Xiao Bing did not want to take a walk with Nami inside the Kokyo. They couldn’t be together. He was actually trying to take advantage of Princess Nami to visit more places inside the Kokyo this afternoon. He tried to pay attention to the route and memorized it. He would come back to look for it in the evening.
After having lunch, Princess Nami happily wanted to walk hand-in-hand with Xiao Bing. Xiao Bing told her that this was not good for him, and they should not be too close. So she gave up. They were incompatible as fire and water before. But now, their relationship has improved. In private, they got along like friends. So, Princess Nami didn’t want to arouse his displeasure again.
Like a little girl in love, Princess Nami was jumping up and down in front of him happily. Some people were surprised to see Her Royal Highness acting cute with a warrior.
It was convenient to walk with Princess Nami. She was a qualified tour guide. More importantly, nobody would stop him when he went to places that he was not allowed to. But in spite of walking for more than two hours, going past more than half the sites in the Kokyo, he found nothing. However, Xiao Bing was not discouraged. Having spent years starting his career, Xiao Bing understood the fact that the harder things got, the more patient one should be. Only when one’s state of mind was stable, could one do things perfectly.
“Ichiro, it’s very late now. Let’s go back. I’ll walk again with you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” After dinner, Xiao Bing will have to sneak out by himself after a short rest. He will have to search those suspicious places he passed by earlier. So now, he’d better go back and have a rest.
When they went back, they were quiet because Xiao Bing’s mind was occupied. Princess Nami took a peek at him, bit her lip and asked, “Ichiro, what do you think of me lately?”
Xiao Bing came back to the present, “Oh, impression? Well… I feel that you’ve changed a lot.”
“Right,” Princess Nami said happily, “I’ve changed for you.”
Xiao Bing smiled and said, “I would rather you didn’t do it for me. When I took you to the hotel that day, you saw that someone might respect and admire you not because of your beauty. No matter how beautiful a woman is, a man will be bored with her when they spend every day together. If you want to conquer everything by your exquisite beauty and find a lover who will always treat you well, that would be unrealistic. If a man does that for your looks, he will be fickle in his affection sooner or later.”
Princess Nami looked at Xiao Bing in surprise. Xiao Bing laughed, “I know you find it hard to believe. You think you’re the most beautiful. There was a man who thought he was the strongest in the world. Then one day, he met a rival, and he realized that he wasn’t the most powerful in the world. Then another day, he met several more people. Had it not been for his chance encounter, he wouldn’t get to know them. Only then, he knew that he was not even one-half of the most powerful people in the world.”
“I didn’t mean that you were not the most beautiful woman in the world. But so what even if you’re the most beautiful one? If you read the news, you’ll know that many men in the world have beautiful wives, but they end up looking for a mistress worse-looking than his wife. Why?”
Princess Nami asked in surprise, “Why?”
“Those men who like your appearance are fickle in their affection. They might not get bored with you in one year, or even in three to five years. But in eight or ten years? Even if you’re excessively beautiful, a man will be bored with you if he only likes your appearance. He’ll find a woman who is uglier than you but can make him feel refreshed. Then he’ll finally abandon you, even if you’re the first beauty of Country R.”
Although she was capricious, Princess Nami was not stupid. After listening to Xiao Bing’s words, she seemed lost in thought.
Xiao Bing laughed, “I’m sure you’ll understand. Go back and think about it. What kind of person will sincerely like you, adore you, and even respect you? Depend on your appearance or inner beauty? Respect people and win them over with virtue.”
Princess Nami sighed, “Ichiro, I understand.”
“Okay, great.” Xiao Bing laughed, “I want to tell you this because I haven’t lost hope in you. I don’t want you to change so you can prove something to me. I hope that you can change from the bottom of your heart. If I’m not around one day and I disappear from your world, I hope you can remember what I told you today. I’m advising you rather than teaching you. And it’s all for your own good.”
Princess Nami looked at Xiao Bing in surprise and asked, “You’ll disappear? Where are you going?”
Xiao Bing did not expect Princess Nami to get so emotional, and immediately said with a smile, “I’m just saying. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Really?” Princess Nami was skeptical.
Xiao Bing did not think that Princess Nami would be so intuitive, though she was capricious and not smart. Perhaps women were sensitive only in this aspect. Xiao Bing hastened to reassure her again. After that, Princess Nami reluctantly gave up.
They walked back. When they were not far from the Hall of Martial Gods, Xiao Bing suddenly saw two people, who seemed to be wearing researchers’ uniform, walk in and disappear into a vacant house that he’d seen before not far away.
Xiao Bing remembered that he had searched over there last night, and thought it was just an ordinary house. He suspected that some staff of the Kokyo lived there. After all, it was simple and crude. However, it seemed to have been unoccupied for a while. Nobody seemed to have lived there recently. But now two people wearing working clothes with masks and gloves, have gone straight in. An idea struck Xiao Bing. “Is there a secret passage inside?”
His heart began to beat faster. He was looking around in the distance. He never expected that the place in question was so close to him. So, he decided to go and investigate that night itself.
Xiao Bing looked back and saw Princess Nami watching him. He was taken aback, and then he laughed, “Why are you looking at me?”
Princess Nami shook her head and said quietly, “Ichiro, I keep having this bad feeling.”
“Oh? What feeling?”
Princess Nami touched her chest and said, “I feel like it won’t be long before you will leave me. Each time this thought comes, my heart will ache.”
“Er. Damn. I can’t stand it. The unruly and headstrong princess is good at arousing sympathy.” Xiao Bing originally hated her. Although she was beautiful, she was unruly, headstrong, and extremely arrogant. She acted arbitrarily and recklessly. She did not care about others’ lives and dignity.
However, Princess Nami had changed a lot lately. Whether it was something fresh or not, Xiao Bing could sense Princess Nami’s strong feelings towards him. It was difficult for a man to hate a woman who liked him, especially a stunning beauty.
Xiao Bing sighed and smiled bitterly, “Take it easy, stop imagining things…”
“Damn. She is not only beautiful but also sensational.” He was so much with the capricious princess these days, his impression of her seemed to be gradually changing. She was not as annoying as she used to be. If he left immediately, he would not be sad, but he would surely miss her a little.
Princess Nami stared at Xiao Bing, but she could not see anything strange. “Well, perhaps I was over-thinking it.”
Xiao Bing asked, “Are you going for dinner?”
“Well, go and see my grandfather first, and then we’ll go have dinner. I must tell my grandfather. Hmph, Feng XIII treated me like an outsider. He sent me out first when he wanted to say something. I’m pissed off.”
Xiao Bing laughed, “Maybe it was just me that he regarded as an outsider.”
“That’s not good, either.” The princess became unruly again.
It did not matter to him. Anyway, he could not move too early. At the earliest, he could only start at midnight. Otherwise, he would easily be discovered. In which case, he’d better go with the princess for now.
Xiao Bing and Princess Nami walked into the Hall of Martial Gods. When they were going to Iza Kawatani’s room, a maid suddenly said, “Your Royal Highness, the Great Patriarch is gone.”
“He’s gone?” Princess Nami was stunned and asked, “He’s gone? What do you mean he’s gone?”
“The Great Patriarch has gone away,” the maid said respectfully. “He went two hours ago. He said if you came, to tell you that he’ll come back in a few days.”
Princess Nami asked in surprise, “I didn’t know my grandfather was going out. Did he say where he was going?”
“The Great Patriarch didn’t say anything, but he seemed to have gone to the Emperor first before leaving. After all, he has a special status. If he goes away for many days, he has to tell the Emperor first.”
“Oh, I see.” Princess Nami looked at Xiao Bing and said, “Aoki-kun, come with me to my emperor grandfather first.”
“Okay.” Xiao Bing replied, but he was excited. Although many experts were inside the Kokyo, Xiao Bing felt that Iza Kawatani was the most dangerous. Iza Kawatani leaving at this time would be good for him.
But why has he gone away for so long? Xiao Bing immediately sensed it was probably related to one person, Feng XIII.
