Sima Ray confidently spoke out Leng Changxi’s “crimes”, but both Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan knew clearly that he was defaming Leng Changxi. This was his dirty trick. Wanyan Su already colluded with him. By doing so, he could also help Wanyan Su defeat Wanyan Ba and control North Di.
“His Majesty won’t believe in you.” Leng Changxi tilted his head a bit. “Although all people in Qi think His Majesty appoints you to be the Guardian of Qi, we both know it’s not true. His Majesty is still conscious, but you have put him under house arrest.”
“So what?” Sima Ray kept his chin up. Having held great power for some time, he became more arrogant. “In Qi, you are indeed a traitor all people hate. And you can’t go back to North Di, either. The Grand Khan is not well, and Wanyan Su runs the country now. As far as I know, you two have already turned against each other in the Yeren valley,”
Leng Changxi turned around and sneered, “Your Royal Highness, you’re quite well-informed, even knowing what happened in the Yeren Valley.”
Sima Ray didn’t pay attention to Leng Changxi’s irony and just looked at Qin Yunuan who became thinner. He walked to her as if no other people had been around. He looked at her lovingly and truly wanted to stroke her small face which was red with cold. It was like a red wintersweet flower falling on the snow, tempting people to gently “pick it up”. But Sima Ray held himself. He had to control himself, and he kept telling himself that Qin Yunuan would belong to him sooner or later.
“You’re thinner,” Sima Ray said to Qin Yunuan.
Moving to stand closer to Leng Changxi, Qin Yunuan replied coldly, “Your Royal Highness, I think this is none of your business.”
Sima Ray smiled at Leng Changxi and said, “General Leng, it seems that you haven’t taken good care of your wife.”
Before Leng Changxi said anything, Qin Yunuan answered coldly again, “I feel happiest when I’m together with Changxi.”
Leng Changxi looked back and patted Qin Yunuan on her hand to reassure her. But unexpectedly, Sima Ray asked with concern after taking one step, “General Leng, do you know your wife is actually pregnant?” Then, he looked at Qin Yunuan’s flat belly as if she was really pregnant. He said in a doubtful tone, “I remember that your wife had been pregnant for one month and a half when we were in the barn. So she should be close to giving birth to the baby now. But look at her. Does she…?”
“What are you talking about?” Leng Changxi became a bit hotheaded and almost couldn’t help breaking Sima Ray’s neck. But Qin Yunuan tugged his clothes and stopped him.
“What am I talking about?” Sima Ray said with a smile. He was ill-disposed. “It was Lu Wuyi, that famous doctor, who said your wife had been pregnant for one month and a half. Gosh, you are her husband, but you don’t know this?”
“Don’t listen to him.” Qin Yunuan knew Sima Ray was irritating Leng Changxi. They hadn’t officially declared war yet. And there were all Sima Ray’s men around. Leng Changxi would be at a disadvantage if he chose to fight with him now. Besides, if he really did so, 200,000 soldiers from West Xia who helped Leng Changxi to kill the real traitor would be seen as provocateurs.
“I asked Lu Wuyi to say so, because I didn’t want this disgusting man to harass me.” Qin Yunuan looked askance at Sima Ray and rolled her eyes. Sima Ray who had a pointed chin was indeed good-looking and even prettier than those beauties in Qi. But now, he looked so evil and as indecent as low-bred hooligans.
Leng Changxi remained doubtful. He trusted Qin Yunuan, but what if…
“Madam Leng, you are so caring. Not to break his heart, you should make up such an excuse. You must have suffered a lot when drifting from one place to another with General Leng. How can a pregnant woman take this? So it’s highly likely that you might have a miscarriage on your way. Madam Leng, you really are brave to pretend nothing happened after losing a baby and still wholeheartedly support General Leng. I respect you.”
The more Sima Ray said, the more grievous Leng Changxi was. What he feared most was to make Qin Yunuan suffer. He clenched his fist, and his hands were veined. Seeing that, Sima Ray suddenly laughed. “General Leng, you’re blessed to marry such a wonderful woman who is willing to accompany you in your hard time and even sacrifices her baby.”
Suddenly, Qin Yunuan felt that Leng Changxi had leveraged his genuine energy. She thought he would lose his temper, but unexpectedly, he just smiled at Sima Ray and raised his hand to point at the door. The strong Qi he exerted directly blew away the soldier who eavesdropped on them outside.
“Your Royal Highness, your man is not well-mannered. Can he, a third-rank soldier, eavesdrop on us?” Leng Changxi had leveraged his genuine energy, so he sounded loud. Even the soldier who was blown away could hear him. Sima Ray twitched his mouth and saw out of the window that the humiliated soldier picked himself up and ran away as fast as a cat.
But Sima Ray already kept that soldier’s look in his mind. He wouldn’t spare anyone who disgraced him.
Leng Changxi was poker-faced and extremely calm. “Your Royal Highness, I come here just to send your men back to you.” Then, Leng Wu pushed four assassins who were tied up to Sima Ray. Seeing his disciples were treated like this, Qiu Murong felt concerned and started to argue with Leng Changxi.
“The Moon Sect is a large sect. General Leng, you should treat my disciple like this. I’m afraid…”
“I should treat assassins well? Ho, nonsense.” Before Qiu Murong finished, Leng Changxi sneered and continued, “From a large sect, they should be reduced to assassins. So I’m actually helping you to teach these shameless people a lesson and to purge your sect.”
Qiu Murong didn’t know what to say and could only hold himself. He asked another disciple to take away the cloth strips in those four people’s mouths. However, he found the cloth was stained with blood. The four had no tongue. Leng Changxi should have pulled out their tongues.
“General Leng, you…” Qiu Murong was so angry that he even wanted to take out his sword to fight with Leng Changxi.
“This is one lesson they learned. I asked them to tell me the truth, but they all lied. Master Qiu, you’d better not recruit such insincere and dishonest disciples anymore. Otherwise, when they ruin the reputation of your sect, even His Royal Highness is unable to clean up the mess.” Leng Changxi was periphrastic, but they all understood his harsh implication.
Sima Ray’s face clouded. He looked so angry and unfriendly as if he was going to slaughter all people he hated.
“Now that they are back, I’ll take my leave.” Leng Changxi shook out his lower hem and held Qin Yunuan to directly walk out of the room, not caring about other people at all.
Qiu Murong whispered to Sima Ray at once, “Your Royal Highness, do I need to send assassins on their way back?”
Sima Ray shook his hand and refused, “Are you addicted to this? The reason why Leng Changxi sent these four tongueless men back is to tell us that he’s not afraid of any trick we play. That’s fine. I can’t enjoy myself to the full if just killing himself in secret. He is called the God of War in Qi. So let me directly fight with him. One day, I will let him surrender to me, make Qin Yunuan become mine and kill him in front of the Leng Army. Qin Yunuan will belong to me sooner or later.”
Leng Changxi strode out of the hut, and Qin Yunuan trotted to follow him. The sun in the distance was already up, radiating golden rays that were exclusive to the rising sun. Such beautiful light shone on Leng Changxi’s face, and it looked as if he had been in golden armor.
In fact, soldiers on guard and sentries in the dark Sima Ray deployed were everywhere. But seeing how confident Leng Changxi was, no one dared to stop him. Qin Yunuan walked behind him like a young girl who followed the hero she admired. She looked at Leng Changxi’s perfect face obsessively, and Leng Wu followed them to protect them. They three walked as if no other people were around. After a long time, they finally walked out of Sima Ray’s control area.
Leng Wu went forward to lead horses back.
Staring ahead, Leng Changxi looked determined. But suddenly, he asked Qin Yunuan, “You haven’t had enough?”
He knew Qin Yunuan was obsessively staring at him all the way.
Qin Yunuan chuckled and held Leng Changxi’s arm. “No, I will never have had enough of you. So what should I do?”
Leng Changxi lowered his head and lovingly tapped on Qin Yunuan’s forehead with his index finger. He smiled and replied, “If so, marry me in our next life.”
“Let me take a bite on you.”
“Why? You think you will become a puppy in your next life, so make yourself get used to this in advance?”
Qin Yunuan whispered to Leng Changxi and sweet-talked to him, “No. I want to leave a mark on you so I can find you easily in our next life.”
“You don’t have to find me.” Leng Changxi bit on Qin Yunuan’s pearl-like ear lobe gently and continued, “Stay where you are, and I’ll find you.”
Just when Leng Changxi finished his sentence, the dust was blowing in the distance, and they heard the stamp of hoofs. It wasn’t Leng Wu leading horses back. It sounded like a herd of horses were approaching. No, it was a troop of cavalries! Qin Yunuan smelt iron rust and blood.
