Mu Linger stood frozen outside the door.
For some reason, she hadn’t felt so sad that night when Qi gege was willing to watch her die rather than free Ning Cheng from his vines. But eavesdropping on this conversation made her so miserable, she wanted to die. She remembered when she was very, very young, a mama had told her, “Ling’er, the words you overhear are the truest words of all.”
Mu Linger sniffled and put up a brave front just like that night, but in the end, she broke down. Covering her face with her hands, she turned and ran off, her tears flying in the wind…
Inside the room, Gu Qishao didn’t hesitate after his admission and placed the hot poker on Bai Yuqiao’s face. Not expecting this, she shrieked from the pain. “Ahh….ahhhhhh!”
Her screams were mixed up with Gu Qishao’s words. He said, “This young gentleman forget to tell you. No one except me is allowed to bully that foolish lass. Just try and curse her again, I’ll ruin your right face too!”
Bai Yuqiao screamed as she stared at Gu Qishao’s devastating features, her body trembling. Everyone said that beautiful women had the heart of a snake, but the saying really should be applied to beautiful men. Gu Qishao is too terrifying!
Bai Yuqiao regretted it utterly. She should have confessed on the first day!
“I confess! I confess! Master’s usual whereabouts are unclear, so even senior brother and I don’t know where he goes. He’s always been the one to contact us first, I have no way to find him,” Bai Yuqiao said desperately.
But Gu Qishao wouldn’t give up the poker until he got the information he want.
“I only know that master has a residence somewhere in Tianning. Han Yunxi’s servant girl Su Xiaoyu is trapped in there right now, I can take you to her,” Bai Yuqiao said.
When Gu Qishao still didn’t budge, she hastily added, “I only know this much. Let’s go over there first and discuss according to the situation!” As she spoke, she voluntarily offered him her face. “If you don’t believe me, then ruin this side of my face too. In any case, I don’t want to live anymore!”
Finally, Gu Qishao dropped the poker. At the same time, Ning An arrived. Before she could enter, Gu Qishao pushed her out and shut the door behind him. “What’s Han Yunxi’s current situation?” he asked in a low voice. It was about time she sent him a letter, so he’d been waiting this entire time.
“There’s been many affairs to deal with recently in the wake of the ceasefire,” Ning An intoned.
“Ceasefire?” Gu Qishao was astonished.
“Mm. A few days ago, the princess and Ning Cheng went to negotiate with Long Feiye and decided on a ceasefire. Both sides will focus on dealing with the Wind Clan first, so Bai Yuqiao is very important to us. Gu Qishao, whether or not the princess wins against Long Feiye will all depend on you,” Ning An said seriously.
“She’s already confessed, Gu Qishao said before reporting his findings.
Thrilled, Ning An cried, “Gu Qishao, when I see the princess, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you!”
Gu Qishao gave a snort of contempt. “Does this young gentleman need your good word? Take that set of yours away before you gross me out. Go make preparations, we set out tomorrow.”
“Alright!” Ning An left to write Ning Cheng immediately.
Meanwhile, Gu Qishao wrote another secret letter to Han Yunxi to ask her about the ceasefire. It was unclear whether his message would ever reach her, but by now Chu Tianyin had already gotten Long Feiye’s message for Gu Beiyue. Unfortunately, he had no way to deliver it. Before, he had kept in touch with the man through Gu Beiyue’s flying messenger hawk. Through this, he knew that Gu Beiyue was in Bai Yanqing’s hands, but not where he was kept. Since the messenger hawk had already flown back, where was he supposed to look? Without a choice, he could only sent the letter back to Long Feiye and wait for Gu Beiyue’s next move.
While everyone else was searching for Bai Yanqing, Jun Yixie was inquiring into his master’s whereabouts too. He had finally gotten rid of the Northern Li crown prince and second imperial prince, then smoothly brought the battle horses to Northern Li. He assumed that his master had already dealt with the Northern Li emperor, but not only did master disappear, the emperor began to suspect him and left him pinned at Sky River City.
Early autumn in the north meant that the plants were already starting to wither. The grasslands had turned yellow as well, leaving them bleak and desolate. Half a year’s worth of hard work, however, had yet to leave any traces on Jun Yixie’s face. He rode astride his high horse in a set of handsome riding clothes. The deep contours of his face seemed cut and polished by God’s hands, looking eminently heroic and brilliant. The hand holding his horse whip casually brushed back a few strands of hair from his brows, revealing the blood red piercing in intermittent flashes. It was full of mystery. Unless he was in front of his master Bai Yanqing, this man was eternally lofty , wild, and proud to the point of arrogance!
He should be even more high-spirited now that close to 100,000 horses were due to be in his possession, but nothing except worry shone in his eyes. Where was master, and just what had happened? He couldn’t even get in contact with Bai Yuqiao, so he had to sent someone back to the Hundred Poisons Sect to see the situation there. The Northern Li emperor was suppressing him while East and West Qin had suddenly stopped fighting. The chessboard had changed so much that it confounded him who had just got back.
Of course, he didn’t panic. No matter the reason for ceasefire, all he needed to do was to get on the Northern Li emperor’s good side and control all of their troops. Then he wouldn’t fear a soul! Despite the checks pinning him down, he could choose to rebel at any time. Although he’d been stripped of his royal title, his power was still intact. He could call out his troops whenever he wanted, but he was waiting for the right time, and for his master to explain things to him.
Long Feiye was actually the East Qin crown prince, while Han Yunxi was the West Qin princess. When did master find this out? Why didn’t he tell me?
Why?!
The man he could never win against and the woman he could never have actually had identities like these? Although the thought was depressing, he couldn’t help but want to laugh out loud at the thought of those two being old enemies. What could be more amusing than this? Long Feiye hadn’t hesitated to send his troops to trap him on Fishery Island, all to seek revenge for Han Yunxi. He must be regretting that utterly! All of that looks like a joke now!
Jun Yixie couldn’t wait for the moment he met Long Feiye on the battle and gave him a full, mocking dressing down! At that, he gave another cold burst of laughter, terrifying the retainers around him. They didn’t understand his actions at all…
All of Cloud Realm Continent seemed peaceful in the wake of East and West Qin’s ceasefire, but there were waves stirring in the shadows. A wild storm was slowly building up as various factions made their preparations. Except for Ning Cheng, no one else had any idea that the “old enemies” of Long Feiye and Han Yunxi didn’t hate each other. If anything, they loved each other even deeper than before.
—
By the time Long Feiye went to look for Baili Yuanlong, his hands were empty. The shadow guards had no idea whether he went shopping or bought anything at all, because he had dispatched them all elsewhere.
Baili Yuanlong had already been waiting for him for four hours. “Your Highness, did something important delay you?”
It wasn’t clear whether Long Feiye heard him, but he didn’t answer. Baili Yuanlong had no guts to press the issue since His Highness had no requirements to report his actions. He respectfully invited Long Feiye to sit before presenting him with an accounts book. “Your Highness, everything’s been arranged. Please review it.”
Long Feiye glanced at the contents before picking out a few places for Baili Yuanlong to fix. It took less time to brew a pot of tea before master and subordinate settled all the details. By now, it was already late night.
“You Highness, you’ve worked hard these few days. How about resting one more night before heading back?” Baili Yuanlong asked. If His Highness hadn’t come back late, they could’ve returned long ago.
“No need, prepare the horses,” Long Feiye rose to his feet. His plans had gone awry: he didn’t know it’d take so long to buy his things. Even if he set out now, the earliest he’d reached the barracks would be tomorrow morning.
What was that woman, Han Yunxi, doing right now? Sleeping? The conditions of the military barracks were simple and crude, so he didn’t know if she had been sleeping well the past few nights. He suddenly recalled something as his lips drew up into a bewitching, sexy grin.
Baili Yuanlong had someone prepare a carriage, but Long Feiye wanted to go on horseback. Without a choice, Baili Yuanlong accompanied him to rush back to the barracks.
Meanwhile, Han Yunxi was awake despite it being the dead of night. Thanks to her insomnia from the past two days, she had spent the day with a dizzy, heavy head and dozed off. Thus, her biological clock was turned upside down, causing her to wake up in the wee hours of the night. Today was no exception.
The military barracks were different than other places, where she could find Xu Donglin to take a stroll outside. Here, she had already walked the limits of her confinement and there were soldiers all around her. The person she missed hadn’t come back yet!
After tossing and turning a bit, she suddenly remembered something. Her hand crept under her pillow and took out the two black bound books. She hesitated a bit, then opened them up for a look. If anyone else was around, she’d never peek, but she couldn’t help but be curious when she was alone. Although her ears grew redder the more she read, she still flipped through it page by page. Sometimes she’d be stunned, or alarmed, or laugh secretly up her sleeve and feel awkward. Of course, only she herself knew what she saw.
No wonder this came from the imperial palace. It’s so dirty!
Han Yunxi was about to move to the second volume when a succession of soft sounds came from outside her tent. It’s so late, but there’s still noise. Could Long Feiye be back?
Han Yunxi immediately grew flustered as her face flushed scarlet. She quickly stuffed the books back under her pillow, afraid that Long Feiye would see them if he charged inside. But despite waiting for a long time, the noise outside only grew louder without anyone coming in. She suddenly wanted to laugh at herself. Even if Long Feiye had come back, he’d head for the main barracks first. How could he simply come into her quarters like before?
As expected, she was suffering from a guilty conscience for doing something naughty.
Han Yunxi quickly straightened up her clothes. Even if Long Feiye couldn’t see her immediately, she could at least take a peek at him. But disappointment greeted her as soon as she stepped outside. Long Feiye wasn’t here, but a group of soldiers had gathered by the main barracks to prepare for what looked like a bonfire.
“What’s going on over here?” Han Yunxi asked a mermaid soldier offhandedly.
The mermaid soldier only gave her a look before replying coldly, “You have no right to know!”
“Xu Donglin!” Han Yunxi shouted.
Immediately, Xu Donglin emerged from his hiding place in the shadows. “West Qin princess, do you have any requests?”
An unhappy Han Yunxi said, “What’s going on over here? Have them all stop, do they want anyone to sleep at this time of night? Where’s Your Highness Crown Prince? Let him get over here and explain himself!”
