valley lay within the mountains. The ten-li willow forest on the outskirts served only to keep outsiders away; no one lived there. It was more like a beautiful landscape garden.

The two rode side by side for about a quarter of an hour, reaching the foot of a mountain ridge that cut across the land.

The Evergreen Mountain range stretched for a thousand li, spanning the western side of the Great Dan Dynasty. The ridge before them was just a part of it, called Qihuang Ridge.

At this point, the ridge seemed to have split open, perhaps due to geological activity, creating a gap between the mountains. Sheer cliffs rose on both sides like blades, and deep within, a waterfall could be seen cascading down. In the spring sunlight, a rainbow arched through the mist—a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Ryan Bennett dismounted and, together with the young man, entered the valley on foot. The view suddenly opened up—pavilions and terraces stretched in all directions, with many buildings even perched on the cliffs. In the center was a huge plaza, where hundreds of people could be seen practicing in the morning. Around the plaza were pavilions and lush greenery, and a few white cranes circled overhead. At a glance, it truly resembled a paradise.

Being new to Qihuang Valley, Ryan Bennett was unfamiliar with the place. He followed the young guide, winding left and right, not knowing how far they went, until they reached a small lake beside the plaza.

The lake was filled with lotuses, and in the center stood an academy draped with bamboo curtains on all sides.

Inside the academy were meditation cushions, with dozens of people sitting cross-legged in a circle. The oldest was seventeen or eighteen, the youngest five or six, all listening eagerly to an elder behind the desk: