Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Let me tell you about that damned Zhan Nancheng, the place where he hid the Tiger Seal was really despicable. To begin with, I don’t know what was even in that goddamn beast on the right side, aiyo my dear mother, even its tears were lethal weapons. Fortunately, I was quick-witted and adaptable…”
“Meng! Fu! Yao!”
A deep bellow abruptly interrupted her war-story narration, and Meng Fuyao’s eyes widened in shock as she watched Zhan Beiye turn around with an extremely unpleasant expression on his face. His eyes were bloodshot and burning with fury, and the veins on his neck and forehead were all visible; his appearance was a terrifying sight to behold.
“Has your brain died? Who asked you to be so nosy? That is the spirit beast from the Tiansha imperial palace, meant to protect the nation, it’s the most poisonous spirit beast! Not just its tears contain poison, if a single strand of fur even lands on you, then you’ll immediately die ten thousand times!”
Meng Fuyao blinked several times, feeling rather indignant at the line “Who asked you to be so nosy”. Eventually, after thinking for a moment, she decided to be understanding and mumbled, “I still managed to slaughter it…”
“That’s because you were in luck!” Zhan Beiye interrupted her viciously again, “Back then, the number one archer in Tiansha who once won the True Martial Arts Competition, Xue Wuxie, fell victim to the very beast’s claws! That thing just has to scratch the epidermal layer of your skin, and even the Buddha can’t save you! You you you you—” He was so angry that his entire body was trembling almost uncontrollably as he continued, “You really are ignorant and naïve, be it the Tiger Seal or control over the imperial army, is it worth using your life to exchange for it? Idiot!”
“Your mother, you’re the idiot!” The cannon was immediately lit, and Meng Fuyao immediately flared up on her horse, shouting, “Zhan Beiye, you bastard, we haven’t met for just half a year, and you come yelling and cursing. Did you take the wrong medicine? It’s my business to snatch control of the imperial army, and it’s also my business to take the Tiger Seal, what does it have to do with you!”
“Of course it has to do with me! How has the matter of your life and death not to do with me!” Zhan Beiye’s voice was even louder than hers as he roared, “I would rather fight in the city for half a month and use my own power to take the throne than let you take such risks for me, Meng Fuyao! Where do you place yourself? And in what position do you place me, a man of my word?”
Pointing at himself, his voice became more agitated as he said, “I, Zhan Beiye, wish to seek vengeance and become the emperor, yet ultimately I have to depend on… depend on a woman to risk her life to open the city gates for me! Where would I have the face to see my people after that, where would I have the face to see you?”
“My ass, are you looking down on women? So what if it’s a woman? Didn’t your mother give birth to you?” Meng Fuyao seemed to emit smoke as she swooped in front of this chauvinistic bastard. “In what way am I lacking compared to you? Why can’t I do the things you do? All the regions in Tiansha were taken by your effort, so what are you afraid of me stealing your credit? Relax, you, Zhan Beiye, will forever be the heroic one and I, Meng Fuyao, will always be the nosy one. Relax, I’ve never once thought that you had to rely on me to open the city gates, I just, I just…” She suddenly paused, and her breathing became slightly unstable as she bit her lip and finally said, “I’ve had enough of those sacrifices! If there is a solution without the need for bloodshed, then why can’t I work hard too? Must blood always be shed in the fight for the throne? All those fathers and mothers had brought up lives equally as precious as ours, why can’t lesser people die?”
Zhan Beiye was stunned again. The two Black Wind Calvary soldiers standing behind him had heard their argument, and they too were stunned. Everyone had turned around to look at the raging, uncouth girl with her hands on her hips as she stood viciously on Zhan Beiye’s horse, and after a long moment, they unanimously turned to glance at their king.
For the first time, Zhan Beiye was pitied by his loyal subjects…
Meng Fuyao’s rage was beyond control as she stamped forcefully on Zhan Beiye’s horse and shouted, “Damn it, you boar!”
Zhan Beiye closed his mouth, his lips forming a tight line. ‘Damnit, this woman has misunderstood again!’ When did he feel that she was being extra? Since when was he afraid of her stealing the credit? Since when did he feel that her risking her life to cooperate with him from within the city humiliating? For the sake of respecting and preserving the lives of the tens of thousands of men who followed him, he, Zhan Beiye, didn’t care about face! He just… didn’t want her to take the risk.
Earlier while on the horse, he had heard the things that she had done and the more he heard, the more frightened he became, and he nearly let go of the reins due to his hands turning soft. She was literally dancing on the knife’s edge in a pool of blood, and her life could be over any moment, yet this girl was still so gleeful and utterly oblivious about it. Given this kind of fearless and boundless personality, if something were to happen, even if he offered everything he had, he still wouldn’t be able to save her!
Behind him, his horse was getting trampled by Meng Fuyao, and it was exasperatedly letting her continue, feeling rather indignant in its heart… Actually, the line that he said, “rely on a woman to help me open the city gates”, what he actually wanted to say was “rely on the woman I love to open the city gates for me”. However, he was surrounded by people all around, how could he say it out?
Zhan Beiye wrung his hands frustratedly. Sigh, he simply wasn’t good with words, no matter what he said, it would be misunderstood by this female tiger, and he also couldn’t explain himself, and even worse if his explanation was misunderstood by her as well. Hence, he could only shut up.
He gripped the reins tightly, green veins popping slightly on his knuckles—the two of them had been separated for half a year and finally met with great difficulty, yet the minute they met they started arguing, what was going on!
Behind him, Meng Fuyao was getting tired from stamping, and since he didn’t leave, she sat down stony-faced and said, “Aren’t you aware of the situation in the palace? I’ve already banished all of them to the Qin Zheng Palace, then you can just waltz in and chase them away. I’ve already asked Yun Hen to kill Zhan Nancheng, you don’t have to dirty your hands. When you go, if you’re smart, remember to cry for a bit in front of the palace and say something along the lines of ‘I never intended to harbor any rebellious thoughts, I travelled thousands of miles back only to kneel before Your Majesty, my loyalty is as unwavering as the sun and moon, yet Your Majesty did not wait for my return, and I am filled with grief…” or similar, have some drama, even if nobody believes you, you still have to do it. If you can’t cry, then there are still two options.” She blabbered on, pulling out several bulbs of garlic and a bunch of chili peppers as she said, “These goods are guaranteed to make you cry.”
The Black Wind Calvary turned around again and looked at her silently, then at Zhan Beiye. This time, their expressions were full of jealousy.
In this world, how many women would curse you yet at the same time help you unconditionally…
Zhan Beiye stared at Meng Fuyao intently, and his heart warmed, causing his eyes to become slightly moist. He cleared his throat and prepared to say in his most gentle voice, ‘I’m sorry…’
Yet who knew that the girl would continue to blabber on, “I’m tired already, if you’re that hung up on me helping you too much and think that I’m belittling you, then for future issues, you can settle them yourself, I’m leaving.” With that, she was about to get off her horse, when she thought for a moment and added, “If you want to find me, Zhu Zhu and myself will both be at the general’s manor on the Second South Alley. When you go over, you better remember clearly, the day before was Zhu Zhu’s birthday and I told you before to bring a letter to wish her. You better not forget, or else there might be conflict then.”
As she spoke, Zhan Beiye’s eyebrows arched again as he struggled to listen to her patiently. “Why do I have to remember that?” He replied coldly.
Meng Fuyao huffed and berated, “I told you before to wish her a happy birthday on my behalf!”
Zhan Beiye’s black eyebrows were scrounged tightly together, and his eyes were lit with fury as he asked again even more coldly, “What does it have to do with me?”
Meng Fuyao had just landed on the ground, and upon hearing his words, she nearly stumbled. Turning around suddenly, she shouted, “Yes! What does it have to do with you? So what do I have to do with you either?”
Zhan Beiye was stunned speechless as he turned around and glared at Meng Fuyao with his dark eyes. Countless sparks seemed to dance within his eyes, and Meng Fuyao was startled by the intensity of his gaze. She retreated one step, but Zhan Beiye suddenly jumped off his horse.
After jumping off the horse, with quick strides, he stopped in front of Meng Fuyao and without saying a word, he kissed her!
The momentum he carried with him as he placed his lips upon hers was wild and forceful, carrying the intensity of his feelings as he kissed her!
Zhan Beiye aggressively kissed her, his hands grasping her shoulders tightly as he used his tongue to attack, entering the mouth of the unprepared as it explored the new territory; the taste between her lips fragrant and sweet like the crape myrtle flowers that grew in the palace during the spring season. It was as though spring had come and her warmth was as soft and gentle as the feather comforter in the Jiao Ni Golden Palace during the harshest winter, leaving a warm and memorable impression that was deeply touching and left one yearning. And because of its brilliance, he was pulled into its beauty, and the pitch black world of his seemed to clear, and he was stepping on clouds over a rainbow.
His body was trembling slightly due to the shock of the feeling and the forcefulness of his tongue, wanting to trap the angel who kept trying to fly away in his heart forever…
He felt a sudden pain in his abdomen.
It was as though an icy blade hilt had hit an equally hard area.
Zhan Beiye paused for but a moment. He curled his fingers, squeezing her waist even tighter as he ignored the pain, refusing to let go of the territory he had gained and even bit Meng Fuyao’s tongue lightly/ ‘If you have the guts then just kill me for real!’
It was a pity that the woman he loved was simply not weak or dainty enough.
And that she did not like being forced into a kiss and biting the other party’s tongue, drinking the other party’s blood as a token of affection!
Meng Fuyao suddenly reached out and grabbed his chin. With a twist of her fingers, a soft crack was heard.
Zhan Beiye’s jaw had been dislocated…
Thereafter she moved back immediately and stood up, staring defiantly at Zhan Beiye with her chin lifted up, oblivious to the thunderstruck expressions of the Black Wind Calvary. “Zhan Beiye, just after half a year you’ve actually grown to become a despicable man openly forcing women to subject themselves to you. Congratulations.”
With that, she turned and prepared to leave. One of the Black Wind Calvary soldiers caught his master’s eye and attempted to stop her, only for both man and horse to be sent flying with a single kick.
Zhan Beiye watched as her silhouette vanished at the end of the long street, his expression dark and unreadable… He had made a mistake again. He was always making mistakes, every time he met her, he would make a mistake, and every time he made a mistake, he would push her further and further away. Zhan Beiye had always thought that he was a rational and collected person and he was proud of that, but every time he saw her his reasoning would melt away like snow in the fire, and he would lose himself.
